A STUDY OF ACCELERATION METHODS IN BASIC COLLEGE SOCIAL SCIENCE

237 Pages·010.52 MB·English

by  HALL, JOHN OLIVER

A STUDY OF ACCELERATION METHODS ITT BASIC COLLEGE
SOCIAL SCIENCE
By
John Oliver Hall
A THESIS
Submitted to the School of Graduate Studies of Michigan
State College of Agriculture and Applied Scien co
in partial fulfillm ent of the requirements
for the degree of
DOCTOR OF EDUCATION
Division of Education
Department of Higher Education
1951
ACK1-T0WLEDGM31JTS
The writer wishes to express his appreciation of the help given
by the many persons aiding him in tho completion of this study.
The chief suggestions for the study, guidance in its early stages
of development, and proposals for analysis of the data obtained wore
made by Dr. George W. Angell, formerly of Michigan State College and
originally chairman of the writer’s guidance committee (now Dean, Hew
York State Teachers College, NewPaltz). Valuable aid in organization
of the written thesis, suggestions for clarification of the manner of
presentation, and guidance toward its completion wore made by Dr.
Morton I,'alter, the present chairman. Other members of the committee,
Dr. Cecil V. Millard, Dr. Charles R. Hoffer, and Dr. Troy L. Stearns
are also thanked for their splendid aid.
Tho writer is gratoful for the cooperation and help given him in
setting up the experimental class by Dr..Walter R. Fee, head of tho
Department of Social Science (now acting dean of the Basic College),
and Graduate Council member of the writer’s guidance committee, the
late Dean Howard C. Rather, and to Dr. Paul L. Drossel, chairman of
the Board of Examiners, and to members of his staff for guidance, use
of studies made by them and data furnished the vjritor for his analyti­
cal studies. He is also greatly indebted to Dr. William D. Baton for
many hours of helpful guidance in statistical methods and for his
critical reading of the completed thesis.
Acknowledgment is given to members of the staff of the Social
Science department for their aid in setting up the questionnaire on
social science background and for their help in securing completed
copies from students in their classes. Special thanks are, of course,
due the 28 members of the experimental class for their tolerance and
helpfulness in face of tho additional demands made upon them. Their
continued interest in the study has been a source of great encourage­
ment to the author.
* * >|t * * * ***>ic * i|c * * *
*************
***********
*********
*******
*****
***
*
John Oliver Hall
candidate for the degree of
Doctor of Education
Final Examination, May B, 1951, 1:30 P.M., Room 202 Morrill Hall
Dissertation: A Study of Acceleration Methods in Basic College
Social Science
Outline of Studies
!rajor field: Higher Education
Cognate field: Social Science
Biographical Items
Born, December 3, 1905, Belle Fourche, South Dakota
Undergraduate Studies: Cornell College (lorn), 1923-27
Graduate Studies: Northwestern University, 1927-2B, 1950-33,
summer, 1937, University of Chicago, summer,
1934, University of Minnesota, summer, 1939,
Michigan State College, 1946-51.
Experience: Minister in the Methodist Church, Hastings, Minn.,
1928-29, Minnesota Lake, Minn., 1933-34, Ajiiboy and
Vernon Center, Minn., 1954-36, Instructor in the
Social Sciences, Ely Junior College, Ely, Minn.,
1936-43, Director of Civil Service; St. Louis
County, Duluth, Minn., 1943-44, Industrial Relations
Analyst, Oliver Iron Mining Company (U.S. Steel),
Duluth, Minn., 1944-45, Instructor in Social Science,
Michigan State College, 1945-48, Assistant Professor
of Social Science, Michigan State College, 1948-
Member of Tau Kappa Alpha, Pi Gamma Mu, American Political Science
Association, National Council for the Social Studies.
TABLED? COUTE’TTS
C'APTE'i PAGE
i the scope o? this s r 1
Introduction.............. L ............... 1
T’no Background of This Study. A
Acceleration procedure at Michigan Stato College. 4
Ouestions arising ixbout current acceleration
CT I
practice .............................................................
The approach made by this study......................................
Tho T'a.jor Hypotheses 7
Underlying Assumptions B
Procedures Usod in Th Study. 10
Experience in acceleration.................................................... 10
Tho Basic College Social Science program .... 10
An experiment in acceleration............................................. 10
The accelerated class comuarod with othor accol-
I *
orated and noil-accelerated groups............................. 11
Tactors in tho background of students contributing
to competence iji Social Science.................... 12
Conclusions and rebommondations......................................... 13
Summary. 14
II P.j'RIE'.TCES I?: THE ACC ELii VIA? I OH 01' STUDEUTS I!! A'E'.IICAU
COLLEGES................................................................................................... 15
Acceleration by Early College Enti 15
Early studios at Harvard University............................... 16
University of Buff ilo's studios on differences be­
tween superior young students and others of
equal ability, 17
Ohio State studies on relation of student ago to
college success 18
The social adjustin' snt of younger students................. 20
Occupational succe 3S of tho young college graduate 21
Acceleration by Longt loning tho School Year..................... 24
PAGE
CHAPTER
V/orld '.Yar II exporienco.................... 24
Studios on tho offsets of tho lengthened school
year*........................................................................................... 25
Student attitudes on the lengthened school year... 27
Acceleration by Taking Heavier Course Loads..................... 30
Studies on tho achievement of students on excess
schedules................................................................................ 31
Studies on the personal effects of heavy course
loads................................................... 34
Acceleration by Examination 'without Class Attendance. 55
Tho University of Chicago placement tost system... 35
Studios on tho University of Chicago program 3B
Experience at the Ohio State University....................... 40
University of ’Buffalo studies ............................ 41
?'ichigan State College studies on acceleration.... 42
Acceleration Through Spocial Classes or Programs 51
Experiment at tho University of Uinnosota.. .............. 52
Ohio State seminar in educational psychology. 52
Summary.................................................................................................... 54
III THE SOCIAL SCIB'TCE CO’J.lSS IH THE 3ASIC COLLEGE PK0GRAJ.T.. 50
The Basic College............................................................................... 56
The Social Science Course................................... 58
The Comprehensive Examination.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Summary.................................... 68
17 A" HXPH?.i::SUT 17 THE ACC3LSHATI01: 07 SOCIAL SCIEUCE
STITDEUTS......................................................................... 70
Tho Selection of Students............................... 71
Procedure in tho Class.................................................................... 73
Class sessions.......................................................... 73
Teaching method.................... 75
Class atto*idance. ............................................................. 78
The "clinic" sessions........................ 78
The Achievement of tho Students 81
PAGE
Comparison of Pre-test, Post-test Scores, 83
Analysis of Pre-tost, Post-test, by TTr.its of tho
Course................................. 92
Tho | Evaluation of tho Class by tho Students....................... 100
January, 1949..................................................... 100
April, 1950...................................................................................... 109
Sumaryi.............................................................. 112
CO'PAiATITE A’ALTGIS CP AC::iET3**E^ 0" 7TTE COIT'AD'TE-!-
SJ'lti EDA* DU A? I Oil BETiYEE*: TTIE KiPEdI"ii>7TAL CLASS,
ACCELERATED GROUPS A ,D A GACT*F OP "OP-ACCEL-
EATES........................................................................................................ 117
"cthod of Analysis.............................................................................. 118
Groups of students included in tho study........................ 118
Movr the comprehensive is analyzed........................................ 121
Group differences on psychological and reading
tests............................................................................................. 122
Differences in achievement remaining after adjust­
ments aro mado for variations in intelligence
and reading ability ............................................. 135
Units of the Course in which "o Significant Differ­
ences Appear............................................................. 142
General Summary and Implications of tho Data in this
tudy.
IS DAOKGP.OTniD OP BASIC COLISGE SOCIAL SCIENCE STUDENTS. 148
The 'othods "sod. .................... 149
Analysis of Data on Student Backgrounds............................. 152
Grades recoived on comprehensive examinations 152
A|ge distri.bu.tion...................... 153
’fen, women, marriod students, veterans 155
Deciles on psychological and reading te sts 155
Dome bachground......................................................................... 160
Nigh school background ............................................. 177
Reading habits and news interests.............................. 184
Other Basic Collogo courses, ........................................... 198
ounrnary........................................................................................... 201
CHAPTiSR ' PARS
7Xi G3':.i-iAL ?.srn:5# co?:clttsio!?s, atd iiscc'rsroATiors 205
General V.osume of Findings on tho Hypothosos.................. 205
Hypothesis ”o..1....................................................... 205
Hypothesis "o..2............................................................... 207
Hypothesis Ho..3.......................................................................... 207
liypothosis I*o..4................. 200
Limitations of This Study...................... 211
Conclusions............................... 213
tecomnumdations................................................................................... 219
LIS? 0? TABLES
I Percentages of students in each grade classification on
tho comprehensive examinations. Spring, 1948........... 44
II Percentages of students in each grade clarsification on
tho Social Science comprehensive examination,
Spring, 1943................................................. 45
III Percentage of first, socond, and third term items of
Social Science comprehensive answerod correctly by
students divided according to grade and preparation.
'Sinter, 1 9 4 7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
17 Ranges of scores and grades on examination used as a
comprehensive and as a pre-test............................................. 72
V Distribution of tine on units of the course............................. 74
71 lixperimontal class attendance and absences............................... 78
711 Attendance s.t clinic sessions......................................................... 79
7111 Student's grades in tho experimental class.............................. 82
17 Gains mado by students in tho experimental class as shown
by differences in scores betwoon pre-test and post­
test.......................................................................................................... 85
X Pre-test, post-tost gains within certain ranges for tho
experimental class......................................... 86
XI Comparative achievomont in social scionco, pre-test to
post-tost, of throe groups of studonts.............................. 86
XII Attitudes of experimental class on tho Social Scionco
comprehensive..................................................................................... 108
XIII Percentages of studonts receiving designated grades on
tho Social Science comorohensive examination. Pall,
1948.......................................^................................................................ 120
XI7 Analysis of 7arianco, Part I, Comprehensive. Pall, 1948. 123
X7 Analysis of 7ariance, Part II, Comprehensive, Pall, 1948. 124
XVI Tho "t* s" of Croups whose mean scoros show significant
differences with the moan scores of other groups... 125
XT] I Reconstruction of Table XVI to show relationships be­
tween the achievement of each grouo with every
other group............................................... 126
XVIII Average decile ranking on psychological and reading
te sts. ............................. 133
XIX "F” ratios of differences between means of decile rank­
ing on entrance tests by five groups of studonts... 135
XX Significant values of "t" obtained between groups of
students on ontrance tests................................... 134
XXI Percentages of studonts receiving designated grades on
the Social Science comprehensive examination 154
XXII Percentages of students in various age groups................... 154
XXIII Percentages of men, women, married students, and veter­
ans in each group of students studied............................... 156
XXIV Percentages of students in pairs of docile rankings on
the American Council Psychological Test......................... 159
XXV Porcentages of studonts in pairs of decile rankings on
tho Cooperative Reading Test............................. 159
XXVI Percentages of students whose homo towns fall in certain
population classifications................................................... 161
XXVII Percentages of studonts who come from families having
tho designated number of children...................................... 162
XXVIII Percentages of studonts who have the designated position,
as to age, among the children in thoir fam ilies.... 163
XXIX Percentages of studonts whose fathers have the desig­
nated educational attainment............................... 164
XXX Percentages of students whose mothers have tho desig­
nated educational attainment.............................................. 164
XXXI Porcentages of students whose father's occupations falls
in the designated occupations.................. 166
XXXII Percentages of students whoso mothers have occupations
outside the home.................. 167
?A3L!3 PAGE
XXXIII Percentages of students in each group whose fathers be*
long to tho designated number of social organiza­
tions ....................................................................................................... 169
XXXIV Percentages of studonts whoso fathers bolong to tho
designated number of social v;olfaro organizations*.. 1G9
2CCvr Percentages of students v.hose fathers belong to tho
dosignutod number of vocational organizations.. . . j.. 170
XXXVI Porcentages of studonts v.hose mothers belong to the
designated number of social organizations.................... 170
i
XXTv/II Percentages of studonts vhose mothers belong to the
designated numbor of social welfare organizations*.. 171
j
XXXVIII Percentages of studonts vho attend church at varying de­
grees of f renu ency........................................................................ 172
XT XII.'! Percentages of studonts vho discuss political, economic,
and social questions at home with varying degrees
of frequency............................................................................... 173
XL Percentages of studonts vho discuss political, economic,
and social questions with friends with varying do*
groes of frequency............................................................. 173
XLI Percentages of studonts vho oppress the dogroo of help
vhich family and friendship influences have contr:
butod to a bettor understanding of social science 174
XLII Percentages of studonts vhose senior classes in high
school consisted of the designated number of persons 178
XLIII Porcentages of students vho had certain high school
courses in tho social scionces............................. 180
XLIV Percentages of students expressing varying degrees of
belief that high school social studies courses are
of value in giving an understanding of Pasic
College Social Science....................................................... 181
XLV Percentages of students expressing varying degrees of Re­
lief that high school extra-curricular activities,
j
church attendance, and work exporionce are of valu e
in giving a better understanding of social science. 183
f l