Ninth and tenth grade students from two schools were placed in experimental and conventional instruction classes to compare the two methods in teaching algebra by means of achievement test and time needed to complete the course. Pre- and posttests measured aptitude; teachers and students in the experimental groups recorded personal reactions to the use of autoinstructional devices. Teaching machines presented the algebra program to be used at the student's own rate. Teachers commented on persistent boredom, the need for practice materials to supplement the programed information, and the advantage of individual work rates and self-help. Students felt a need for textbooks and teacher contact; 78% of the ninth graders said they would have learned more without programed materials. Mean differences between experimental and control groups do not support one teaching method over another. Recommendations are that analytic research be continued in the local school system, that the program at the tenth grade level be evaluated further, and that students be tested the following year for retention. Appendices contain teacher instructions on the use of the teaching machines, testing schedules, samples of the evaluation sheets, and anecdotal records. (TI)