ERIC Number: ED267772
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 1986-Jan
Pages: 23
Abstractor: N/A
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
A Comparison of Task Analysis, Advance Organizer, and Concept Elaboration Methods in Teaching Concepts and Principles.
Hanclosky, Walter V.
Two studies were conducted to compare the advance organizer and concept elaboration models of instruction with a task analysis approach. It was hypothesized that the concept elaboration group would achieve significantly higher than either the advance organizer group or the task analysis group on concept learning and principle learning. A pilot study was conducted with a sample of 92 undergraduate teacher-education students, while the subjects for the final study were summer school students. Both groups were exposed to one of the three instructional treatments. Participants received two posttests--one taken upon completion of the instruction and one five weeks later. Each posttest consisted of 15 questions related to concept learning and 15 questions related to principle learning. The final study required additional control of potentially confounding variables. For this study, a one-way analysis of variance was performed on four independent variables of achievement (GPA), levels of experience, gender, and age. Findings from the two studies conflict; while the pilot study supported the hypotheses, findings from the final study indicate: (1) the task analysis approach seemed to be a more effective method of instruction than either concept elaboration or advance organizers in teaching concepts and principles; (2) neither the advance organizer approach nor concept elaboration appears to be superior to the other as an instructional strategy; and (3) age is apparently a more important factor in determining appropriate instructional strategies than previously expected. It is suggested that the apparent conflict between the pilot and final study results could be attributed to an age factor (22.17 years/27.35 years), and future research to investigate this possibility is suggested. A list of references is appended. (JB)
Descriptors: Academic Achievement, Advance Organizers, Analysis of Variance, Cognitive Structures, Comparative Analysis, Comprehension, Concept Formation, Concept Teaching, Higher Education, Hypothesis Testing, Instructional Design, Intermode Differences, Literature Reviews, Research Methodology, Task Analysis
Publication Type: Reports - Research; Speeches/Meeting Papers
Education Level: N/A
Audience: Researchers
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A