A Study to Determine How A Laboratory Experience Prior to Lecture Affects the Achievement and Attitude of College Science Students

This study investigates the effects of presenting students with a concrete example (laboratory) prior to the abstract concept (lecture). The following predictions were made. (1) There will be a positive relationship between the Piagetian tasks and scores on the ACT. (2) Students, whether concrete or formal operators, perform better when they are exposed to the laboratory prior to the lecture. (3) The reason the experimental (laboratory-first) students will excel on selected achievement variables will be because the early concrete experience will permit them to process information at higher learning levels. (4) Students' attitude toward the subject matter and sequence preference of the laboratory-lecture will be dependent upon membership in the experimental or control group. (5) The students' use of the laboratory in learning will be related to their membership in the experimental group and the instructor's attitude toward the laboratory.

Name thesis:degree_name

Ph.D.

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Education

Grantor

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2014

Author dc:creator

• Pfeffer, Marian Alice

• Education, Educational Psychology

Language dc:language

eng

Identifier

(UMI)AAI8127671

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:www.ideals.illinois.edu:2142/66054