EFFECTS OF EXPOSITORY AND COMPARATIVE ORGANIZERS ON MATHEMATICAL ACHIEVEMENT AND RETENTION OF SET THEORY OF SECONDARY STUDENTS
Abstract
The main purpose of this investigation was to determine the effectiveness of expository and comparative organizers on mathematical achievement and retention of selected topics in set theory of ninth-grade students of low- and high-mathematical ability in selected private secondary schools. The study intended to report whether expository organizers that provide relevant proximate subsumers bearing a superordinate relationship to new learning material promote higher achievement and retention than comparative organizers that contrast similarities and differences between new and previously established learning. More specifically, the study proposed to answer the following questions: (1) Was there a significant difference in the mean scores on an achievement posttest between the ninth-grade expository organizer group and the ninth-grade comparative organizer group? (2) Was there a significant difference in the mean scores on an achievement posttest between high-ability ninth-grade mathematics students and low-ability ninth-grade mathematics students? (3) Did a significant interaction exist between type of organizer treatment and the mathematical ability levels on the achievement posttest scores? (4) Was there a significant difference in the mean scores on a retention posttest between the ninth-grade expository organizer group and the ninth-grade comparative organizer group? (5) Was there a significant difference in the mean scores on a retention posttest between high-ability ninth-grade mathematics students and low-ability ninth-grade mathematics students? (6) Did a significant interaction exist between the type of organizer treatment and the mathematical ability levels on the retention posttest mean scores? Data analysis revealed that the comparative organizer group scored significantly higher beyond the .05 level than did the expository organizer group on both the achievement and the retention posttests. An examination of the mean scores on the achievement and the retention posttests for students of high- and low-mathematical ability in the comparative organizer group showed higher mean scores than those obtained by students of high- or low-mathematical ability in their respective expository organizer groups. The study confirmed some early research findings that the comparative organizer groups performed significantly better than expository organizer groups. It also indicated that the comparative organizer may be a more effective means than the expository organizer in promoting achievement and retention in students of high-ability, as well as in students of low-ability in the area of mathematics.
Subject Area
Curricula|Teaching
Recommended Citation
RANCOURT, RICHARD JOSEPH, "EFFECTS OF EXPOSITORY AND COMPARATIVE ORGANIZERS ON MATHEMATICAL ACHIEVEMENT AND RETENTION OF SET THEORY OF SECONDARY STUDENTS" (1986). ETD Collection for Fordham University. AAI8624502.
https://research.library.fordham.edu/dissertations/AAI8624502
