Doctoral Dissertations

Date of Award

3-1985

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy

Major

Education

Major Professor

Donald D. Dessart

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to develop and evaluate a microcomputer based program to be used by elementary and secondary school mathematics teachers. This computer program provides managerial aid which is consistent with a competency based, behavioral objective type curricular model. Both the model and the microcomputer software have been adopted by the Tennessee Basic Skills First Program.

Hardware configurations require an Apple II series microcomputer, two disk drives, a monitor, and a printer. One of two optical scanning devices is optional. Descriptions of up to 106 curricular objectives and associated answer keys can be created, edited, and saved. Data concerning the mastery or non-mastery of these objectives can be maintained for 300 students and twenty teachers. Tests can be created using any combination of objectives while scoring may be based on both objective and subjective data. Test results and progress reports for individual students, entire classes, sub-groups within classes, and combinations of classes are optionally generated. Chapter III of this dissertation is a narrative flowchart for the management system. The appendix contains a listing of the program files.

The evaluational phase of this project consisted of two studies. In the first, mathematics achievement test scores from three groups of fifth grade students were examined to determine what effect, if any, the use or non-use of the microcomputer management system may have had upon these scores. Two sets of data, pre-exposure and post-exposure scores, were examined using ANCOVA methods. In the second study, questionnaires were used to collect background data from those teachers whose students' scores were used in the first study.

Two groups of teachers who used one of two versions of the microcomputer management system, and a group of teachers who did not use microcomputer management methods did not differ statistically for any of the five background variables examined. Similarly, no statistical differences were found among the three groups of student achievement test scores. Justification for the use of the microcomputer management program could not be made in terms of increased achievement test scores.

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