LEARNING AND VARYING SEQUENCES OF NINTH-GRADE MATHEMATICS MATERIALS

This experiment compared three sequence versions (logical, scrambled, and reverse frame orders) of the guided discovery program, Number Series, used by Gagné and Brown in their 1961 study. Sixteen ninth-grade algebra students in each of the three sequence groups plus a control group served as the subjects. While the logical order group was the only sequence group to perform significantly better than the controls on both a test of concepts and a problem solving test, none of the three sequence groups differed significantly from each other on posttest performance. Logical group students did, however, make significantly fewer program errors. They also tended to consider the program “interesting,” whereas scrambled and reverse order groups felt “neutral” about the program. © Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.