Date of Award

Winter 1993

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Program/Concentration

Urban Services - Urban Education

Committee Director

Dwight W. Allen

Committee Member

Maurice R. Berube

Committee Member

J. R. K. Heinen

Committee Member

Jane Hager

Committee Member

Donald Myers

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate what effect altering the instructional delivery schedule would have on student achievement and knowledge retention. The independent variable was the training week schedule which was comprised of two treatment conditions. The first level consisted of the conventional five-day training week and the second level was the compressed four-day training week. The dependent variables of the study were student achievement and student descriptive/demographic collateral data.

A quasi-experimental study was employed to compare the two delivery schedules. Two treatment groups were established. Both groups received instruction from the same instructors. Student subjects (N = 310) were U.S. Navy and Marine Corps active duty and reserve personnel and Department of Defense civilian employees. Courses were conducted at Fleet Training Center, Naval Station Norfolk, Norfolk, Virginia; Navy and Marine Corps Intelligence Training Center, Dam Neck Naval Station, Virginia Beach, Virginia; Fleet Combat Training Center, Atlantic, Dam Neck Naval Station, Virginia Beach, Virginia; and the United States Marine Corps Base, Camp Lejeune, Lejeune, North Carolina.

Student achievement and student descriptive/demographic collateral data were collected from every student. Student achievement was measured by final examinations and delayed post tests. Student collateral data were collected by an experimenter-developed questionnaire. Analysis of student achievement data revealed that both treatment modes produced a high degree of effective learning as evidenced by final examination results. There was no significant difference between achievement levels and treatment groups. The data also warranted the general conclusion that both treatment groups were significantly less successful in retaining information beyond one month (33 days).

Findings suggest the four-day compressed week schedule was an effective delivery system for adult learning and retention. Further investigations should focus on manipulation of specific variables included in this study and examination of variables not afforded exploration by this study that will contribute to student achievement and success.

Rights

In Copyright. URI: http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/ This Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s).

DOI

10.25777/6t8f-kf67

Download

Share

COinS