Date of Award
5-1-1986
Document Type
Thesis - NSU Access Only
Degree Name
Master of Science
Department
Center for the Advancement of Education
Keywords
Elementary Education, Intermediate Grades, Grade 5, Grade 6, Gifted, Academically Gifted, Gifted Students, Gifted Children, Academic Excellence, Cognitive Development, Cognitive Ability, Abstract Reasoning, Cognitive Measurement, Cognitive Objectives, Blooms Taxonomy, Problem Solving, Productive Thinking, Creative Thinking, Logical Thinking, Concept Formation.
Abstract
The writer initiated and implemented a program designed to increase the higher cognitive skill of analysis in fifth and sixth grade Academic Excellence students. This was to be achieved by an eclectic approach involving language arts, mathematics, and social studies. The program employed daily and weekly lessons, as well as a three week research project. The primary objective was improvement of scores on the “Ross Test of Higher Cognitive Skills” as evidence by percentile upgrades on spring testing as compared to fall testing. Assessment was done on a weekly basis through oral and written evaluation in the form of anecdotal records, checklists and numerical evaluation forms. Spring test results and the correlation of checklist and evaluation forms indicated subminimal gains by students falling in the deficiency category (below the 30th percentile) during fail testing. These students all tested non-deficient in the spring. Average gains were evidenced by students in the 31st to 50th percentiles and 51st to 75th percentiles. All students, both in and out of the target group, showed substantial gains in analytical problem-solving. (Appendices include demographics of the school population, tabulations of both Fall and Spring test percentages, target group statistics and percentiles, a personal activity checklist, a lesson evaluation form, and target group lesson scores).