Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education, and Communication
Date of this Version
Winter 12-1992
Abstract
The primary purpose of this study was to determine if there were any significant differences between lecture and discussion methods with regard to students' learning achievement. There were three null hypotheses addressed by this study. Null hypothesis I was: there was no significant difference in the students' learning achievement with respect to either lecture or discussion methods. Null hypothesis II was: there was no significant difference between the students' pre-test scores and post-test scores. Null hypothesis III was: there were no differences in the students satisfaction with respect to the two teaching methods. Three teachers and 151 students in six groups were selected to participate in this study. Each teacher taught two groups for one month in the Spring semester of 1992. During this month each group was taught by the lecture and discussion methods, each for two weeks. Four tests were given to the students: two pre-tests and two post-tests. One pre-test was given at the beginning of the first two weeks before the first treatment (lecture or discussion) was applied. The other pre-test was given at the beginning of the second two weeks after the second treatment (lecture or discussion ) was received. The first and the second post-tests were given after completing the first and second treatments, respectively. The students' test scores were recorded and used as data for measuring students' learning achievement. For measuring students' satisfaction, a questionnaire attached to the second post-test was distributed. The data for measuring both students' learning achievement and satisfaction level were used to calculate the respective means, standard deviation, percentages, and t-test values. All the examined three null hypothesis in this study was rejected. The results showed the following: the students gained more knowledge after applying both the lecture and discussion methods; the students obtained higher scores when taught by the lecture method; and 83% of the students preferred being taught by the discussion method.
Comments
A Thesis Presented to the Faculty of The Graduate College in the University of Nebraska In Partial Fulfillment of Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science
Major: Agricultural Education Under the Supervision of Professor Roy D. Dillon.