The Effects of Active Participation on Student Learning

Abstract

The effects of active participation on student learning of simple probability was investigated using 20 fifth-grade classes randomly assigned to level of treatment. Five trained participating teachers taught a lesson to four classes (two with and two without active participation). Lessons were video and audio taped and checked for instructional bias; time expended on lessons was monitored. The dependent variable measure was a IS-Item multiple-choice test administered immediately following the lesson. Class means served as the measurement unit for analysis using an independent samples t test; the statistical hypothesis was rejected at the .05 level. It was concluded that active student participation exerts a positive influence on fifth-grade student achievement of relatively unique instructional material.