The effects of a class size of 1:15 on the development of print awareness with high risk kindergarten children
Abstract
The major purpose of this study was to determine the effects of a class size of 1:15 on the development of print awareness with high risk kindergarten children. A secondary purpose was to assess the effects of reduced class size on the self-concept of the subjects. This study also assessed teachers' perceptions of the effects of class size on instruction. An experimental program was implemented in two Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools using 100 high risk kindergarten children. These children were divided into two groups designated as the experimental and control groups. The study was based on the pre-test/post-test control group design. Data were collected on students by means of the following: (a) The Brigance K-1 Screen, consisting of 100 items, (b) Concepts About Print (CAP), consisting of 24 responses, (c) Letter Identification, (d) the Stanford Achievement Test (SAT), and an adaptation of the Piers-Harris Self-Concept Inventory. All tests were administered orally to each student on an individual basis. Data were gathered from the thirteen teachers in this study by means of a teacher opinion survey. The study examined and tested seven hypotheses for significance at the.05 level. Pearson product-moment correlation was calculated from the data generated from hypothesis five. Uncorrelated $t$ tests revealed mean differences for the following hypotheses as follows: The first hypothesis, which stated that there would be no significant difference in the development of print awareness between the experimental group in classes of fifteen and the control group in classes of twenty-five, was rejected. Results indicated that a class size of 1:15 does significantly affect the development of print awareness with high risk kindergarten children. Data analyses did not indicate a statistically significant difference in the development of positive self-concept. Thus, Hypothesis 3 was accepted. Hypothesis 5 which stated there would be no significant relationship between the Brigance K-1 Screen and the Stanford Achievement Test was rejected. The correlation was significant at the.05 level. The higher scores on the Stanford Achievement Test correspond with the higher scores on the Brigance K-1 Screen. With the rejection of Hypothesis 1, the researcher concluded that a class size of 1:15 does improve the development of print awareness which was the major purpose of this study.
Subject Area
Curricula|Teaching
Recommended Citation
Edith Winters Kimbrough,
"The effects of a class size of 1:15 on the development of print awareness with high risk kindergarten children"
(1987).
ETD Collection for Tennessee State University.
Paper AAI8802644.
https://digitalscholarship.tnstate.edu/dissertations/AAI8802644