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A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF ACHIEVEMENT IN
COLLEGE-LEVEL WRITTEN BUSINESS
COMMUNICATION USING LECTURE
AND COOPERATIVE LEARNING
TEACHING METHODS
By
EDNA RUTH CARROLL 11
Bachelor of Science in Education
Central State University
Edmond, Oklahoma
Master of Science in Education
Central State University
Edmond, Oklahoma
Submitted to the Faculty of the
Graduate College of the
Oklahoma State University
in partial fulfillment of
the requirements for
the Degree of
DOCTOR OF EDUCATION
May, 1989
C 0 P Y R I G H T
by Edna Ruth Carroll May 1989
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Special appreciation is extended to Dr. Dennis Mott, Thesis Advisor and Committee Chairman. He demonstrated confidence in me during the research and writing phases of this study and provided encouragement and support to complete the task. Sincere gratitude is expressed to Dr. Zane Quible, Dr. Joe Fowler, and Dr. John Gardiner, Doctoral Committee members, who provided immeasurable assistance and advice as the study progressed. I am grateful to Dr. Bi 11 Warde and Jim Campbel 1 ·for their assistance during the statistical analysis. Friends who encouraged me and cannot go unthanked include: Dr. Joe Kinzer, Dr. Carolyn Marshall, Paul and Laverne Riley, and my Delta Theta Chi Sorority sisters. I want to thank my daughter, Regenia, and son, Warren, for their prayers, pep talks, and enthusiasm throughout this endeavor. These acknowledgements would not appear here now if it were not for the love, understanding, support and encourage- ment of my husband, Earl. I can only hope that this completed dissertation will partially repay my family for all the sacrifices made during my long career as a student.
iii
Chapter
Small-Group Selection in
Cooperative Method ••
Instructional Formatting and Design ••••
Pretest-Posttest Instrument ••
Pilot Administration of the Pretest-
Posttest Instrument • • • • • • • •
Administration of the Pretest-Posttest •.•
Experimental and Control Classes~
Demographic Information • • •••
Statistical Analysis. • • • • • • • •.
Course Requirement. • • • • • • ••
IV. RESULTS OF THE STUDY
Analysis of the Data ••••••••••
Hypothesis 1 • • • • • • •
Hypothesis 2 • • • • • • •
Hypothesis 3 • • • • •
Hypothesis 4 • • • • • • •
Research Question No. 1 ••••••
Research Question No. 2. • • • ••
Research Question No. 3 ••••••
Summar·y • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Cooperative Learning Groups
Diary Sheets. • • • • • • • • • •
Page
38 39 39 40 41 41 42 43 44 45 45 45 47 48 49 50 50 51
V. SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS, IMPLICATIONS,
RECOMMENDATIONS AND CONCLUDING THOUGHTS. •^.^55
Summary • • • • • • • • • •. • •. 55
Hypotheses T~st~d. • • • • • • • • 56
Conclusions • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 57
Implications. • • • • • • • 58
Recommendations • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 58
Concluding Thoughts • • • • • • • • • • • • 60
SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY • 61
APPENDIXES 71
APPENDIX A COURSE SCHEDULE^ SYLLABUS • • •^ AND^ TENTATIVE• • • • • • • • • 72
APPENDIX B - COOPERATIVE LEARNING GROUPS
DIRECTIVE HANDOUT • • • • •
APPENDIX C - COOPERATIVE LEARNING GROUPS
DIARY SHEET • • • • • • • •
APPENDIX D - COOPERATIVE LEARNING GROUPS
TASK POSITION SHEET • • • •
v
83
Chapter Page
APPENDIX E - 75-ITEM OBJECTIVE EXAMINATION. 85
APPENDIX F - PERSONAL DATA FOR INSTRUCTOR 7 S
INFORMATION • • • • • • • • • 103
APPENDIX G - PRETEST AND POSTTEST SCORES WITH
POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE CHANGES • • • • 105
APPENDIX H - LETTERS GRANTING PERMISSION FOR
USE OF COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL • •. 107
vi
CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
Traditionally, students in written business communication classes are taught primarily by the teacher- lecture method. Students are responsible for both learning the information and for asking appropriate questions. Individual students work to accomplish goals unrelated to other class members• goals and at their own speed, ignoring progress of others. With the lecture method, students have the freedom to inject creativity and imagination into their own learning and demonstration processes; freedom to gather, organize, make decisions, and process information according to the way they incorporate attitudes, perceptions, judgment, and to utilize their unique approach to learning <Johnson and Johnson, 1987). When the traditional teacher-lecture method is used for teaching written communication, students are usually in control of the situation regarding time on task and performance on assigned activities. Each student's personal motivation and interest in the subject can be revealed in the outcome of achievement <Gordon and Coscarelli, 1986).
In contrast, a second teaching method is the random assignment of students in written communication classes to cooperative learning groups of four or five students. The philosophical aspect of group instruction is based on interaction among members of the group for determining meaning of the subject matter. Through group study, interaction, and cooperative efforts, individual students can master the subject matter. Working as a cooperative learning group to accomplish group achievement of assigned written communication activities, students share and combine their perceptions, creativity, and knowledge to produce satisfactory written communications. Ideally, members of cooperative learning groups learn the assigned material and assist in the learning of the assigned material by other members of the group. Therefore, each person within a group will help determine the successful outcome of his/her group. Need for the Study Competency in the area of communications is acknowledged by business educators and professionals. Business communication skills are regarded by educators and professionals as not only important, but also as a requirement for success in the business world. Quible, Johnson, and Mott <1988), Gerald Goldhaber <1986), and Jack Hulbert (1979> found that business executives regard quality communication ability as necessary for
level written business communication. Students> achievement scores were used to determine if a difference existed.
Purpose of the Study
The purpose of the study was to support a continuing search to implement teaching methods and techniques in collegiate level written business communication classes that would assure optimum levels of achievement by students in written business communication.
Hypotheses Tested In order to achieve the purpose of this study, the following null hypotheses were tested at the .05 level of significance: Hal: There is no significant difference between the pretest and posttest mean scores on the 75-item objective multiple-choice examination of the control group. Ho2: There is no significant difference between the pretest and posttest mean scores on the 75-item objective multiple-choice examination of the experimental group. Ho3: There is no significant difference in the posttest mean scores on the 75-item objective multiple- choice examination of the experimental and control groups. Ho4: There is no significant difference in the pretest-posttest mean improvement scores on the 75-item
objective multiple-choice examination of the experimental and control groups.
Research Questions Tested
5
In addition to hypotheses tested, the following research questions were tested using the t-test. A. level was used on all of the research questions to control for Type I Error. The research questions were not stated as hypotheses because the instructor-developed examinations were not validated. Research Question No. 1: Is there a significant difference between the mean scores on instructor-developed Examination No. 1 of the students in the control class versus the students in the experimental class? Research Question No. 2: Is there a significant difference between the mean scores on instructor-developed Examination No. 2 of the students in the control class versus the students in the experimental class? Research Question No. 3: Is there a significant difference between the mean scores on the instructor- developed Final Examination of the students in the control class versus the students in the experimental class? Variables
The dependent variable in the study was student achievement in a college-level written business communication course. The independent variable was method
7 Delimitations of the Study This study is delimited by the following: (1) This study was delimited to students at Oklahoma State Unviersity, Stillwater, Oklahoma, enrolled in two sections of GENAO 3113, Written Communication, taught by the researcher, during the Fall semester of 1988- academic year. <2> This study was delimited to two teaching methods: teacher lecture method in a control class with students working individually and independently of one another and cooperative learning with students working in permanent small groups of five members each.
Assumptions
The conduct and the results of this study were based on the following assumptions: <1> Students had completed the prerequisite English courses prior to enrolling in written communication. <2> The 75-item objective multiple-choice examination was a reliable and valid predictor of students~ level of achievement in a written communication course. (3) The research design selected for this study was
appropriate _,for experimental isolation of the teaching
procedures and methods being tested. (4) The statistical test selected for the analyses had sufficient power to discriminate.
Definition of Terms
l;;.Q.fill!!.ll.!!!.<.:.~i!.11.!! - "The exchange of though ts, messages, or the like, as by speech, signals, or writing" <The
8
~m~rln_H~rl!~g~QJ~!lBn~rY_B~!b~_gngJJ2b_h~ngg~, 1970, p. 269). Students are randomly assigned to groups of four or five students in which assignments are completed cooperatively with input from each member of the group. ~ID:!.~t:..!.m.~nt~!._§.iH.c1:~. - A means for settling disputes regarding educational practice; a way of establishing a cumulative tradition in which improvements are introduced without danger of discard of old wisdom in favor of inferior novelties <Campbell and Stanley, 1969). §~~~Q-~ll~-~t:..!.tt~Q_f.:.Q.1!!.1!!.H.!!!.<.:.~t!.11.n - Refers specifically to the course BENAD 3113 offered at Oklahoma State University. The catalog description is as follows: "Analysis of business communication problems in terms of generally accepted communication principles. Practice in written messages; specifically, special goodwill letters, neutral and good-news, disappointing, persuasive and employment messages" <Oklahoma State University, 1988-89>. §rB~2-ln!~r!lBn - Two or more persons assembled to act with each other <I-al!!.~t:..!.<.:.~n_tl~t:..!.t~q~_Q!.<.:.t!.11.n~t:..~_Q.f !b~_gngJJ:2b_h~nB~~g~, 1978>. '=.~£.tH.t:..~ - "An exposition of a given subject delivered before an audience or class for the purpose of instruction;
CHAPTER II
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
Introduction
A literature review was conducted to find and assess previous research findings related to the topic of this study. In addition to customary library research, a computer search using the Educational Research Information Center was completed. The Compact Disk-Read Only Memory <CD-ROM> was used to conduct a search for pertinent dissertation abstracts related to this study. The available literature was extensive and Chapter II includes the most relative information. Teaching and Learning in Higher Education A current "crisis in American higher education" is of utmost concern to educators. "Change and reform" are key words in searching for solutions to criticism of higher education. Sloan (1985) identified proposals for change and reform in American education: <1> emphasis on quality teaching equal to that of research, (2) attention given to the total personality development of the student and to the learning environment, as well as to books and academic 10
skills, (3) consideration given by the university to the social and moral uses of knowledge, and (4) creation of new kinds of institutions and curricular programs to respond to different kinds of students and public needs, which would reestablish and extend the diversity of higher education. Wilshire <1987), Rossides (1987>, Kozma (1985), Conrad (1985>, and Beard <1972>, agreed that teaching and learning in higher education has received much attention in recent years. An area of interest and emphasis was the student as an autonomous lifelong learner, whereby college teachers became facilitators of learning rather than simply transmitters of information <Baud, 1981>. Baud emphasized that teachers will not only be facilitators with expertise in various fields of interest, but also they should stand for certain values and standards of excellence and do so in a way which is open to challenge and critical examination. Thielens (1977> found that students did not associate their learning with any of their teachers. They only recognized that any learning was brought about by their own efforts. However, Thielens also found that students~ learning was a direct result of teacher-motivation and assignments. "The goal of teaching and learning is to make each learner as independent as possible. This includes helping the learner recognize the need for learning, for making a commitment to learn, and for mapping out a process whereby
