The effects of learning partners and retests on pretest-posttest scores, final course grades, and student attitudes

Abstract

The present study investigated the effect of three peer monitoring and retest conditions on student quiz scores, attitudes, study time, final course grades, and independent pretest-posttest scores. Three introductory special education classes were randomly assigned to treatments. Students in Group One used a learning partner system similar to one used in a study reported earlier by Fraser, Beaman, and Kelem (1972). Group Two used a system which permitted an unlimited number of retests. The students in Group Three were assigned a combined learning-partner-retest system. All three treatments resulted in significant posttest gains. However, there were highly significant differences in the distribution of course grades. Based on this data it is possible that some behavioral techniques serve more to inflate grades than actually increase overall mastery. Results are discussed in terms of the effectiveness of the learning partners procedure and the implications of this study on the choice of dependent variables for future studies comparing innovative instructional procedures. Several aspects of the data such as study time and student attitudes which tend to contradict results reported earlier by Fraser, Beaman, and Kelem (1972) are documented and discussed.