This study investigated the effects of three levels of personalization-individualized, group, and non-personalized-on the mathematics achievement of 123 seventh-grade Hispanic boys and girls. Personalization was accomplished by using personal information provided by students on a biographical inventory. Subjects were randomly assigned within sex to one of three versions of a two-day instructional program on one-step and two-step mathematics word problems. Subjects in both the individual and group personalization treatments scored significantly higher on the posttest than those in the non-personalized treatment on two-step word problems, but not on one-step problems. Subjects in the individualized treatment had significantly more positive attitudes toward the instruction than those in the other two treatments.

The present study investigated the effects of personalization of instruction on the achievement of rural Hispanic children on one-step and two-step mathematics word problems. Subjects were blocked by sex, then randomly assigned within blocks to either a standard or personalized version of a 2-day instructional program on mathematics story problems. Subjects in the personalized treatment scored significantly higher on the constructed-response post-test than those in the standard group. Significant interactions revealed that the overall difference favoring personalization was due primarily to its greater effectiveness with boys.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of three levels of learner control (no control, moderate control, and high control) on the achievement and continuing motivation of Hispanic students. Two weeks prior to the experimental part of the study, 101 seventh and eighth grade Hispanics were pre-assessed along an internal-external dimension. Subjects were stratified by sex and grade, then randomly assigned within classes to one of three versions of a computer-assisted instructional program on insects. In the no learner control version, subjects were assigned to the complete computer-assisted instruction (CAI) program consisting of informational screens plus all practice questions, feedback, and content reviews for missed items. Subjects in the moderate learner control version received the informational screens, practice items, and feedback, but had the option of bypassing each content review. The high learner control version gave students the option of bypassing each set of practice questions, as well as the content review, for each question they responded to but answered incorrectly. Continuing motivation data revealed a significant preference to study science when it was presented on the computer as compared to study of another subject in paper and pencil form. Analysis of en route data revealed that subjects under high learner control chose to receive practice 89 percent of the time, resulting in a small practice difference of 11 percent between program control and high learner control. Although females were found to have a much more internal locus of control than males, there was no evidence that Hispanic learners with an internal locus of control perform better than those with an external locus when given a relatively high degree of control in-a CAI program. (32 references) (Author/GL) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document.

This study investigated achievement and motivation effects related to locus of control (internal and external) and three levels of learner control (no control, moderate control, and high control).