THE EFFECT OF TWO TEACHING/LEARNING MODELS ON THE HIGHER COGNITIVE PROCESSES OF STUDENTS IN CLASSES FOR THE GIFTED (PARNES CPS, TABA)

Abstract

The defensibility of special classes and programs for gifted students is an issue with academic, social, and political ramifications. Critical components of programs for the gifted include the curriculum and service delivery model. This author examined the effect of two teaching/learning models, the Parnes Creative Problem Solving model and the Hilda Taba Teaching Strategies on the higher cognitive processes of gifted students in grades 5 through 8. Three service delivery models were included. The design of the study was the 3 x 3 x 2 analysis of variance with repeated measures on the last factor. The between subjects factors were experimental condition--Parnes, Taba, and Control--and service delivery model--Daily, One Day per Week, and Self-Contained. The within factor was the time of testing, the pre and posttest scores. Fourteen classes of gifted students in grades 5 through 8 were included: a total of 213 students took both the pretest and the posttest. The analysis of variance with repeated measures revealed two significant between subjects effects: interaction of treatment with service delivery model (p < .0001) and treatment effect (p < .02). The analysis of variance within factors indicated no significant effects (p < .05) except difference between the pretest and the posttest scores. Since the period of time between the pre and posttest was about seven months, this growth is expected and is not informative. Post hoc tests, using the Scheffe formula, showed significant (p < .10) differences in favor of both the Parnes and the Taba Daily groups when compared to the Control group, and a significant (p < .10) difference favoring the Taba Self-Contained when compared to the Taba One Day per Week group. The supporting data gathered indicated that three teachers did not implement their teaching/learning model effectively and two additional teachers used the model infrequently. The posttest cell means appear to be related not only to correct model implementation, but to frequency as well. Those cells with the highest frequencies of correct model use had the highest posttest mean scores. Therefore, it was concluded that process models offer a powerful method of teaching the higher cognitive processes to gifted students, but that such models must be used correctly and frequently.