CONTEXT--PROCESS--PRODUCT VARIABLES IN A RESOURCE ROOM SETTING

Abstract

This study investigated the relationship among the context--process--product variables in a resource room setting. The context variables were students' gender, age, socioeconomic status, classification, time spent in the resource room, years assigned to the resource room. The process variables included the verbal and nonverbal aspects of the teacher-student interaction. The product variables included development of self-esteem, change in attitude towards school, and academic growth.;Sixty elementary school youngsters in grades four through six attending a resource room in a Long Island school system were observed while working with their resource room teachers during reading. Two trained observers used the Florida Climate and Control Scale and the Flanders Interactional Analysis Scale to code student-teacher interaction, the process variable.;Students were individually administered a Slosson Intelligence Test and Peabody Individual Achievement Test in the Fall of 1978. Students completed the Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventory and The Quality for School Life Scale. The achievement test, the self-esteem inventory, and the attitude scale were readministered in June, 1979.;It was hypothesized that student characteristics would have a significant effect on the teacher-student interaction. The results of multivariant analysis indicated: (1)Student characteristics had a significant effect with the teachers' nonverbal behavior. (2)Teachers tended to exhibit more controlling behavior with males than with females. (3)The student from the lower socioeconomic level interacted less in a work-tutorial manner. (4)The more time the student spent in the resource room, the more nonverbal teacher behavior. (5)The longer the student assignment to the resource room, the less teacher-student work-tutorial interaction.;It was further hypothesized that a relationship would exist between a positive teacher-student interaction and the development of self-esteem, change in attitude towards school, and achievement growth. The results indicated that: (1)The relationship between the teacher-student interaction and the development of self-esteem was not found to be statistically significant. (2)The teacher-student interaction was found to relate to each of the attitude indices. (3)The teacher-student interaction related positively to achievement growth.;Lastly, it was hypothesized that a significant difference would exist among the student characteristics, teacher-student interaction and development of self-esteem, change in attitude toward school, and achievement growth. The results indicated that: (1)The teacher and student engaged in work-tutorial interaction positively related to self-esteem. (2)The younger student was more likely to develop a positive self-esteem. (3)The student attending school 1 was less likely to change in self-esteem and had less positive change in attitude towards his teacher. (4)The classified student was committed to his schoolwork and had a more positive attitude towards his teacher. (5) The higher IQ youngsters had greater change in attitude towards their teachers. (6)Pupils who initiated had more positive attitudes towards teachers. Although no one specific variable was found to be significant, (7)The total group of variables had a relationship with academic growth.;These results are discussed in terms of the climate of a school, the role of the administrator, and the positive aspects of the classification process.