THE EFFECTS OF LOGO STUDY ON PROBLEM-SOLVING COGNITIVE ABILITIES OF SIXTH-GRADE STUDENTS

The effects of learning Logo programming on the development of cognitive ability, problem-solving ability, and locus of control were studied. The effects of two other variables, gender and computational ability, were also considered. Ninety-six sixth-grade students were evaluated in a treatment-control, pretest-posttest design. Three independent variables, group (treatment/control), sex, and level (computational ability), were considered. The treatment consisted of a guided discovery learning experience using the activity cards published by the Nebraska Department of Education. The control group used computer-assisted instruction materials which interfaced with the mathematics content under study. The Developing Cognitive Abilities Test, Nowicki-Strickland Locus of Control Scale for Children, Iowa Problem Solving Program test, and a locally constructed test of Logo were used. Representative design was used, in that the duration of the study was for the entire year, and special emphasis was not placed on the instruction of Logo, i.e., an artificial experimental situation was not created. Analysis of covariance was used for the data analysis, with a significance level of .05; the findings of the study were: (1) No significant differences in the development of cognitive ability resulted from the study of Logo. (2) No significant differences in the development of cognitive ability, problem-solving ability, or the learning of Logo were found with respect to gender. (3) Locus of control was not affected by the study of programming. (4) Significant differences with respect to computational ability were found for the development of cognitive ability, problem-solving ability, and Logo learning in favor of the highest level ability group. It is possible that the potential of computer use cannot be realized in a setting having the constraints of this study, whether the mode of use is Logo or CAI. Effects of significance were found for level of computational ability, not only on the measure of cognitive ability and the problem-solving test, but also on the Logo test