An investigation into the effects of a specially designed introductory poetry unit on the cognitive gains and affective responses of ninth grade students

The purpose of this study was to determine whether a specifically designed unit of poetry study could produce cognitive achievement without damaging affective growth in appreciation of poetry for ninth grade students. In this study, cognitive achievement refers to measurable objective test items and affective growth refers to indications from student responses on a pre- and post-survey instrument. A corollary was to determine whether a teacher who was reluctant to teach poetry could replicate the unit with equal success. Eight heterogeneously grouped ninth grade classes were randomly selected and assigned for three groups of two classes each to obtain treatment and testing while one group of two classes received no treatment and served as the non-equivalent comparison group. Each treatment group was taught by a different instructor. All three groups, however, were involved in a developmental sequence of poetry which utilized mutual materials. Teaching styles and student-teacher relationships were uncontrolled variables