A comparison of management groups involving the use of the standard behavior chart and setting performance aims

Four groups varying in degree of self-management and a control group were pre- and posttested in basic math facts before and after eight weeks of continuous daily measurement. During the eight weeks the four groups took daily one minute timed math tests, graded, and tallied their own scores. The NCSA group participated in the aforementioned skills only. In the TCTSA group teacher charting and setting aims for the children was added but this information was kept for the teacher only. In the SCTSA group teacher setting aims for the children was added and these aims were shared with the children. The children charted. In the SCSSA group the children did both their own charting and aim setting. Results indicated SCSSA and SCTSA made significant gains over all other groups between pre- and posttesting and the NCSA group made significant gains over the control and the TCTSA groups. The study did not yield results indicating a difference in performance due to teacher or student set aims as was expected. There was no significant difference between SCTSA and SCSSA as was expected. Both groups made essentially equal gains. The study lent more support for involving the child in his own self-management and creates interesting speculation as to why the group whose teachers did the charting and aim setting did not improve when the NCSA group did. The stopwatch was noted to "seem" to have a strong motivational effect on some students. Other types of self-management studies were suggested.Education, College o