A study of the teaching of the concept of integers as directed distance in grades three, four, and five and its relationship to Piagetian developmental level, left-right conceptualization level, age, and achievement

The study investigated the problem of teaching integers as a directed distance as related to Piagetian Developmental Level, Left-Right Conceptualization Level, Age, and Achievement Test Score. Data was analyzed to determine the degree of interdependence of various subsets of the random variables under consideration. The subjects used in the study were 40 third grade students, 52 fourth grade students, and 55 fifth grade students. The sample was drawn from an elementary school in the Clear Creek Independent School District. The school population consisted primarily of middle class to upper-middle class white families. The classroom teachers conducted the ten day instructional phase of the study after participating in a workshop conducted by the investigator. A written achievement test was administered to the subjects by the classroom teachers following the completion of the instructional period. The data was analyzed using an information theoretic measure of stochastic interdependence of various subsets of the random variables. Since the random variables under consideration were not numerically valued, canonical correlation studies could not be applied and rank correlation methods were avoided in order to obtain reliable results from the study. Interdependence of the subsets of the random variables under consideration have been summarized in the following table. [...]Education, College o