Date Approved

5-4-2004

Embargo Period

4-24-2016

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

M.A. in School Psychology

Department

Educational Services and Leadership

College

College of Education

Advisor

Klanderman, John

Committee Member 1

Dihoff, Roberta

Subject(s)

Second language acquisition--Methodology; Spanish language--Study and teaching (Secondary)--United States

Disciplines

Educational Psychology

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine whether a Constructivist approach to teaching, or a varied approach is most effective in teaching a first-year Spanish class at the secondary level. The sample for this study consisted of 40 high school students enrolled in a Spanish I course. All students were given a pretest at the beginning of the second marking period. The test was developed by the researcher, and covered all the concepts that were to be taught throughout that marking period. One class was instructed using a Constructivist approach to teaching, while the other class received a varied instructional approach. At the end of the second marking period, the students took the same test, a posttest. It was hypothesized that the students receiving the varied instructional approach would perform better on the posttest than those receiving instruction through a constructivist approach. Pre and Posttest results were analyzed using a two-way mixed ANOVA. Although results revealed inconclusive in terms of methodology, both groups improved regardless of instructional approach used.

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