Productive Learning in Social Studies Among Early Adolescents

Abstract

To probe a psychological theory of educational productivity, social studies achievement and attitude test scores of 2,426 13-year-old high school students were statistically related to each other and indicators of constructs that prior research shows are associated with learning out comes. In 8 linear and log-linear, ordinary least-square regressions with from 5 to 9 independent variables, several production factors are significant-socio-economic status, home environment, student-centered instruction, and time or amount of study; and item-learning correlations yield clues for improving learning productivity. Systems regressions, however, reveal ambiguity in the causal relations in that measurement error and exogenous and reverse causes may account for the significant findings.