Abstract
Field research was designed to test the efficacy of television programming strategies based on task analysis and social learning theory for teaching a complex conceptual behavior, seriation, to Papago Indian children. Sesame Street has been effective in teaching associative learning skills, but has not met its objectives relating to more complex cognitive skills. In the present study the effectiveness of an alternative programming approach was assessed. Forty subjects aged three to five years were randomly assigned to two conditions. Experimental subjects viewed video tapes depicting seriation concepts; control subjects viewed placebo tapes. Highly significant differences between groups were revealed. The conclusion is drawn that sequentially arranged instruction can be effective in teaching a complex conceptual behavior to preschool children in culturally different environments.
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