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Student Teams Achievement Divisions (STAD) in a twelfth grade classroom: Effect on student achievement and attitude

The sample consisted of a convenient sampling of 47 students in two twelfth grade advanced placement American Government classes located in a suburban setting in south Mississippi. The treatment goup contained 17 students while the comparison group contained 30 students. Both groups were predominantly white with a good mix of male and female students.

Both treatment and comparison groups were taught by the same classroom teacher, a veteran with several years of teaching experience, during the fall of 1997. The teacher had been the recipient of numerous teaching awards for excellence. The teacher was trained on implementation of the STAD technique prior to the study. After treatment and comparison groups were assigned, the students in both groups were pretested on their knowledge of course content to be covered during the seven-week study period. Pretest scores were used to provide baseline data with which to compare posttest scores to determine if the STAD cooperative learning techniques was effective in improving achievement. The pretest scores as well as previous social studies grades for both groups were analyzed to ensure academic equality between the treatment and comparison groups. Following the pretest, the seventeen students in the treatment group were divided into groups of four or five members. The students ere assigned to groups in such a manner as to reflect a heterogeneous mixture of academic ability, gender, and race. These treatment groups were trained in cooperative group skills prior to the seven-week treatment period. The teacher delivered the treatment groups' instruction in the course through the STAD technique, using teacher presentation, team practice, individual quiz, and team reward format.
The comparison group was instructed through more traditional methods such as lecture, class discussion and individual practice. Both treatment and comparison groups received instruction for ninety-six minute class periods occurring on alternate school days throughout the seven-week period. Each group received instruction on the same course content over the identical amount of instructional time. Lesson plans for both groups were developed by the teacher and investigators.

At the end of the seventh week of treatment, posttest means for the two groups were compared to determine whether the students taughtby the STAD cooperative learning technique would score significantly higher than students taught by traditional methods. Students in both groups were also administered an attitudinal instrument to measure their attitude towards social studies class. In addition, student and teacher surveys were completed to gather qualitative data based on the study.