Social Studies

White (1981) conducted a study in which 161 upper middle class, seventh and eighth graders were tested with the Learning Style Inventory (LSI) (Dunn, Dunn, & Price, 1978) and the California Psychological Inventory (CPI). Forty students who scored in the upper third, and 40 who scored in the lower third, of the LSI subscales of Persistence and Responsibility were randomly assigned to either a self-directed or a teacher-directed class. A Contract Activity Package was used as the instructional treatment.

Students classified as highly Persistent and Responsible in both groups achieved significantly higher than those with low Persistent and Responsible scores, although they did evidence slightly better gains in the self-directed, rather than the teacher-directed classes. Another finding was a positive correlation between the LSI subscales of Persistent and Responsible and the CPI subscale of achievement via conformity (Ac). Students identified as being Persistent and Responsible also were identified as manifesting a more conforming personality as measured by the CPI.

It is likely that teachers’ perceptions of Responsibility and Persistence are based on students’ ability or willingness to behave in way(s) in which they are directed, rather than on the students’ ability to make appropriate, value-based decisions from among competing alternatives. Furthermore, because less Persistent and less Responsible students are not as conforming, it may be necessary to provide them with positive alternatives to enable them to succeed academically. It was suggested that educators should consider whether the achievement of nonconforming students might be increased if they were provided choices and alternatives when learning (White, Dunn, & Zenhausern, 1982). As one outcome, the director of a successful New York City alternative school, Madison Prep, which instructs essentially delinquent junior high school students, reported significantly increased reading and mathematics achievement, reduced numbers of discipline problems, and improved attitudes when structured choices were made available to its nonconforming population (K. Dunn, 1981).