INDUCTIVE REASONING IN 3RD GRADE - INTERVENTION PROMISES AND CONSTRAINTS

The results of two evaluation studies with respect to a programme for enhancing inductive reasoning ability of third grade students are pres ented. The programme is a classroom version of the German programme;De nktraining fur Kinder 1' (Cognitive training for children; Klauer, 198 9). In the first formative evaluation study, two experimental groups w ith 30 students in total and one control group with 9 students were in volved. Observations during the lessons, and teachers' reports showed that teachers were able to implement the programme. Both experimental groups significantly outperformed the control group on a posttest imme diately after the programme and on a follow-up test 3 1/2 months later . Further analyses of the data revealed tentative evidence of the supe riority of a direct teaching method. In the second summative evaluatio n study, the same programme was applied to a larger sample (experiment al groups: n = 99 in total; and control groups: n = 232 in total) of t hird grade students. On the basis of Study 1, the programme instructio ns were slightly changed. The experimental groups scored significantly higher on a posttest three months after completion of the programme. (C) 1998 Academic Press.