The Relationship between Knowledge, Practice, and Pupil Achievement in the Use of a Criterion-Referenced Instructional Model
To determine relationships between key variables in a teacher training program, twenty-one trainees were randomly assigned to criterion-referenced and control treatment groups. Criterion-referenced trainees received 126 hours of instruction in a model where the focus was on achieving intended behavioral objectives with pupils. Trainees were administered a written checkup to determine verbal mastery of criterion-referenced instruction and were rated by observers for effective use of the model in practice sessions. Each trainee was also required to teach an identical resource unit to randomly assigned pupils to measure their ability to achieve objectives. The only significant relationship obtained was between effective practice and pupil achievement (.58, p<.05).