THE EFFECT OF LANGUAGE-RELATED CONCEPTS TRAINING AND VERBAL INSTRUCTION ON SELF-REGULATED PROBLEM SOLVING IN MILDLY MENTALLY RETARDED STUDENTS

Samar H. MUKALLID

 57 EMR learners were randomly assigned to one of three treatments: 1) language-related concepts training prior to strategy instruction and instructions to verbalize the strategy (CVS); 2) instructions to verbalize the strategy and strategy instruction (VS); 3) strategy instruction alone (S). Subjects in all treatments were trained in solving four patterns of the Thurstone Letter Series task (strategy instruction). Subjects in the CVS group received training in sections of Distar Language I that teach the concepts: Next; Same-Different; Before-After; Between. These concepts reflected relations among letters in certain patterns and were employed in strategy instruction. Subjects in the VS group were instructed to talk-out-loud the trained strategy while solving pattern completion problems.

 Acquisition was measured by number of trials needed to reach criterion for each pattern. For this measure, a 3x4 analysis of variance with repeated measures on the second factor was performed. Factors were 1) treatment (CVS, VS, S) and 2) pattern complexity         (1 least to 4 most complex). Maintenance, near, and far generalization were measured by        a) number of letters; b) number of problems. Separate 3x4 analyses of variance with repeated measures on the second factor were performed for each of maintenance dependent measures. Separate 3x2 analyses of variance with repeated measures on the second factor were performed for each of near and far generalization dependent measures. The independent variables in each analysis were identical to the analysis for acquisition except that the second factor for generalization data had two levels only. Generalization performance was used as an indirect measure of self-regulation.

 Results indicated that subject in the CVS group performed better than subjects in the VS and S groups on acquisition, maintenance, near, and far generalization. The VS group performed better than the S group on near and far generalization measures. There was always a pattern effect and a treatment by pattern interaction effect.

It was concluded that language-related concepts training facilitated the acquisition of pattern completion tasks, showed better maintenance, near, and far generalization performance, and enhanced self-regulated problem solving in the participating subjects.