Research

Editor, HELEN FISHER DARROW

THE RELATIONSHIP OF CHANGES

ON CERTAIN DEVELOPMENTAL FACTORS

TO PUPIL ACHIEVEMENT*

Problem

The problem of this study was to determinethe extent to which changes of certain factorsin the development of elementary school chil­dren were related to their achievement inschool. The general theoretical frame of ref­erence is the organismic development conceptof Olson." Millard and others."

Procedure

Two hundred fifty-nine elementary schoolboys and girls in a suburban New York Cityschool system were studied for three years inthe third, fourth and fifth grades.t-" Eachyear data were collected on the followingphysical growth, physical performance, intel­lectual, social and emotional adjustment vari­ables:

• Age in months• Height in inches• Weight in pounds• Developmental channel on the Wetzel Grid• Right-hand grip in pounds• Left-hand grip in pounds• Standing broad jump• 50-yard dash• Otis Intelligence Score (most recent)• Average reading score on Standard Achievement

Test• Average arithmetic score on Stanford Achieve­

ment Test• Sociometric choices• Social approachability score on SAS Personality

Test 3

• Stability score on SAS Personality Test• Sex

• Presented at ACEI Conference, April 1964, Portland. Oregon.

270

These variables were factor analyzed, usingthe quartimax and varimax computer pro­grams to identify the primary factors of de­velopment. Standard scores were then com­puted for each factor with a mean of 5.0 anda standard deviation of 1.0. Each year theachievement of the pupils in reading, arith­metic and the battery median on the StanfordAchievement Test was related to each of thedevelopmental factors. J11 this study changeson each of the developmental factors were re­lated to changes in achievement.

Results

1. The results of the study indicate that thefactor structure of the developmental variablesremained fairly constant over the three-yearperiod. The only change was in the fifth gradewhere the physical growth variable producedtwo physical factors rather than one. The re­sults of the factor analysis can be seen inTable 1.

2. A comparison was made of the change inachievement of those children whose factorscores increased or decreased more than .5standard score. The differences were testedfor significance by the t-test, The data indi­cate that changes in the physical growth andintellectual factors were related to changes inschool achievement from the third grade tothe fifth grade. The amount of difference inachievement was significantly lower for thechildren whose change on the physical growthfactor represented a decrease of .5 standardscore units, while the change in reading, arith­metic and battery median achievement wassignificantly lower for the children whose in­tellectual factor scores decreased .5 units.

Summary

The results of this study suggest that thefactors of child development measured in thisstudy remain fairly constant from the thirdto the fifth grade and that changes in thephysical growth and intellectual factors arerelated to changes in school achievement. Thisstudy has provided additional data to supportthe relationship of non-intellectual variablesto academic achievement in elementary school

CHILDHOOD EDUCATION

children. The study is being continued for afourth year.-Reviewed by EDWARD H. HEN­

DERSON and ROSCOE C. BROWN, Iu. School ofEducation, New York University, New York.

] w. C. Olson, Child Development (Boston: D. C. Heath. 1949).:! C. V. Millard. Child GroUJth and Development [Boston :

D. C. Heath, 1951).3 D. E. P. Smith, University of Michigan, 1956 (Monograph) ..( R. Brown, E. Henderson, et al., "Measuring Physical. Intel­

lectual and Social-Emotional Development." Unpublished paperpresented at AERA. February 1962.

5 R. Brown and E. Henderson, "Use of a Developmental IndexTo Predict Pupil Acbtevement." Unpublished paper presentedat AERA, February 1963.

TABLE I

Ireoelonmental Fnctors Itlpl/Iijied in Each. Grmle

THIRD CHADEVnrianc('

Physical Growth (27%)Intellectual (32%)Physical Performance (23%)Emotional (8%)

FOUHTH GRADEVurlunce

Intellectual (36%)Physical Growth (30%)Physical Performance 1250/<-)Emotional (9%)

FIFTH GRADEVariance

Physical Development (36%)Intellectual (24%)Physical Performance (l70/<-)Physical Growth 00%)Emotional (7%)

.....................................................................................................

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