Nicaragua radio mathematics project

THE PROJECT SITE WAS ABOUT 30 KILOMETERS SOUTHEAST OF MANAGUA; FAVORABLE FACTORS INCLUDED ITS PROXIMITY TO MANAGUA, THE PRESENCE OF A COMPACT AND RELATIVELY LARGE POPULATION IN AND AROUND THE TOWN OF MASAYA, AND AN ENERGETIC SCHOOL INSPECTOR WHO WELCOMED CHANGE AND WHO TOOK AN ACTIVE ROLE IN ITS PROMOTION. THE OPERATION OF THE PROJECT, ITS OBJECTIVES, AND THE SCHOOL SETTING ARE HERE DESCRIBED; THE CURRICULUM STRUCTURE, THE RADIO LESSONS USED, AND THE RESEARCH AND TESTING ASPECTS OF THE PROJECT ARE ALSO GIVEN. THE RESEARCH AIMS OF THE EXPERIMENT ARE RELATED TO EDUCATIONAL ACHIEVEMENT, TO THE ECONOMICS OF RADIO AS A TECHNOLOGY OF INSTRUCTION, AND TO THE APPLICABILITY OF THE RESULTS TO OTHER SETTINGS. WHEN THIS REPORT WAS WRITTEN, TEACHERS WERE RESPONDING WELL TO THE PROGRAM, AND GREAT CARE HAD BEEN TAKEN TO ASSURE THAT THE CHILDREN EXPERIENCED SUCCESS IN THEIR FIRST EXPOSURE TO RADIO LESSONS. EXPERIENCE TO THAT POINT CONFIRMED THE BELIEF THAT IT IS POSSIBLE AND PRACTICAL TO PRODUCE ATTRACTIVE RADIO LESSONS IN PRIMARY SCHOOL MATHEMATICS.