Television and educational reform in El Salvador, report on the fourth year of research

RESEARCH ON LEARNING AND ATTITUDES WAS CONTINUED, AND TWO NEW PROJECTS WERE UNDERTAKEN, A FOLLOW-UP STUDY OF THE GRADUATES OF THE FIRST COURSE TO HAVE RECEIVED ITS ENTIRE THIRD CYCLE EDUCATION (SEVENTH-NINTH GRADE) UNDER THE NEW SYSTEM, AND A CLOSE OBSERVATION OF REACTIONS IN TWO SEVENTH-GRADE CLASSROOMS RECEIVING ITV FOR THE FIRST TIME. GENERAL ABILITY AND READING SCORES IMPROVED DURING THIS FOURTH YEAR. ITV STUDENTS DID BETTER THAN NON-TELEVISION STUDENTS IN EIGHTH-GRADE MATH AND SOCIAL STUDIES AND IN NINTH-GRADE MATH. NON-ITV STUDENTS, HOWEVER, SCORED HIGHER IN NINTH-GRADE SCIENCE. TEACHERS" ATTITUDES TOWARD ITV, ALTHOUGH LESS ENTHUSIASTIC THAN AT FIRST, STILL WERE GOOD. STUDENTS ALSO SEEMED TO HAVE REMAINED GENERALLY IN FAVOR OF CLASSROOM TELEVISION, AND THEIR CAREER ASPIRATIONS HAVE CONTINUED TO CLIMB. THE FOLLOW-UP STUDY REVEALED THAT A SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER PROPORTION OF STUDENTS EDUCATED IN THE NEW SYSTEM THAN IN THE OLD WAS CONTINUING THEIR EDUCATION, WITH SOME EXCEPTIONS IN THE RURAL AREAS. REGARDING THE OBSERVATION OF SEVENTH-GRADE CLASSROOMS, SECTIONS ON REACTIONS AND DESCRIPTION AS MIGHT BE GIVEN BY A TYPICAL STUDENT ARE INCLUDED. METHODS OF FORMATIVE EVALUATION USED OR DEVELOPED IN 1972 ARE DESCRIBED AND CONCLUDE THIS REPORT.