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

THIS YEAR, 1970, SAW A GREAT INCREASE IN ITV CLASSES, AS WELL AS REVISIONS AND IMPROVEMENTS IN THE FIRST-YEAR PROGRAM. FROM THE 1970 SAMPLES OF SEVENTH AND EIGHTH GRADE ITV CLASSES, SUBSTANTIAL GAINS IN ALL SUBJECTS WERE FOUND IN THE SEVENTH GRADE AS A WHOLE, WITH SIGNIFICANTLY LARGER GAINS IN ITV CLASSES. EIGHTH GRADE ITV CLASSES MADE LESS REMARKABLE GAINS, BUT STILL MORE THAN IN THE TRADITIONAL ONES. IN SCIENCE, HOWEVER, TRADITIONAL CLASSES OUTPERFORMED THEIR ITV COUNTERPARTS. ATTEMPTS TO MEASURE THE LEARNING EFFECTS OF ITV AS DISTINCT FROM OTHER COMPONENTS OF THE EDUCATIONAL REFORM WERE INCONCLUSIVE, BUT IT WAS DECIDED THAT ITV AT LEAST HAD A GREAT CATALYTIC EFFECT ON THE NEW SYSTEM. TEACHER ATTITUDES TOWARD THE NEW SYSTEM, WHILE FAVORABLE, WERE NOT QUITE AS ENTHUSIASTIC AS IN 1969. STUDENT ATTITUDES REMAINED VERY GOOD, AND THEIR ASPIRATIONS TOWARD HIGHER EDUCATION AND CAREERS STAYED HIGH. TESTS AND QUESTIONNAIRES USED IN GATHERING THIS DATA ARE IN THE APPENDICES.