The purpose of this study was to describe the instructor’s cognitive level of discourse, attitude toward teaching at higher cognitive levels, and aspiration to teach at higher cognitive levels, during an animal science unit of instruction. The researchers also sought to describe student immediate, short-term, and long-term cognitive retention of class session content, following an animal science unit of instruction. A descriptive, observational case study methodology was selected.
One high school agricultural science instructor was videotaped while teaching an Agricultural Science I class of 12 freshman students. The instructor taught 18 one-hour lessons that compiled an animal science unit of instruction. Four instruments were used to describe instructor characteristics and student immediate, short-term, and long-term cognitive retention.
Results of the study were used to provide evidence that the teacher had a positive attitude toward teaching at higher cognitive levels, aspired to teach at higher cognitive levels, but used lower cognitive levels of classroom discourse. In addition, student immediate, short-term, and long-term cognitive retention of content taught during an animal science unit of instruction was measured by multiplying the score on the final unit exam by the cognitive weighted score of the final unit exam. The mean student immediate cognitive retention score was 75%.
Student short-term cognitive retention was measured by multiplying the score of the final unit exam taken 42 days after the unit of instruction was taught by the cognitive weighted score of the final unit exam. The mean student short-term cognitive retention score was 78% (the mean difference between the test taken immediately after the unit and the test taken 42 days after the unit was 3%). However, student long-term cognitive retention was measured by multiplying the score of the final unit exam taken 182 days after the unit of instruction was taught by the cognitive weighted score of the final unit exam. The mean student long-term cognitive retention score was 74% (the mean difference between the test taken 42 days after the unit and the test taken 182 days after the unit was -4%). The mean difference between the test taken immediately after the unit and the test taken 182 days after the unit was -0.8%.