Effects of Teacher Enthusiasm on Three- and Four-Year-Old Children's Acquisition of Four Concepts

Abstract This study tested the effects of three levels of teacher enthusiasm on 3- (n = 26) and 4- (n = 29) year-old children's acquisition of four concepts. Subjects were randomly assigned to one of three treatment groups (low, medium, high enthusiasm) by stratified randomization. The interactions of (a) age, (b)sex, and (c) age and sex with enthusiasm were examined, and informal observations concerning behavioral differences among treatment groups were made. Results of a 3 × 2 × 2 ANOVA indicated that there were no significant differences in achievement. Differences in behavior among the three treatment groups were reported by the teachers, with subjects taught at a high level of enthusiasm characterized as more attentive, interested, and responsive than subjects in the other two groups.