The Effect of an Advance Organizer, Cognitive Set, and Post Organizer on the Learning and Retention of Written Materials

This study investigated the effect of an advance organizer (AO), cognitive set (CS), and post organizer (PO) in learning and retention of written mathematics materials. Self-instructional booklets were designed so that the pages containing the AO, CS, and PO varied according to experimental treatment in a 2 × 2 × 2 factorial design. Booklets were randomly assigned within 9 Algebra 2 classes. A significant (p<.05p<.05) interaction between the AO and the PO and a significant main effect (p<.05p<.05) for CS was found on the retention test. Examination of the cell means indicated (a) a facilitating effect for CS, and (b) either an AO or a PO was facilitating, but used together they were not facilitating.