Three Experiments on Learning to Teach

This paper reports on three studid;lof the changes in teacher effects on student learning and attitude's as a function of teacher practice. Two studies were performed in a tutorial context, the first with 4 tutors and 16 students, the second with 17 tutors and 68 students. The third study used small group instruction with 12 teachers and 288 students. In each study, the same teachers taught a short curriculum unit three or four times, teaching different students in each trial. The results of the studies showed marked individual differences among teachers in the extent to which their students learned more or less. Few teachers showed marked increases in. student learning with practice. It was also shown that, on the average, st4;.dent achievement dereased with teacher practice. Student attitudes towt_rd the learning situation and toward themseves as learners changed in a curvilinear fashion. (Several graplis are included to illustrate the data.) (Author/RC)