Research into the effects of different teaching styles
Read Research into the effects of different teaching styles and check the IELTS Reading answers. Prior to 1960, most inquiries into pupils' learning skills explored the relationship between factors such as children's social background, personality or measured intelligence and their achievement in v…
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Prior to 1960, most inquiries into pupils' learning skills explored the relationship between factors such as children's social background, personality or measured intelligence and their achievement in various school subjects. Studies of teachers were largely a quest for criteria of effectiveness, and numerous investigations sought links between personality or attitude and 'success' at teaching. By 1950, Domas and Tiedeman were able to survey 672 such studies of teacher effectiveness. Yet there was widespread disappointment with such research, partly because so little of value seemed to emerge. First of all, there was little agreement about what constituted 'good' teaching or who the good teachers were. Secondly, there were numerous conflicting and contradictory findings. No sooner had one investigator found a relationship which appeared to be significant, than another discovered the opposite effect.
Answers with explanations
- 27. D
The summary deals with research between 1920-1939 connecting **attentiveness** to something else. Paragraph D confirms investigators sought relationships between attention and the amount children had **learnt**. By matching this to the provided options, **Option D (learning)** represents the correct synonymous concept.
- 28. B
The text in Paragraph D states that observation techniques were also used to **assess teachers' competence**. This maps directly to the gap asking what attentiveness was used to measure about the teachers. Consequently, **Option B (competence)** is the exact match for this detail.
- 29. A
The summary describes a **growing distrust** in Europe during 1939-49. The passage links the emergence of **totalitarian regimes** in Europe to a scrutiny of **authoritarianism**. The word **authoritarianism** represents what was being scrutinized and distrusted to avoid dictatorship. This corresponds to **Option A**.
- 30. G
The sentence requires a term describing what was systematically analyzed in **lecture classes** and **small group discussions**. Paragraph E notes that investigators examined the **processes taking place** within these exact formats. **Option G (processes)** perfectly fills this gap based on the text.
- 31. J
The summary states that between 1949-60, classroom transactions were analyzed with a focus on a specific aspect of teachers. Paragraph H details that Withall concentrated his analysis on the study of **teachers' verbal behavior**. Therefore, **Option J (verbal behavior)** is the correct choice.
- 32. H
The summary notes that researchers aimed to **improve** something regarding their methods. The text in Paragraph H explicitly says Withall made efforts towards **increasing the reliability** of analyses. 'Increasing' is synonymous with 'improve', making **Option H (reliability)** the correct match.
- 33. E
The final summary gap requires knowing what the large number of studies were based on in 1960-70. Paragraph H explains that these studies were **based on observation** of teachers at work. Thus, **Option E (observation)** accurately reflects the foundation of this expanded research.
- 34. B
To identify who made the claim about **intelligence** being the most important contribution, check Paragraph B. It clearly states that **Rostker** concluded that the intelligence of the teacher is the **most important single factor**. This directly connects the claim to researcher **B**.
- 35. G
The question asks who set up an **experiment** to see how pupils responded to **various types of teaching**. Paragraph G describes how **Lewin, Lippitt and White** arranged boys to be taught in three very different styles (authoritarian, democratic, laissez-faire). This aligns precisely with option **G**.
- 36. E
We need the researcher who focused on the **questions** teachers asked. Paragraph C specifies that **Stevens** analyzed the number and nature of **questions being asked by teachers**. Because Stevens is the focal point of this observation methodology, the answer is researcher **E**.
- 37. C
Look for the researcher who linked teaching success to the teacher's **personality**. Paragraph B notes that **Rolfe** explicitly claimed that the teacher's **personality was what produced good teaching**, distinguishing his findings from Rostker's. This matches researcher **C**.
- 38. E
The information required is the influence of **political events** on research. Paragraph E directly discusses how the **emergence of totalitarian regimes in Europe** (a major political event) shifted research interest towards studying authoritarianism and democracy. Therefore, the paragraph containing this information is **E**.
- 39. F
We must locate an example of how **children's behavior was categorized**. Paragraph F details Anderson's study, clearly breaking down behavior into categories: **dominative acts** (blaming, snatching) and **integrative acts** (sharing, playing harmoniously). This explicitly categorizes child behavior, pointing to paragraph **F**.
- 40. D
The question seeks a **reason** for researching children's attention. Paragraph D explains that because 'formal' teaching involved factual recall and timed tasks, it was **hardly surprising** that research focused on **attentiveness**. It provides the context and justification for this research trend, matching paragraph **D**.