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AcHIEVEMENT, CoGNITIVE STYLE
AND
ETHNIC GROUP MEMBERSHIP
A
thesis p resented in part ial fulfilment of the requirement s for the degree of
Doctor of Philo sophy in Education at Massey University .
Richard Kendall Harker ,
19 76.
Abstract
Relationships between Ethnicity, environmental variables, Cognitive Style and achievement are examined with a sample of 679 Standard Three children. No relationship is found between
Ethnicity (Maori-Pakeha) and Cognitive Style, although the correlations between Cognitive Style and Achievement are different for Maori
and Pakeha children, and are sustained when the comparisons are controlled for SES, Family Size, Rural-Urban location, Sex and Age.
Using two c riteria of achievement
(PAT Tests
andRavens
Progressive Matrices), Pakeha children score higher than Maori children, differences which are reduced but not eliminated whan control (in a Multiple Regression Analysis) for the five
environmental variables mentioned above is undertaken. Using a
third achievement criterion (Teacher Ratings), the initial correlation with ethnicity (similar to the other two criteria) is reduced to
near zero in a Multiple Regression Analysis.
Acknowl edgements
I�should like to record my thanks and appreciation to a number of people.
To Professor R.S. Adams and Dr. D. McAlpine for their encouragement and guidance as supervisor
s .
To the Interdepartmental Committee for Polynesian Research (Department of Maori Affairs
)
who financed the data collection phase of this research.To the large number of senior and post-graduate students who assisted with the individual testing of nearly 700 subjects.
To the Wanganui and Wellington Education Boards for their cooperation and assistance with the data collection programme.
To Mrs. K. Morgan for typing the final copy.
Last, but very far from least, to my wife Relen for typing numerous early d rafts and for her forebearanr.e in sharing our lives with a
dissertation.
Tabl e of Contents
List of Tables List of Figures
Introdu ction
Chapter 1: Maori Ci1::.! ;,_:;.·.:::J.
and
School Achievement Chapter2:
Chapt er 3:
Chapter 4:
Chapter
5:
Chapter
6:
Appendix 1:
Cognitive Style
Sample, Data Collec tion and Data Analysis Achievement and Ethnic ity : Findings
Cognitive Style and Ethnicity : Finding s Su mmary and Conclusions
Cog nitive Style Test Appendix
2:
Data l istingsBibliography
iv vi 1 3 13 37 45 76 104 113 124 175
Table
1.1.
2.1.
2.2.
3. 1.
3.2.
4.1.
4.2.
4.3.
4.4.
4.5.
4.6 .
4.7.
4 . 8.
4. 9.
4.10.
4 . 11.
4. 1 2.
4.13.
4.14.
List of Tables
Table
1
f rom Lovegrove(1966: 24)
Correlat ions Between Scores in each of the Conceptual Cat ego ries and the sub-t est and To tal Sco res f ro m the California Test of Mental Maturity (Fro m Kaga n, Moss & Sigel ,
1965: 86)
Intercorrelations of Variables u sed in the Gray & Knief
(1975)
studyRoll Numbers and Pupils Tested for Schools Used in Sample
Comparison of Samp le Distributio ns with
1966
Census Figures in Each of the Elley-Irving
(1972)
Soc io-Economic Cat egories (percentages) Scores o n the Comppsite PAT Index, theComposite Teacher Rating Index, and Ravens Raw Scores, by Selec ted Determiners
Scores o n Criterio n Varia bles, by Location and SES
Sco res on the Compo site PAT I ndex by Ethnic Group and Select ed Determiners
Sco res on the Composit e Teacher Rating Index , by Ethnic Group and Selected Determiners Ravens Raw Scores , by Ethnic Group and Sele�t ed Detenniners
T-Tests o n Criterion Perfo rmanc e Between High and Low SES Groups , Controlling for Ethnic±�
and Rural-Urban Loca tion
Frequency of Signif ica nt Diff erences Made by Enviro nmental Variables , on Three Criterion Variables, for
Two
Ethnic Groups·
Ethnic Dif ferences o n Other Environmental Variables
2ero Order Correlation Coefficient s and Varianc e Estimates for Variables Used in the Mult iple Regression Analysis
Multiple Regression Analysis - PAT Multiple Regression Analysis - T . R . Multiple Regression Analysis - Ravens
Multiple Regression Analysis - T.R . Against Other Achievament Criteria and Behavioural Ratings
Direct and I ndirec t Effects of E thnicity
on
Achievement Criteria Summarized f ro m Figures
1, 2
and3
Page 1
19 19 38
3 9
4 6 48 51 52 53
55
5 5 58
61 62 63 64
67
72
iv.
Table
5.1.
Responses on the Cognitive Style Test by Ethnic Group5 . 2.
Responses on the Cognitive Style Test byLocation
5.3 .
Responses on the Cognitive Style Test by Socio-Economic Status5 . 4.
Responses on the Cognitive Style Test by Family Size5 . 5 .
Responses on the Cognitive Style Test by Sex5 . 6 .
Within and Between Group Differences inResponses on the Cognitive Style Test by Location, Family Size, SES and Ethnicity
5 . 7 .
Cognitive Style Responses by Location, Family Size, Sex and Ethnic Group(i) Relational Responses (ii) Analytic Responses (iii) Categorical Responses
5 . 8 .
Correlations Between School AchievementCriteria and Cognitive Style Responses (All Subjects)
5. 9 .
Correlations Between School Achievement Criteria and Cognitive Style Responses Within Each Ethnic Group5 . 10 .
Correlations and Partial Correlations Between Teacher Rating Index and Scores on theCognitive Style Test, by Ethnic Group
5.11.
Correlations and Partial Correlations Setween PAT Index and Scores on the CognitiveStyle Test, by Ethnic Group
5 . 12 .
Correlations and Partial Correlations Between Ravens Scores and Cognitive Style TestScore, by Ethnic Group
5 . 13 .
T-Tests for Rural-Urban Differences, Controlling for Ethnicity, Sex and Sex within Ethnicity7 7 78 79 80 82
84-85
87 88 89
91
92
94
95
96
100
v.
Figure
4.1.
4.2.
4. 3.
4.4.
5.1.
List of Figur es
Graphs Illustrating Interaction Effects Between Rural-Urban Location and SES as they Affect Criterion Performance
Path Analysis Diagrams - PAT Path Analysis Diagrams - T.R.
Path Analysis Diagrams - Ravens Correlation Coefficients Between Cognitive Style Responses
4 9 68 69 70 102
vi .
