The Effects of Self-Pacing and Use of Study Guide Questions within Behavioral Instruction

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of self-pacing in a course based on behavioral instruction. The effects of using study guide questions were also studied. Surveys of the behavioral instruction (BI) literature indicated that pacing was not creating differences in performance. The question of study guide effectiveness has not been explored. The results of the study indicated that pacing interacted with prior achievement as measured by grade point average. Those students who entered the course with high GPAs performed better under self-pacing conditions. However, over and above the prior achievement variable (GPA), the different pacing styles did not create differential course achievement. The use of study guide questions did not create significant differences in the criterion performance.