NCJ Number
60355
Journal
OFFENDER REHABILITATION Volume: 3 Issue: 3 Dated: (SPRING 1979) Pages: 229-243
Date Published
1979
Length
15 pages
Annotation
THE EFFECTIVENESS OF TUTORIAL CONTRACTING ON DELINQUENT AND LOW-ACHIEVING STUDENTS IS EXAMINED IN THIS STUDY REPORTING THE RESULTS OF 3 EXPERIMENTS WITH 124 CHILDREN IN TENNESSEE.
Abstract
THE RESULTS OF THIS STUDY DEMONSTRATE THE UTILITY OF TUTORIAL BEHAVIOR CONTRACTING TO IMPROVE THE GRADES AND BEHAVIOR OF LOW-ACHIEVING AND DISRUPTIVE HIGH SCHOOL, JUNIOR HIGH, AND ELEMENTARY STUDENTS. MOREOVER, THE UNIQUE COMBINATION OF TUTORING WITH BEHAVIOR CONTRACTING WAS CARRIED OUT BY PREVIOUSLY UNTRAINED COLLEGE-AGE TUTORS. IN THE FIRST EXPERIMENT, 20 ELEMENTARY-AGE STUDENTS, SERVING AS THE EXPERIMENTAL GROUP, RECEIVED TUTORIAL CONTRACTING, AND 20 OTHER STUDENTS WHO DID NOT RECEIVE THIS CONTRACTING SERVED AS THE CONTROL GROUP. UNDERGRADUATE COLLEGE-AGE STUDENTS SERVED AS THE CONTRACT MANAGERS (TUTORS) WHO DREW UP CONTRACTS WITH THE INDIVIDUAL STUDENTS TO INDICATE HOW THE STUDENTS COULD EARN PRIZES FOR BEHAVING IN CERTAIN WAYS, SUCH AS EARNING GOOD GRADES. SIMILAR EXPERIMENTAL AND CONTROL GROUPS AND TUTORS WERE USED IN THE SECOND EXPERIMENT WITH 50 JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS. IN THIS EXPERIMENT, THE EXPERIMENTAL GROUP'S GRADES IMPROVED SIGNIFICANTLY, THEIR SCHOOL BEHAVIOR IMPROVED, AND TRUANCY DECEASED MARKEDLY. THE THIRD EXPERIMENT, WITH 24 BOYS AND 10 GIRLS IN 3 JUVENILE DETENTION CENTERS, SHOWED RESULTS SIMILAR TO THE SECOND EXPERIMENT. THE EFFECTIVENESS OF TUTORIAL BEHAVIOR CONTRACTING IS ENCOURAGING BECAUSE IT COULD PROVE HELPFUL IN DIVERTING CHILDREN FROM DELINQUENCY AND BECAUSE IT REQUIRES LITTLE ADDITIONAL WORK BY SCHOOLTEACHERS, SINCE VOLUNTEERS CAN BE USED AS TUTORS. STATISTICAL TABLES, DESCRIPTIONS OF TUTORIAL CONTRACTING PROCEDURES, AND REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED. (KCP)