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Field Independence‐Dependence and the Teaching of Grammar
Author(s) -
ABRAHAM ROBERTA G.
Publication year - 1985
Publication title -
tesol quarterly
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.737
H-Index - 91
eISSN - 1545-7249
pISSN - 0039-8322
DOI - 10.2307/3586671
Subject(s) - independence (probability theory) , grammar , linguistics , field (mathematics) , sociology , psychology , mathematics education , philosophy , mathematics , statistics , pure mathematics
The cognitive style of field independence (the tendency to differentiate objects from their surroundings) has been shown in a number of studies to be related to success in second language classrooms in which deductive teaching dominates. The purpose of the study reported in this article was to discover whether less rule‐oriented teaching might prove more beneficial for field‐dependent students. A pretest/post‐test design was used to compare the effectiveness of two ESL lessons on participle formation for subjects at various points along the field independent/dependent continuum. One lesson was based on a traditional deductive approach; the other provided no rules but directed attention to many examples of participles in context. A regression analysis showed a significant interaction between field independence and lesson, with field‐independent subjects performing better with the deductive lesson and field‐dependent subjects better with the example lesson. Examination of individual items on pre‐ and post‐tests provided evidence that the majority of subjects in both lessons had engaged in step‐by‐step rule building. Implications for teaching and further research are discussed.