EFFECTS OF EXPLICIT TIMING ON MATHEMATICS PROBLEM COMPLETION RATES IN AFRICAN‐AMERICAN THIRD‐GRADE ELEMENTARY STUDENTS

• Published in: Journal of applied behavior analysis 1998-12, Vol.31 (4), p.673-677
• Main Authors: Rhymer, Katrina N., Skinner, Christopher H., Henington, Carlen, D'Reaux, Robyn A., Sims, SanPier
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: African Americans; African‐American students; Biological and medical sciences; Black people; Black Students; Educational psychology; Educational Strategies; Elementary school students; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Grade 3; Learning Disabilities; Mathematics education; Minority Group Children; Persistence; Primary Education; Problem Solving; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychophysiology; Pupil and student. Academic achievement and failure; rates of responding; Time Factors (Learning); Time Management; Timed Tests; timing
• ISSN: 0021-8855; 1938-3703
• DOI: 10.1901/jaba.1998.31-673

A multiple baseline design was used to evaluate the effects of Van Houten and Thompson's (1976) explicit timing procedure on problem completion rates and accuracy levels in African‐American third‐grade students. During the explicit timing phase, students were told that they were being timed and were instructed to circle the last problem completed at each 1‐min interval. Results showed that the explicit timing procedure increased problem completion rates. A decreasing trend in percentage of problems correct also occurred. Exploratory data analysis suggested that decreases in accuracy were not caused by the explicit timing procedure and did not occur in students who had attained high levels of preintervention accuracy. Discussion focuses on recommendations for educators who wish to use timing procedures to increase students' rates of accurate responding.