Comparison between behavioral and structural explanation in learning by model-building

Research and Practice in Technology Enhanced Learning

Table 2 Result of correlation analysis

	Pre-test	Increase between pre- and post-test	Degree of model completion	Frequency of assistance
(a) All students
Pre-test	1.000	–	–	–
Increase between pre- and post-test	− 0.383	− 1.000	–	–
Degree of model completion	− 0.313	0.476^†	1.000	–
Frequency of assistance	0.152	− 0.101	0.442^†	1.000
(b) Structural explanation group
Pre-test	1.000	–	–	–
Increase between pre- and post-test	− 0.066	1.000	–	–
Degree of model completion	− 0.728**	0.183	1.000	–
Frequency of assistance	0.145	− 0.550	0.022	1.000
(c) Behavioral explanation group
Pre-test	1.000	–	–	–
Increase between pre- and post-test	− 0.475	1.000	–	–
Degree of model completion	− 0.128	0.412	1.000	–
Frequency of assistance	0.113	0.190	0.673**	1.000

These are the results of correlation analysis between several factors. Table 2a is of all students, Table 2b is of students in the structural explanation group, and Table 2c is of students in the behavioral explanation group. There was a medium positive correlation between the increase of all students’ score from pre- to post-test and the degree of their model completion (R = 0.476, Table 2a). In the behavioral explanation group, there was a medium positive correlation between the degree of model completion and the increase of score from pre- to post-test (R = 0.412, Table 2c), while there was not in the structural explanation group (R = 0.183, Table 2b). In addition, in the behavioral explanation group, there was no correlation between the frequency of assistance and the increase of score from pre- to post-test (R = 0.190, Table 2c), while there was a medium negative correlation in the structural explanation group (R = − 0.550, Table 2b)
^†p < .10
**p < 05