An Investigation into Implementation of the Mini-Society Instructional Program

Abstract

The present study examined variables associated with the implementation of the Mini-Society® instructional program, a student-centered, economic and entrepreneurship curriculum designed to acquaint students with their roles as producers and consumers in a market economy, enhance their decision-making skills, and increase their understanding of their roles as citizens (Kourilsky, 1996). The investigation consisted of two parts, (1) a quantitative study to assess the degree to which Mini-Society implementation correlated to student and teacher variables, and (2) a qualitative analysis of how the program relates to elementary teachers' beliefs about their students' ability and the purpose of the social studies curriculum. Study questions were: How do years of teaching experience, level of education, and teachers' beliefs toward their students, as measured on the Pupil Control Ideology scale (Willower, et al, 1967) relate to implementation of the Mini-Society instructional program? What is the relationship between the number of teachers in a building who have been trained in Mini-Society and teachers' implementation of the instructional program? How does Mini-Society implementation vary by students' ethnicity, SES, and achievement? What are the differences between those teachers who implement Mini-Society and those who do not on attitudes toward the curriculum, their students, and the goals and purpose of their social studies curriculum? One hundred and seventy six surveys were mailed to 3r d-6t h grade teachers who had been trained in the program, and 118 surveys were returned representing a response rate of 67 percent. A total sample size of 96 teachers was obtained for this study. Regression analysis was used to determine answers to the first three research questions. Among the student variables measured for this study, socioeconomic status of students proved to be a statistically significant predictor of Mini-Society implementation accounting for 19 percent of the variance between users and non-users in a stepwise analysis. Among teacher variables, only collegial support approached significance, p=.07 in the ordinary least squares model, and accounting for 4 percent of the variance in a stepwise model. In depth interviews with four teachers, two users of the curriculum and two non-users, were conducted to answer the 4th research question involving teacher perceptions of their students, the Mini-Society curriculum and social studies. Data from the interviews indicates that users of Mini-Society would appear to have a more positive outlook toward their students than the non-users. There is also evidence from the qualitative portion of this study that concern over standardized tests is a factor in non-implementation. An additional finding indicates that users of Mini-Society appear to appreciate the program for the affective gains that they see in their students as a result of the program as opposed to cognitive outcomes.