A comparison of adventure -based instruction and traditional method of instruction in job skills curriculu

This study examined the effect of an adventure-based curriculum on the problem-solving skills of high school students in a resource job skills class. Participants were identified as learning disabled (LD) or mentally retarded (MR) and were placed in a semester-long job skills program. The experimental group consisted of 12 students while the control group was made up of 4 students. A problem-solving test designed by the researcher was used as a pre and post test. Students in both groups were given the pretest early in the semester. Students in the experimental group participated in daily adventure-style activities that required them to arrive at a solution. The students in the control group were taught job skills using a textbook-based curriculum. Pre and post test scores were subjected to a gain score ANOVA yielding a significant difference with the experimental group showing greater gains in problem solving abilities. A comparison was also made of the scores of the female and males in the experimental group using an independent-samples t test. No significant difference was found. Pre and post test scores of the experimental group were subjected to a paired-samples t test showing gains, but not significant gains, in problem-solving skills. The results showed that an adventure-based curriculum is a more effective means of increasing problem-solving skills in students with learning disabilities than a traditional curriculum.