| The purpose of this study was to determine if the use of local history materials in eleventh-grade American history classes at Sidney High School (OH) would lead to significantly higher student scores on a nationally normed American history test, a researcher-developed local history test, and an attitude instrument. The subjects were 108 non-Advanced Placement eleventh-grade American history students. The control group included 52 students in four American history classes, and the experimental group included 56 students from four other American history classes.;During the school year, all subjects studied the whole of American history as it is traditionally taught. Students in the four experimental classes of American history also studied researcher-selected local history materials in class as an adjunct to macro-level materials on the same topics, completed short answer questions about the materials, and participated in follow-up class discussions.;The tests of the hypotheses posited for the study were accomplished statistically using analysis of variance, covariance, and multiple linear regression. Major findings were: (a) the use of a short, document-based local history program did not significantly affect student achievement on a nationally normed American history end-of-course test; (b) there was a significant difference in post-treatment local history achievement scores in favor of students in the experimental group; (c) although a majority of students in both groups expressed positive attitudes toward the use of local history materials, there was no significant difference in student attitudes between the control and experimental groups; and (d) there was a significant independent relationship between student ability level and experimental group posttest American history scores for those questions therein which were reinforced by local history materials. |
