| Field Dependence/Independence, Public and Private Self-Consciousness, and pedagogic environments all influence the direction of learners' attention and reliance on external cues to process information. These were investigated as joint predictors of minority students' learning behavior in a computer-based anagram game. Fifty-six ninth graders each were assessed on the three dispositional characteristics, and played the game individually with a facilitator who provided three successive pedagogic atmospheres: one neutral, one providing only task-relevant hints, and one providing only supportive comments. Discriminant Function Analysis indicated that participants who persisted in requesting help with the game in the Supportive atmosphere were distinguished from others primarily by high levels of Public and Private Self-Consciousness. Multivariate Analysis of Covariance revealed that high Private Self-Consciousness was associated with greater concentration on self across atmospheres, and that concentration on self was greatest for all in the Neutral atmosphere. Concentration on non-task matters was highest in the Neutral atmosphere, but no other predictors related to this. High Private Self-Consciousness was associated with greater overall concentration on task, while Field Independence was related to greater attention to task in all but the Hint atmosphere. More complex interactions of Self-Consciousness, Field Dependence/Independence, and atmosphere were also found. However, these variables were unrelated to perceived performance. For actual number of words produced, a significant interaction of Public Self-Consciousness and Field Dependence/Independence indicated that learners with extreme sensitivity or insensitivity to external cues performed less well than those with "mixed" styles. Overall, multiple dispositional characteristics and pedagogic atmospheres collectively influenced learning processes in ways different from their separate main effects. Participants with greater dispositional internal attentiveness showed greater relevant learning process behavior, although this effect was moderated by providing task-relevant hints. However, actual outcomes were best for those who tended toward both internal and external dispositional attentiveness. |
