Achievement, cognitive style and ethnic group membership : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Education at Massey University

Abstract

Relationships between Ethnicity, environmental variables, Cognitive Style and achievement are examined with a sample of 679 Standard Three children. No relationship is found between Ethnicity (Maori-Pakeha) and Cognitive Style, although the correlations between Cognitive Style and Achievement are different for Maori and Pakeha children, and are sustained when the comparisons are controlled for SES, Family Size, Rural-Urban location, Sex and Age. Using two criteria of achievement (PAT Tests and Ravens Progressive Matrices), Pakeha children score higher than Maori children, differences which are reduced but not eliminated when control (in a Multiple Regression Analysis) for the five environmental variables mentioned above is undertaken. Using a third achievement criterion (Teacher Ratings), the initial correlation with ethnicity (similar to the other two criteria) is reduced to near zero in a Multiple Regression Analysis.