Task perception as a mediating variable: a contribution to the validation of instructional knowledge

From the perspective of the cognitive mediational paradigm, we focus in this study on students' conceptions of the relationship between instructional interventions and learning: 'instructional knowledge'.

Task perception has been investigated as a procedural manifestation of instructional knowledge. Four research questions directed the study: (1) how do students perceive a task; (2) by which structure can the relations between categories of task perception be represented; (3) do students differ in their task perception; and (4) is there a significant relationship between students' task perception and the learning activities they plan and/or execute.

The sample consisted of 149 university freshmen in educational sciences.

Students were confronted with a concrete task in a natural setting. Correlations were searched for by phi coefficient. Hierarchical classes analysis was used to search for hierarchical relations and inter-individual differences. Goodman-Kruskal lambda was calculated to estimate the association between students' task perception and the learning activities they planned and executed. The questionnaire and the design of the coding systems were first tried out in a pilot study.

Students' task perception can be described in 11 categories. Correlations between those categories were low, but a simple hierarchical structure was discovered. Students can be distinguished according to their task perception into eight groups. Finally, the results indicate a statistically significant association between students' task perception and the learning activities they plan and execute.

The study provides additional evidence to involve 'instructional knowledge' and students' task perception as part of it, as mediating variables in future research.