A comparison of the results of the frequency of five-minute timed writings in a Manhattan Christian High School ninth grade typing class

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine if there would be any significant difference in 5-minute typewriting rates between students who took 5-minute straight copy timed writings four times a week versus those students who took them twice a week. The writer by means of the review of literature found a lack of information on the frequency of offering 5-minute straight copy timed writings to a beginning ninth grade typewriting class. This examination also revealed four specific areas in typewriting which are being written about in our business education journals. The specific areas are grade level of offering typewriting, related learning to typewriting, predicting typewriting success, and grading in typewriting. To test the frequency of offering 5-minute straight copy timed writings, this writer used the ninth grade students at Manhattan Christian High School. By means of random selection the students were divided into two groups. Both the experimental and control group consisted of seventeen students respectively. Instruction prior to the giving of 5-minute timed writings was the same for both groups. Students in both groups at the beginning of the experiment were given 5-minute straight copy timed writings to determine their present typewriting rates. For twelve weeks the experimental group were given one 5-minute straight copy timed writing four times a week while the control group received one 5-minute straight copy timed writing twice a week. At the end of the twelfth week, both groups were again given 5-minute straight copy timed writings on the material used at the beginning of the experiment. The F-test of one-way analysis of covariance was used to determine if there was any significant difference in the increase in typewriting rates between the two groups according to the method used.