ABSTRACT
Kalmykova, a leading Soviet psychologist, presents some interesting examples of approaches to research into teaching in the U.S.S.R. The ‘natural experiment’ described has been used for some years in Soviet pedagogical investigations and provides some pointers to work in the field of applied science research referred to by Hilgard (pp. 91 ff.). Also of interest is the stress on developing methods of analysing teaching problems to discover the logical structure of the study material and the psychological problems involved in helping pupils master the material. There is a close parallel between such concerns and the arguments of Gage (pp. 98 ff.). The problems are very similar; the approaches to their solution somewhat different. One important problem of common concern is the need to develop diagnostic tests which will enable teachers and researchers to pinpoint pupil competence in a given field of study. These tests would inform researchers in a fairly precise way of the results of their teaching experiments. To some extent the methods outlined resemble the micro-teaching experiments developed by Gage and associates, although the Soviet concern with creating ‘conflict situations’ between old and new learning is quite distinctive.
