SHTUR methodology: decoding of the abbreviation, features of the test, final analysis and results

Practical psychologists encounter many problems in their work. The most relevant of them is the poor performance of schoolchildren. There are enough reasons for this. This is pedagogical neglect, and a low degree of mental development, and knowledge gaps, and basic inability to learn, as well as many others.

It is on the shoulders of the school psychologist who is responsible for solving this tangle of problems, identifying their dominant causes, as well as developing a correction program that would help optimize the educational process. And here the STUR technique will be of invaluable help to him. It will allow the specialist to master the data on the features and originality of mental development not only of an individual student, but of the whole class.

The author of the SHTUR methodology, or the “School Test of Mental Development”, is K. M. Gurevich, as well as the staff of the laboratory of psychodiagnostics, which is part of the staff of the Research Institute of General and Pedagogical Psychology of the USSR Academy of Pedagogical Sciences. It included G.P. Loginova, V.T. Kozlova, V.G. Zarhin, E.M. Borisova and M.K. Akimova. Before offering a specific selection of tasks, the authors of the methodology conducted a psychological analysis of textbooks and school programs. In the process of performing its work, the scientific team of the laboratory relied on the information that was obtained in the course of conversations with teachers.

Methodological principles

The school test of mental development (STUR) is designed to conduct diagnostics that allow you to determine the mental development of students, from adolescence to adolescence. These are children of grades 6-8.

The authors selected the basic concepts guided by the following principles:

• they should be general, allowing to determine the level of mastery of a subject and underlying the understanding of a particular school discipline;
• the concepts included in each of the tasks form the basis of the knowledge that each person needs, regardless of the direction of the education he receives;
• they should be in accordance with the life experience that a child of a given age has.

Method Features

The school test of mental development (STUR) is designed to study the level of formation of certain concepts in a child, as well as the logical actions performed by the student with them. It contains such tasks and methods of analyzing the results that significantly distinguish this development from the traditionally used intellectual texts.

The description of the STUR methodology indicates that it is, first of all, built on the material that must be learned by the student. For children, this is nothing more than their school curriculum. It is through them that, in a given historical period, the requirements presented by society to each of its members are subject to implementation. What in this case can be said about the features of STURS? The content of these tests is entirely determined by the requirements of society or socio-psychological settings for the mental development of children.

Among the features of the SHTUR methodology, or the school test of mental development, we can distinguish an analysis of diagnostic results that is different from most similar methods. It is not based on statistical norms at all. To assess group and individual results, socio-psychological standards are taken. In other words, the revealed indicator of the development of the child’s intelligence is the degree of proximity of the results obtained to a certain criterion, which are the tasks contained in the test. Moreover, the determination of the result does not occur by quantitative, but by qualitative-quantitative characteristics.

Diagnostic subject

The SHTUR method (school test of mental development) is used to identify the student’s general awareness, the adequacy of his use of scientific concepts and terms, as well as the ability to establish logical classifications, generalizations, analogies, and build a number series. Apply this method to analyze the success of a child’s development as he moves from one class to another.

Method Features

The school test of mental development of the child (STUR) has a special content. It is built on the materials of school curricula. Thanks to this, the application of the technique will allow us to assess not only the level of development of various operations in students, but also their preferences in working with social-humanitarian, natural-science or physical-mathematical subjects.

Such a qualitative analysis allows us to solve many problems. Among them are career counseling, counseling and psychoprophylaxis. After monitoring the training, using the test data, the psychologist develops general and individual recommendations aimed at correcting the mental development of the student.

Currently, there is a second, slightly modified version of the STUR methodology. The content of some tasks was adjusted in it and two subjects were added, which made it possible to diagnose spatial thinking in students. This is due to the fact that the second version of the STUR methodology was created in completely different social conditions, in which some concepts of the initial work of scientists turned out to be outdated.

Pros of the technique

The developed diagnostic test is in full compliance with high statistical criteria, which any of these tasks must adhere to. The technique has a high degree of suitability and validity. This was determined through its successful application, as well as through comparisons with Amthauer's intelligence test.

Minuses

Conducting a school test of mental development requires a high level of professionalism of a psychologist. This specialist must have the skill to enable him to carry out deep and systematic processing of the received data.

Description of the technique

The school test of mental development consists of six sets of tasks, or subtests, namely:

• “Awareness” (two tasks);
• “Analogies”;
• “Generalization";
• "classification";
• "Numerical series."

In addition, two equivalent forms are included in the STUR methodology - “A” and “B”.

In order for the testing to be carried out correctly, it is necessary to strictly observe the instructions, as well as control the time of the task, which is carried out using a stopwatch. In addition, during the test, a specialist should not help subjects.

The instruction for the STUR methodology provides for the following time for completing tasks:

1. The first subtest - “awareness” - contains 20 tasks. The time to complete them is 8 minutes.
2. The second subtest is also “awareness”. It includes 20 tasks that students must complete in 4 minutes.
3. The third subtest is “analogies”. These are 25 tasks that must be completed in 10 minutes.
4. The fourth subtest is “classifications”. It provides for the completion of 20 tasks in 7 minutes.
5. The fifth subtest is “generalizations”. It includes 19 tasks, which take 8 minutes to complete.
6. The sixth subtest is “numerical series”. Here the student will have to consider 15 tasks in 7 minutes.

Research sequence

When using the methodology of the school test of mental development, the experimenter first of all explains the goal to the children. By this, he creates a corresponding mood in them. The following words help to do this: “Now I will offer you certain tasks. With their help, your skills in comparing the phenomena and objects of the world around you, the ability to see different and general things in them, and also reasoning can be revealed. Each of the proposed tasks is somewhat different from the ones you did in the lessons. Now we will give you forms for carrying out the STUR methodology. In this case, each of you will be offered a set of tasks. Before proceeding with their implementation, descriptions of the tasks will be given and a concrete example will explain how to solve them. Forms must be returned after a strictly defined time. The beginning and end of work on each set of tasks will be determined by our team. Everything that is on the forms for carrying out the STUR methodology must be solved in order. Do not linger on one task for a long time. Try to do everything quickly and without making mistakes. ”

After such a briefing, the experimenter needs to give the students test forms, in which he should ask the children to fill in the columns with information about their name and the date of the experiment. It is also necessary to indicate the school and class in which testing is organized.

Next, the experimenter should check the spelling of the information. After that, according to the instructions for conducting a school test according to the STUR method, he should ask the children to put the pens aside and carefully listen to his instructions. Next, the experimenter needs to read the instructions to the children and analyze the examples from the first subtest. After this, he should ask the students if they have questions. If students ask them, then the experimenter needs to give an answer by reading the corresponding text from the test. This will create the same conditions in any research.

Further, the specialist instructs the children to turn the page and begin to complete tasks. At the same time, he needs to quietly turn on the stopwatch. Having fixed the attention of the subjects on this, the specialist can cause them a sense of tension. After some time has been allotted for completing the tasks of the first subtest, the experimenter must immediately interrupt the work of the children. At the same time, he should invite them to put aside the handles.

Next, the experimenter begins to read the instructions for the next set of tasks. During the test, the specialist needs to control whether the children correctly fulfill the requirements voiced by him.

Results Processing

All answers given by students during the test should be analyzed by the experimenter. The data obtained will allow the specialist to evaluate from various sides the mental development of both a group of students and an individual student. In this case, the main goal of the STUR methodology will be achieved. Namely, based on the identified deficiencies in the intellectual development of the child, the possibility of determining ways to address them is revealed.

Evaluation of the results according to the STUR methodology is carried out with quantitative and qualitative data processing. Consider these components of the analysis in more detail.

Quantitative processing

How is this method of obtaining the results of the STUR test? During quantitative processing, the experimenter identifies:

1. Individual indicators. They are determined for each subtest (with the exception of the fifth). At the same time, a certain score is displayed on the test and subtest. It is determined by counting the number of correctly completed tasks. For example, if a child in the 3rd subtest gave the correct answers to 13 tasks, then he is given 13 points.
2. The quality of generalization. Depending on it, the results of the 5th subtest are evaluated. In this case, the student is assigned 2, 1 or 0 points. When processing the results according to the STUR methodology, in this case, tables with the approximate answers entered in them are used, which are given for generalization tasks. What is able to get a score of two points is described quite fully. Moreover, the experimenter can consider not only direct answers, but also their interpretation. The school test of mental development of STUR can be rated at 1 point. The list of such answers is given in the proposed tables less fully. At the same time, subjects have more opportunities for making choices. The answers given by the student correctly, but at the same time rather narrowly, as well as those that have categorical generalizations, are evaluated at 1 point. The experimenter may set 0. Such a number of points is given for incorrect answers. When completing the 5th subtest, children can get a maximum of 38 points.
3. Individual indicators. In general, they represent the sum of the points obtained from the addition of the results of the assignments for all subtests. According to the authors of the methodology, a test performed at 100% is considered the norm of mental development. It is with this indicator that the tasks that were completed correctly by the student should be subsequently compared. Also, in the instructions for the described methodology for adolescents (STUR), you can find out the percentage of correct answers. This is precisely what determines the quantitative aspect of the work of subjects.
4. Comparative indicators of group responses. If the experimenter combined the students in one way or another and analyzes their total score, then in this case he needs to take the arithmetic mean of all points. According to the test results, students can be divided into 5 subgroups. The first of them will include the most successful, the second - those close to them in completing the tasks, the third - the middle peasants, the fourth - the most unsuccessful, and the fifth - the least successful. After calculating the average score for each of these subgroups, the experimenter constructs a coordinate system. Moreover, on the abscissa axis, he marks the numbers of "success" of children, and on the ordinate axis, the percentage of tasks that they solve. Having put the appropriate points, the specialist draws a schedule. He will point out the proximity of each of the noted subgroups to existing socio-psychological standards. A similar type of processing of the results is carried out based on the consideration of the entire test as a whole. The graphs obtained in this way allow us to give an opinion on the STUR methodology in the context of students of both one and different classes.
5. The gap in mental development that occurs between the best and worst students in a class. Researchers found that such a phenomenon becomes even more pronounced by the 6–8th grade. The best students, growing up, are getting closer and closer to the existing socio-psychological standards. Those same children who give many incorrect answers on the school test of mental development continue to remain at the same level. To align the results, the specialist gives recommendations for more intensive classes with lagging students.
6. Comparison with the group. When analyzing the test results, the specialist examines the global assessments of an individual student. Moreover, the level of its development is indicated by such terms as “worse” and “better”, “lower” and “higher”. The specialist also sets total points. At the same time, it is worthwhile to understand that if they have less than 30 for a child attending sixth grade, less than 40 for a seventh grade student, and they have not reached 45 for an eighth and ninth grader, then such results may indicate a child’s low mental intelligence. And what are the good test results for the STUR teens? This is more than 75 points for a sixth grader, 90 for a seventh grader, 100 for a child from 8th grade.

Quantitative indicators of mental development must be combined with qualitative. This will allow us to give a psychological interpretation according to the STUR technique of unfulfilled and completed tasks.

Quality processing

This analysis of the test results, both group and individual, allows you to determine the most complex logical type in its type. Moreover, high-quality processing is carried out by a specialist in the following areas:

1. For the task set of the 3rd subtest, the easiest (worked out), as well as the most complex types of logical connections are identified. Among them, genus-species, cause-effect, whole-part, functional relationships and the opposite. The experimenter also highlights the typical mistakes that children make. The most and least learned areas of biology, physics, mathematics, history, literature and such cycles of school disciplines as physical and mathematical, natural science and humanitarian are considered.
2. For a set of tasks at number 4, the specialist must establish which of them the child performed better and which worse. He also has to analyze the answers to questions relating to abstract and concrete concepts, and which of them cause great difficulties for the student.
3. Analyzing the tasks of the 5th set, the experimenter will have to identify the nature of the generalizations, breaking them down by categorical, species, and specific character. It is also intended to study the nature of typical errors. ( )?

.

№ 1

. . . , .

, «». , , , , . . .

№ 2

, , . . , «» : «» «», «» «». , .

№ 3

. . . , , .

. , , . : «» «», «», «» «». .

№ 4

The student is invited to five words. A common feature are four of them. The fifth word falls out of this chain. It is to be found by the test subject and emphasized. It should be borne in mind that there is only one superfluous of all words. Consider an example. The words “kettle”, “pan”, “table”, “cup” and “plate” are given. The table will become superfluous of them. After all, it means furniture, and all other words - dishes.

Description of subtest No. 5

Students are invited to two words. In the task you need to determine what is common between them. In each of the cases, the specialist suggests looking for the most significant features that are common to these words. In this case, the child must write his answer.

Consider an example. A couple of words “pine” and “spruce” are conifers.

Description of subtest No. 6

When completing this assignment, children are invited to consider the series of numbers that are located according to a certain rule. Here, multiplication, division, etc. can be applied. The task of the subjects is to determine the number, which would be a continuation of the proposed series.

Consider an example. The numbers 2 and 4, 6 and 8. are given. If we consider the proposed series, it becomes obvious that each subsequent number is two more than the previous one. Therefore, supplement the row correctly with the number 10.

Correctional work

After conducting diagnostic studies and obtaining specific results, the question arises as to who will subsequently conduct classes with children who are behind in their mental development. Indeed, if you identify insufficiently high results and do not take any measures at the same time, then the study itself loses all meaning.

Teachers under the guidance of a psychologist, as well as parents (provided that their education allows them to do this) can do the correction.

TURMSh technique

The level of mental development and its specificity, which will develop in elementary school, will certainly become the basis for his child's further education. That is why the diagnosis of such an indicator in the period when children attend elementary grades, as well as the correction carried out with existing deviations from the norm, is of particular importance.

School psychologists are actively using the TURMSH technique. This abbreviation is deciphered as "a test of mental development of a primary school student." It was compiled on the basis of programs studied by children and school textbooks. When creating this technique, concepts are used that are taken from natural science and the Russian language, as well as mathematics. A similar orientation of the test reveals the program material learned and not mastered by the child and the degree to which he has various logical and functional connections.

When developing the TURMS, its authors adhered to the point of view on the importance of the role of education in the development of children, which is expressed by most domestic psychologists.

The results of school tests of the mental development of primary schoolchildren help specialists identify the existing gaps in the students' knowledge, which allows us to develop the necessary psychocorrectional measures. The TURMSH technique does not at all separate the norm from pathology. Its main goal is to determine the identity and characteristics of the child’s mental development. The tests conducted with students are designed to find out the advantages and disadvantages of the programs used in educational institutions, as well as compare the most diverse approaches and educational systems, while tracking the dynamics of the children's intellectual development.

An analogue of the STUR methodology for primary schoolchildren involves the use of group and individual tests. Such studies also consist of subtests, which are arranged in increasing order of complexity. Such systematization allows the specialist to identify the so-called zone of proximal development.

TURMSh has a focus not on statistical, but on socio-psychological norms. Based on the proximity to them, the specialist analyzes the tests offered to children.

The norm of mental age development is a set of tasks in general. At the same time, the specialists who developed this technique took into account the fact that visual-figurative thinking with the active development of verbal-logical is predominant among children of primary school age. That is why the tasks of this methodology are identical and equal in their complexity, distributed into two blocks, one of which is verbal and the other nonverbal. Similar features of the technique allow psychologists to conduct a comprehensive and in-depth analysis of the intellectual development of children.

Among the main advantages of TURMSh, experts note the possibility of a comprehensive assessment of the mental development of both a single student and a group of students. With the existing shortcomings, the specialist is able to develop a scheme of the necessary corrective work, which would eliminate the existing problem.

Among the minuses of TURMSh is the moment when, in the process of interpreting levels, there is some underestimation of standard indicators, which the author of the test outlined as the number of points. Sometimes this happens in those cases when schoolchildren from both large and small cities took part in the experiments.

Survey TURMSh built according to the scheme of work with a punch card. Each questionnaire has cut out windows that allow the child to indicate the correct option on the answer sheet.

The first, verbal block includes subtests revealing the features of verbal-logical thinking of the child. This includes the tasks “awareness” and “classification”, “generalization” and “analogy”. It has this block and two subtests of mathematical orientation.

In the second block are tasks to identify the features of non-verbal thinking of a younger student. This includes such subtests: “generalizations”, “analogies”, “classification”, “geometric analogues” and “sequential pictures”.

The tasks of the first and second blocks are cards on which geometric figures and animals, plants, natural phenomena, etc. are depicted.

The tasks of the school test of mental development (STUR) and the answers were examined in detail by us.