Capacity of the Working Memory and Its Relationship with the Ability to Retain Information among Secondary Stage Students in Amman
Affiliation(s)
Al-Isra’a University, Amman, Jordan. The University of Jordan, Amman, Jordan. The Hashemite University, Zarqa, Jordan.
Al-Isra’a University, Amman, Jordan. The University of Jordan, Amman, Jordan. The Hashemite University, Zarqa, Jordan.
ABSTRACT
The purpose of this study is to explore the capacity of the working memory among secondary stage students in Amman second educational directorate and its relationship with their ability to retain information. To explore their level of working memory, listening test period developed by (Daneman & Carpenter, 1980) was used, and the test consisted of 40 items. Moreover, the researcher used retention ability test in biology with 20 items. The sample of the study was selected from eight schools through random clustering total 293 male and female students in the school year 2010/2011. The findings of the study showed that the capacity of the working memory among students was high and their ability to retain was low. There is a positive significant relationship between the capacity of the working memory and the level of the ability to retain information. Based on the findings of the study, the researchers recommended the need of taking careful attention to mnemonics and the strategies that may help working memory in restoring and processing, concentrating in teaching methods that help students to employ more than one sense in addition to the direct experience in teaching to increase the working memory capacity among students and help them to improve information processing strategies. Moreover, they conduct more studies on working memory and its relationship with psychological and cognitive variables in other educational stages.
The purpose of this study is to explore the capacity of the working memory among secondary stage students in Amman second educational directorate and its relationship with their ability to retain information. To explore their level of working memory, listening test period developed by (Daneman & Carpenter, 1980) was used, and the test consisted of 40 items. Moreover, the researcher used retention ability test in biology with 20 items. The sample of the study was selected from eight schools through random clustering total 293 male and female students in the school year 2010/2011. The findings of the study showed that the capacity of the working memory among students was high and their ability to retain was low. There is a positive significant relationship between the capacity of the working memory and the level of the ability to retain information. Based on the findings of the study, the researchers recommended the need of taking careful attention to mnemonics and the strategies that may help working memory in restoring and processing, concentrating in teaching methods that help students to employ more than one sense in addition to the direct experience in teaching to increase the working memory capacity among students and help them to improve information processing strategies. Moreover, they conduct more studies on working memory and its relationship with psychological and cognitive variables in other educational stages.
Cite this paper
Al-Yamani, A. , Al-Srour, N. & AlAli, S. (2013). Capacity of the Working Memory and Its Relationship with the Ability to Retain Information among Secondary Stage Students in Amman. Creative Education, 4, 738-745. doi: 10.4236/ce.2013.411104.
Al-Yamani, A. , Al-Srour, N. & AlAli, S. (2013). Capacity of the Working Memory and Its Relationship with the Ability to Retain Information among Secondary Stage Students in Amman. Creative Education, 4, 738-745. doi: 10.4236/ce.2013.411104.
References
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S1364-6613(00)01538-2 [15] Baddeley, A. D. (2003). Working memory: Looking back and looking forward. Nature Reviews, Neuroscience, 4, 829-839.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/nrn1201 [16] Barkat, Z. (2010). Memory activation strategies used by Al-Quds Open University students to enhance their ability to maintain information and recalling them. Al-Njah Journal, 24, 2527-2558. [17] Bartlett, J., Kotrlik, J., & Higgins, C. (2001). Organizational research: Determining appropriate sample size survey research. Information Technology Learning and Performance Journal, 19, 43-51. [18] Daneman, M., & Carpenter, P. A. (1980). Individual differences in working memory and reading. Journal of Verbal Learning and Verbal Behavior, 19, 450-466.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0022-5371(80)90312-6 [19] Davis, D. (2011). Identifying working memory capacity: A study of two working memory assessment tools. Unpublished Master’s Thesis, Menomonie, WI: University of Wisconsin-Stout. [20] Dehn, M. J. (2008). Working memory and academic learning assessment and intervention. New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. [21] Department of Planning and Educational Research (2011). Ministry of Education. Amman: Jordan. [22] Duff, S., & Logie. R. (2001). Processing and storage in working memory span. The Quality Journal of Experimental Psychology, 54A, 3148. [23] Gathercole, S. E., & Alloway, T. P. (2009). Working memory and learning: A practical guide for teachers. Los Angeles, CA: Sage. [24] Goolkazian, P., & Foos, P. (2002). Presentation format and its effect on working memory. Memory & Cognition, 30, 1096-1105.
http://dx.doi.org/10.3758/BF03194327 [25] Jarrold, C., & Towse, I. (2006). Individual differences in working memory. Neuroscience, 139, 39-50.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroscience.2005.07.002 [26] Jincho, N., Namiki, H., & Mazuka, R. (2008). Effect of verable working memory and cumulative linguistic knowledge on reading comprehension. Japanese Psychological Research, 50, 12-23.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-5884.2007.00358.x [27] Jonidei, J., & Nee, E. (2006). Brain Mechanisms of proactive interference in working memory. Neuroscience, 139, 181-193.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroscience.2005.06.042 [28] Leahey, T. (2003). Cognition and learning. Handbook of psychology. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley and Sons, Inc. [29] Lepine, R., Barrouillet, P., & Camos, V. (2005). What makes working memory spans so predictive of high-level cognition. Psychonomic Bulletin and Review, 12, 165-170.
http://dx.doi.org/10.3758/BF03196363 [30] MacNamara, D., & Scott, J. (2001). Working memory capacity and strategy use. Memory & Cognition, 29, 10-17.
http://dx.doi.org/10.3758/BF03195736 [31] Maleha, N. (2003). Memory (shortlong term) and its relationship with the ability to solve problems among tenth graders. Master Thesis, Gaza: Islamic University. [32] Swanson, H. (2011). Working memory, attention, and mathematical problem solving: A longitudinal study of elementary school children. Journal Educational Psychology, 103, 821-837.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/a0025114 [33] Turner, M. L., & Engle, R. W. (1989). Is working memory capacity task dependent? Journal of Memory and Language, 28, 127-154.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0749-596X(89)90040-5 [34] Zheng, X. H., Swanson, H. L., & Marcoulides, G. A. (2011). Working memory components as predictors of children’s mathematical word problem solving. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 110, 481-498. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jecp.2011.06.001
[1] Abdelhaq, Z., & Al-Khatib, M. (2011). Levels of seventh grade maintaining of language types, grammatical concepts after educational base knowledge developments in Jordan. Al-Najah Scholar, 25, 474508. [2] Abu Alam, R. (1996). Educational psychology. Kuwait: Dar Al-Qalam Publishers. [3] Al-Dafaee, H., & Al-Munefe, A. (2006). Educational psychology: Its practical implications. Sana’a: Abarri Studies Center. [4] Al-Dardeer, A., & Abdullah, J. (2005). Cognitive psychology science: Readings and modern applications. Cairo: Books World Press. [5] Al-Hamdani, M., Al-Jadri, A., Qandlji, A., & Abu-Zina, F. (2006). Methods of scientific research: Basics of scientific research. Amman: Al-Wrraq Press. [6] Al-Huri, F., Amna, K. (2011). The role of working memory capacity and social gender in reading comprehension. Jordanian Educational Journal, 7, 221-232. [7] Al-Khatib, M. (2005). The extent of maintaining grammatical concepts by 8th graders in fifth and sixth grade. Educational & Psychology Journal, 6, 36-58. [8] Al-Luqtaa, R. (2007). Working memory capacity and cognitive style (verbal/imaginative) and cognition speed in its relationship with mental processes used to solve problems among Jordanian students. Ph.D. Dissertation, Amman: Amman Arabic University. [9] Al-Melhm, E. (2003). Activating the child abilities on learning. Damascus: Alaaldin Publishers. [10] Al-Shareef, S., Mohammad, I., & Mustafa, A. (2005). Modern trends in measuring intelligence and human memory. Al-Ryadh: Dar ALZahra Publishers. [11] Al-Zayyat, F. (1998). Biological and psychological basics of mental and cognition activity. Cairo: Book World Press. [12] Al-Zayyat, M. (2009). Concentration power and memory enhancement. Cairo: Arabic Training Group for Publishing. [13] Baddeley, A. D. (1986). Working memory. New York: Oxford University Press. [14] Baddeley, A. D. (2000). The episodic buffer: A new component in working memory? Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 4, 417-423.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S1364-6613(00)01538-2 [15] Baddeley, A. D. (2003). Working memory: Looking back and looking forward. Nature Reviews, Neuroscience, 4, 829-839.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/nrn1201 [16] Barkat, Z. (2010). Memory activation strategies used by Al-Quds Open University students to enhance their ability to maintain information and recalling them. Al-Njah Journal, 24, 2527-2558. [17] Bartlett, J., Kotrlik, J., & Higgins, C. (2001). Organizational research: Determining appropriate sample size survey research. Information Technology Learning and Performance Journal, 19, 43-51. [18] Daneman, M., & Carpenter, P. A. (1980). Individual differences in working memory and reading. Journal of Verbal Learning and Verbal Behavior, 19, 450-466.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0022-5371(80)90312-6 [19] Davis, D. (2011). Identifying working memory capacity: A study of two working memory assessment tools. Unpublished Master’s Thesis, Menomonie, WI: University of Wisconsin-Stout. [20] Dehn, M. J. (2008). Working memory and academic learning assessment and intervention. New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. [21] Department of Planning and Educational Research (2011). Ministry of Education. Amman: Jordan. [22] Duff, S., & Logie. R. (2001). Processing and storage in working memory span. The Quality Journal of Experimental Psychology, 54A, 3148. [23] Gathercole, S. E., & Alloway, T. P. (2009). Working memory and learning: A practical guide for teachers. Los Angeles, CA: Sage. [24] Goolkazian, P., & Foos, P. (2002). Presentation format and its effect on working memory. Memory & Cognition, 30, 1096-1105.
http://dx.doi.org/10.3758/BF03194327 [25] Jarrold, C., & Towse, I. (2006). Individual differences in working memory. Neuroscience, 139, 39-50.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroscience.2005.07.002 [26] Jincho, N., Namiki, H., & Mazuka, R. (2008). Effect of verable working memory and cumulative linguistic knowledge on reading comprehension. Japanese Psychological Research, 50, 12-23.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-5884.2007.00358.x [27] Jonidei, J., & Nee, E. (2006). Brain Mechanisms of proactive interference in working memory. Neuroscience, 139, 181-193.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroscience.2005.06.042 [28] Leahey, T. (2003). Cognition and learning. Handbook of psychology. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley and Sons, Inc. [29] Lepine, R., Barrouillet, P., & Camos, V. (2005). What makes working memory spans so predictive of high-level cognition. Psychonomic Bulletin and Review, 12, 165-170.
http://dx.doi.org/10.3758/BF03196363 [30] MacNamara, D., & Scott, J. (2001). Working memory capacity and strategy use. Memory & Cognition, 29, 10-17.
http://dx.doi.org/10.3758/BF03195736 [31] Maleha, N. (2003). Memory (shortlong term) and its relationship with the ability to solve problems among tenth graders. Master Thesis, Gaza: Islamic University. [32] Swanson, H. (2011). Working memory, attention, and mathematical problem solving: A longitudinal study of elementary school children. Journal Educational Psychology, 103, 821-837.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/a0025114 [33] Turner, M. L., & Engle, R. W. (1989). Is working memory capacity task dependent? Journal of Memory and Language, 28, 127-154.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0749-596X(89)90040-5 [34] Zheng, X. H., Swanson, H. L., & Marcoulides, G. A. (2011). Working memory components as predictors of children’s mathematical word problem solving. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 110, 481-498. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jecp.2011.06.001