Attitude and Information Change Effected by Drug Education via Broadcast Television and Group Viewing

Abstract

Little research has focused on the use of broadcast television as an instructional medium. With broadcast television the problem of limited student-teacher and student-student interaction and feedback is maximized. If effective, the use of a mass medium for a topic needing widespread dissemination, such as drug education, seems especially appropriate. The purpose of this study was twofold: 1) to explore the effectiveness of broadcast television as a drug education tool, and 2) to test the effect of group viewing as a component of a positive learning environment for instructional television. Learning was measured both in terms of information acquisition and in terms of attitude change. The results of the study show that broadcast television can effectively be used for information dissemination and attitude change in drug education. Subjects showed a significant increase in knowledge and a significant change in attitude toward drugs and drug use. The second hypothesis of the study was not supported. Students viewing in groups did not differ significantly in knowledge or attitude change from those viewing alone. It is the opinion of the researchers, however, that this finding is a function of the research design and should be further tested.