Comparison of two instructional methods on blood cortisol levels in the educational setting

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine whether a systematic or non-systematic instructional strategy had an impact on blood cortisol levels in students in the post-secondary educational setting. A convenience sample consisting of 43 subjects was randomly assigned to either a systematic or non-systematic teaching group. The blood cortisol and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory were measured one and two weeks prior to the treatment and after the treatment on the day of the study. Results rejected the hypothesis that there would be no pre to post-treatment differences in the amount of physiologic stress, as measured by blood cortisol levels produced by either instructional method. Between the control measurement one week prior to the treatment and the post-treatment measurement, the increase in blood cortisol was significantly less in the subjects who were taught by the systematic teaching method as compared to the subjects who were taught by the non-systematic teaching method. The systematic teaching method may be more effective in preventing physiologic stress in the educational setting. Finally, because there was an absence of correlation between the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) and blood cortisol throughout the study, the STAI, a paper and pencil questionnaire, probably should not be used as an index of stress in the educational setting.