This 9-week mixed-methods study aimed to examine the effect of online reciprocal teaching on fourth grade primary school students' (N = 30) reading comprehension skills and reading motivation. As data collection tools, the "Reading Comprehension Test" was used to determine students' reading comprehension levels, while the…

In 2010, the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation's Education Program has established the Deeper Learning Initiative, which focuses on students' development of deeper learning skills (i.e., the mastery of core academic content, critical-thinking, problem-solving, collaboration, communication, and "learn-how-to-learn" skills). Two test…

The technical complexities and sheer size of international large-scale assessment (LSA) databases often cause hesitation on the part of the applied researcher interested in analyzing them. Further, inappropriate choice or application of statistical methods is a common problem in applied research using these databases. This article serves as a…

This technical report and user's guide is designed to provide researchers with an overview of the design and implementation of the 2009 Program for International Student Assessment (PISA), as well as with information on how to access the PISA 2009 data. This information is meant to supplement that presented in Organization for Economic Cooperation…

Reports results of a study of fourth-grade students in Nigeria. Examines the relationship between parents' willingness and ability to provide financial and psychological support and the academic achievement of Nigerian students. Concludes that parental support influences academic achievement along with other factors such as parental occupation and…

The attitudes toward the environment of elementary school pupils in Jordan were investigated. The results revealed favorable but not strong positive attitudes. Methods, instruments, and implications are discussed. (CW)

Reports on a study of the possession and use of toys among 151 gifted and 135 average German elementary students. Finds that only the use of toys typical for boys displayed a mildly significant effect for giftedness. Also finds both groups exhibited gender-specific toy possession and toy use to an equal degree. (CFR)

This study focused on the way mathematics was taught in selected primary school classrooms. The study involved the observation of 21 fourth-grade classes in eight schools over a two-week period. Results indicated a hiatus between what was taught and what should be taught and between how mathematics is taught and how it should be taught.…

Presents study results on the effects of students working in pairs on spelling in three different grades. Explains that students working individually were compared to students working in pairs. Reports less off-task behavior for the younger students working in pairs. Concludes that effort increases in pair work, but achievement increased only at…

Described are the conceptions held by United States and Israeli students about multiplication and division that may impede their work with decimals. Included are the introduction, method, division and multiplication task results, and the implications for education and textbook development. (KR)

Communication in the mathematics classroom is currently viewed as an integral part of mathematics instruction. This paper explores the usefulness of math penpal letters as a means of increasing the quality of written communication in mathematics. The focus of this study is the letter writing exchanges between a class of 4th-grade students (n=28)…

This study examined the views of three groups of students in Kano, Nigeria concerning other nations and their peoples. The research was designed to test the hypotheses of previous researchers who have speculated that children's attitudes toward other nations can be explained by developmental theories. Specifically, the study sought to answer three…

To determine how the difficulty of print materials affected elementary school students' sight copying accuracy and productivity and to explain correlate variance related to copying, 149 students in grades four, six, and eight were assigned materials to copy for three minutes. All subjects copied passages at grade level and at two grades above and…

Reports on a 3-year study of approximately 100 students through grades 4, 5, and 6 on the impact of a variety of second-language learning options among English-speaking children in francophone Canada. Finds that those options that use early, French-only environments were most effective. (CFR)

The interrelationships among metamemory, intelligence, attributional beliefs, self-concept, and strategy use were observed in German and American children. Ninety-one American and 102 German fourth graders participated. After pretest assessment, children in the experimental conditions were trained to use a cluster rehearsal strategy on a Sort…