Issues in second language teaching methodology are discussed in light of the concept of proficiency as defined in the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) Proficiency Guidelines. It is proposed that rather than think in terms of identifying one optimal methodology for all second language learners, the profession should be…

This monograph analyzes the philosophical foundations of research into the administration of educational organizations. The first part reviews past debates about the philosophical foundations of research in educational administration, focusing on three contending schools of thought: the empiricists, the phenomenologists, and the critical…

The purpose of this book is to make it possible for measurement specialists to solve practical testing problems through the use of item response theory (IRT). The topics, organization, and presentation are those used in a 4-week seminar held each summer for the past several years. The material is organized to facilitate understanding; all related…

The purpose of this paper is to compare the precision of direct and indirect measures of writing assessment using the test information functions from a graded response Item Response Theory (IRT) model. Subjects were 192 sophomore English students from a parochial high school in Wisconsin. Both direct and indirect measures of writing ability were…

Although industrial and organizational psychologists have labored for two decades to understand processes governing behavior at work, the literature reveals little empirical work on organization value orientation and its effects on individuals within an organization. From research on personal values and interpersonal relationships, one might…

In 1972, the Oregon State Department of Education changed its standards relating to graduation requirements after a survey revealed concern that the high school diploma had lost its credibility. Parkrose School District developed a goal-based curriculum and measurement program to meet the new requirements. From the program's inception, District…

Tracing the history of algebra within the U.S. secondary curriculum requires at the same time a review of the various reform movements relevant to secondary education, an acknowledgement of the sociological, political, and psychological perspectives driving these reforms, and most importantly, the perceived role of mathematics in the education of…

A complete learning model will merge the Piagetian and Banduran learning models into a unified, comprehensive model to explain individual diversity. This argument is based upon analysis of the first five years of data gathered from a 13-year longitudinal study. The data from grades 5-12 are still in the analysis process, but impressionistic…

A general approach is proposed for modeling the structure of a two-way contingency table, and for drawing inferences about the marginal and interaction effects, cell parameters, and conditional probabilities. The prior distribution expresses uncertainty in a simple reduced model, in particular the independence model. The posterior estimates of the…

Considers the period of adolescence and describes how cognitive-developmental concerns might apply to the understanding of adolescent problems in interpersonal and affective adaptation. Also investigates ways in which intervention practices with adolescents might be placed within a cognitive-developmental context. (PCB)

Reactions to H. Lee Swanson's paper "Toward a Metatheory of Learning Disabilities" are outlined, and his arguments are applied to reading disabilities, focusing on the importance of the scientific attitude, the misuse of ecological validity, interpretation of Thomas Kuhn's work, modularity and reading disability, and scientific progress…

Discusses recent developments in the philosophy of social science, most of which reflect or grow out of the dichotomy between the empiricist and positivist schools of thought. Considers and rejects the realist response as being overly concerned with causal correlations to the exclusion of social mechanisms and processes. (MJP)

This monograph, part of a series that attempts to bring a particular intellectual perspective to bear on the practical problems of administering education, points out that educational administration as a field of study is of limited use in coming to terms with the complexity and value-laden nature of educational practice. Language and cultural…

Argues that definitions of culture are validated according to various social theories. Examines the contrasting views of culture provided by culture studies and structuation theory. Considers the implications of these contrasts for art educators. (MJP)

The fit between individuals and their work environments has received decades of theoretical and empirical attention. This study investigated two antecedents to individuals' perceptions of fit: vocational interests and personality. More specifically, the authors hypothesized that vocational interests assessed in terms of the Career Occupational…