This study sought to contribute to the growing literature on third and subsequent language learning by establishing whether bilingualism has an effect on ability to learn a subsequent language, as indicated by a measure of language aptitude, the Defense Language Aptitude Battery (DLAB). Test results were obtained for 142 diplomatic officers in the…

Australian higher education is currently entering a new phase of growth. Within the remit of this expansion is an express commitment to widen participation in higher education among under-represented groups--in particular those from low socioeconomic backgrounds. This paper argues that one key mechanism for achieving this goal should be the…

Medicine is a profession with a long history of research and high standards of methodological rigour and evidence-based decision making. These standards are being transferred into medical education. Universities are starting to collect high-quality data on their admissions systems. This has not been a short-term proposition. Medical courses are…

Of all the areas related to the validity of the Commonwealth Secondary Scholarship Examination (CSSE) tests, that of predictive validity seems to have been studied most intensively. Since the inception of the CSSE scholarship scheme, a series of studies which have either examined the predictive validity of certain aspects of the scholarships, or…

The authors assessed the effects of out-of-school hours academic coaching on students' (at academic performance on end-of-year examinations in English, mathematics, and science; (b) attainment of academic scholarships; and (c) acceptance to Gifted and Talented (GT) classes and selective high schools. Participants were 1,724 elementary and…

This document is an English-language abstract (approximately 1,500 words) that discusses an experimental aptitude test battery that measures aptitude for higher education, developed by the Australian Council for Educational Research. This battery will separate the selection of university students from the measurement of secondary school…

The aptitude tests used in Queensland (Australia) to standardize secondary school leavers' school evaluations was assessed for reliability with various student group sizes and for a range of abilities. The error found was significant for small and moderately sized groups, suggesting the need for care in test interpretation. (Author/MSE)

Educational and psychological measurement has been a main area of work for the Australian Council for Educational (ACER) since its inception. The theoretical and practical contributions of latent trait measurement and commentary on the relatively recent use of these models in Australia were the focus of a seminar celebrating the 50th anniversary…

This study concerns the selection of mathematically talented students at the beginning of secondary school in Australia, using a version of the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT). Age and sex differences were found. Younger and older students responded to SAT items in qualitatively different ways. (MNS)

Two methods used in the determination of student aptitude in adult language instruction programs in Australia are described and compared in this article. The first method screens potential students into homogeneous classes on the basis of previous education, while the second utilizes test results derived from the administration of the short form…

Sex differences in performance on the Australian Scholastic Aptitude Test (ASAT) were investigated. No significant direct effect of sex on performance was found. Sex differences were found to be the result of females having a higher verbal ability, males studying more mathematics, and males having greater confidence in ASAT success. (LMO)

The problems associated with the transition from the secondary level to the tertiary level in education have given rise to many surveys, analyses of statistics, research projects, reports and literature reviews. Much has been written on topics such as testing, selection, prediction and wastage, with findings and conclusions which appear to have…

Data sets from Australia were analyzed using a causal model to determine the possible causes of sex differences in ASAT scores. Observed differences could be explained in terms of differences in students' English scores, the time the students spent studying mathematics, and their confidence in success. (Author/MLW)

"Linguistic ability" is a widely misused term in foreign language literature. This confusion prompted an investigation into language aptitude testing, the specific goals of which included determining: the distribution of language aptitude across ability range; the validity of Pimsleur's suggestions of combined verbal and auditory scores;…

Most other nations have a very different approach to measuring academic achievement at the end of high school and signaling that information to universities and other interested parties. In Australia, Denmark, England, Scotland, Finland, France, Ireland, the Netherlands, and many Canadian and German provinces, for example, high school exit…