Previous work has focused on positive feelings of mattering, which pertain to the human need to feel significant. In the current article, we examine a complementary yet distinct construct involving feelings of not mattering that may arise from being marginalized and experiences that heighten a sense of being insignificant to others. We also…

The impact written corrective feedback (WCF) has on second language development is still a subject of much debate. While some believe it leads to improvement, others are more sceptical. But in order for WCF to lead to second language improvement, learners must first be able to not only correctly interpret the WCF but also understand the linguistic…

Current reforms in elementary and secondary science education call for students and teachers to develop more informed views of the nature of science (NOS)--a process in which science textbooks play a significant role. This paper reports on a case study of the development of representations of the NOS in a senior high school chemistry textbook by…

Despite the continuing accumulation of knowledge of the factors influencing participation in post-secondary education, there are still gaps in our understanding. For example, very little is known regarding how perceptions of costs and benefits are implicated in an individual's decision to pursue college or university studies, and whether certain…

Developed and validated short measures of peer pressure, peer conformity, and popularity with 148 adolescent Canadian boys and girls in grades 11 to 13. Results show all constructed measures to be internally consistent. Peer pressure and peer conformity were stronger predictors of risk behavior than measures assessing popularity, general…

Administered two measures of general self-concept and two measures of academic self-concept to 1,018 high school students in October and May of the same school year to determine reliability and validity. Results indicated the need for more research investigating the psychometric properties of measures of academic self-concept. (JAC)

Discusses Gardner and Lambert's Attitude and Motivation Test Battery (AMTB) and its application in Canada. Study's purpose was to test sociopsychological theory of second-language learning by validating an adapted AMTB in the U.S. with American students of Spanish. Sought to compare underlying structure of adapted ATMB with original ATMB and…

Explored reliability and validity of British measure of attitude toward training for new technology, economic locus of control, self-efficacy, and self-estrangement for Canadian adolescent population (n=255). Significant differences were obtained for educational settings on variable of attitude toward training for new technology. Males had…

Using a revised faith-maturity scale, researchers examined young adults in Adventist and public schools, comparing the data with the controversial Valuegenesis sample. Data analysis found the Thayer Mature Faith Scale valid and reliable. Students in Christian education demonstrated significant advancement in faith maturity over students in public…

The development and validation of a new instrument, the Science Laboratory Environment Inventory, for assessing student perceptions of psychosocial environment in science laboratory classrooms are described. Results with 3,727 high school students and 1,720 college students at 53 sites in 6 countries support the scale's validity. (SLD)

Since 1906, hundreds of thousands of Alberta, Canada secondary school students have taken some form of provincially set and scored examinations. The grade levels of students required to write such examinations have changed several times, and tests have involved formats which included various combinations of essay, short answer, matching, and…

Researchers have used children's self-reports to investigate the conditions under which children seek and give help. Little attention has been given to examining the predictive value of such measures, even though investigators in other domains have found discrepancies between self-reports and observed behavior. Two studies were conducted in which…