A study was undertaken to investigate the validity of a progress test, the Maastricht Progress Test, that was designed to measure knowledge and clinical reasoning growth in a problem-based medical curriculum. Scores and subscores of about 40 students per year (total sample of 195) on the different categories of the progress test were compared with…

The paper gives Dutch results and possible implications of three recently completed international evaluation studies. School subjects were mathematics and science at the grade levels 8 and 9 in more than 500 schools. Effect and efficiency of teaching and textbooks in different school types, opportunity to learn, and students' classroom…

This report presents strategies for ensuring full participation and achievement in the sciences by women and girls, calling upon all adults to support the interest and persistence of females in science, engineering, and technology. After two introductory special reports, "International Efforts through Beijing +5" and "Toward Equity…

In recent years, there has been a growing interest in the knowledge base of prospective science teachers. An important part of their pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) consists of concerns about teaching. Most of the research on these concerns is focused on rather general teaching issues, and little is known about their concerns dealing with…

Data from 5,065 Dutch ninth grade students participating in the Second International Science Study were analyzed to assess gender differences in achievement, attitudes, and perceptions of science. Significant sex differences found were effectively portrayed using a model developed by J. S. Eccles (1987). (TJH)

This study examined the use and perceived importance of the Internet among students and faculty in the Netherlands through questionnaires and focus-group interviews. Highlights include electronic journals, learning to use the Internet, search engines, needed library support, and problems with subject searching. A copy of the questionnaire is…

Reports on a study of the effects of the curriculum material used and of teaching behavior in "Information and Computer Literacy," a new course introduced in the Netherlands. Suggests that education can diminish but not entirely eradicate gender-related ideas about computers. Includes statistical and tabular data. (MJP)

Describes study that investigated teachers' criteria for the use of courseware packages in Dutch junior high school physics classes. The development of a courseware evaluation instrument is described; drill and practice, simulation, and tutorial courseware packages are evaluated; motivating elements are considered; and implications for the design…

Twelve chapters describe an 18-nation study of educational attainment at the elementary and secondary school levels. Professional researchers participated in the project, developed through UNESCO and conducted under the auspices of educational research centers in Australia, Belgium, Chile, England, the Federal Republic of Germany, Finland, France,…

The Second International Conference on Educational Data Mining (EDM2009) was held at the University of Cordoba, Spain, on July 1-3, 2009. EDM brings together researchers from computer science, education, psychology, psychometrics, and statistics to analyze large data sets to answer educational research questions. The increase in instrumented…

This paper describes a World Wide Web-based introductory course titled "Hypermedia Structures and Systems," offered as an optional part of the curriculum in computing science at the Eindhoven University of Technology (Netherlands). The technical environment for the current (1996) edition of the course is presented, which features…

The IFLA/FAIFE World Report Series is unique. It is the only source based on a systematic data collection process that provides an overview of how libraries around the world are tackling barriers to freedom of access to information and freedom of expression. This year's edition includes 84 country reports which detail the extent of Internet access…

School districts today face increasing calls for accountability during a time when budgets are stretched and students' needs have become increasingly complex. The teacher's responsibility is to educate younger people, but now more than ever, teachers face demands on a variety of fronts. In addition to teaching academic content, schools are…

This study deals with a special phase of the education systems of five small nations that have contributed much to the advancement and civilization of mankind. These countries include Denmark, Norway, Sweden, the Netherlands, and Finland. They are highly literate peoples accustomed to self-government and capable of carrying it on effectively, a…

Fifteen papers presented at conferences throughout Europe and in the USSR, Nigeria, Japan, Jamaica, and Tunesia provide an introduction to the research work being done by the graduate level Department of Geography for Education (G.ED.) at the University of Utrecht in the Netherlands. An introductory chapter describes the three G.ED. modules, which…