This article offers a review of the major literature about attitudes to science and its implications over the past 20 years. It argues that the continuing decline in numbers choosing to study science at the point of choice requires a research focus on students' attitudes to science if the nature of the problem is to be understood and remediated.…

The learning gap between high school students in the United States and those in many other countries has several causes. First, U.S. students devote a lot less time and interest to learning. A second major reason is parental and school board apathy. Cultural comparisons reveal a lack of incentives for learning accomplishment in the United States,…

In a survey of 28,000 high school seniors, researchers found that 21,000 (75 percent) were in the labor force. The average number of hours worked per week was 16.4. The study identified the characteristics of the students and their schools that affect part-time work: (1) the higher the wage rate, the more likely a student was to work more hours…

It is a concern of many educators and researchers that females are underrepresented in the field of mathematics and careers that require mathematics. This study begins with a review of the literature that examines the sex-related differences in mathematics. Three major categories involving the relationship between females and mathematics are then…

Six generalizations are offered regarding the collective requirements and expectations that colleges and universities impose on, or expect of, their students. (1) Colleges and universities in varying degrees expect and require students to demonstrate "basic academic skills" in reading, writing, and mathematics. Students must also learn…

Generic teaching knowledge and skill is seen as a central component of preservice teacher education programs. Generic domains of teaching are the common base of knowledge and skills important to all teachers regardless of subject matter or grade level. Most classifications of generic teaching skills fall generally into one of two categories, one…

One of ten studies commissioned to investigate research needs and to stimulate planning activities, this paper addresses its recommendations to the National Institute of Education (NIE), the National Assessment, and other agencies with potential capacity to conduct or facilitate research in international education. A major part of the paper is…

Adult basic education (ABE) and literacy programs have used many different strategies and tools to recruit new students. A small sampling of Tennessee ABE programs shows the more effective recruitment strategies are word-of-mouth referrals; newspaper advertisements and articles; fliers; brochures; posters, radio messages, and public service…

This book examines the expectancy effect (or self-fulfilling prophecy) on student achievement. One of its main purposes is to take a broader look at for whom, where, when, and how expectancy effects take place and what consequences they have for children in school. Chapter 1 presents a case study of educational expectancy of a learning-disabled…

Federal and state educational indicator systems should include assessments of school context as well as of student outcomes. A review of the literature suggests that access to knowledge, pressure for achievement, and professional teaching conditions are the best general constructs to provide bases for school context indicators. (TJH)

Reviews the basic tenets of achievement goal theory, analyzing research in physical education that focuses extensively on instructional practice and strategies that may improve the quality of students' motivation. Comments on the potential utility of adopting an achievement goal approach to understanding and enhancing motivation in physical…

Discussion of computer-assisted mathematics instruction focuses on a study of high school students that examined the instructional effectiveness of computer-managed videodisc instruction for precalculus mathematics. Highlights include a comparison with traditional classroom instruction and theoretical perspectives, including sociocultural theory,…

Change in middle school students' sense of school belonging was examined in relation to grade point average, motivation variables, and teachers' promotion of mutual respect in classes. Survey data from 618 students collected in three waves during the sixth and seventh grades were submitted to growth curve analysis. On average, students' sense of…

In considering science in afterschool, research was reviewed and is presented in this document on how students learn science; how science is assessed, particularly inquiry science; recommended practices for afterschool science; and current afterschool science programs. Databases such as ERIC, Wilson Web, and PsychINFO were searched using…

Computerized adaptive testing (CAT) has become increasingly common in large-scale testing programs. This paper considers relevant practical issues that are likely to be faced by the developers and managers of a CAT program. The first cluster of issues is that of item pool development and maintenance. It includes such considerations as item pool…