The effects of instructions for using advance organizers upon the learning and retention of new information were examined. The special instructions explained an organizer's function and directed students to use the advance organizer. An advance organizer treatment, an advance organizer with special instruction treatment, and a no advance organizer…

Data on 2,546 Finish adolescents were analyzed to determine the role of gender in the subjects' occupational and educational plans. Focus was on sex-atypical aspirations of students in Grades 9 and 12. Gender played a significant role in aspirations. Other influential factors included school performance, family background, and personality. (TJH)

Attitudes toward mathematics and attitudes toward computers were examined for 1,018 grade 8 students and 800 grade 12 students. The female students were more likely than the male students to associate negative attitudes toward mathematics with negative attitudes toward computers. Participation in an eighth-grade mathematics course with a computer…

A group of 562 sixth grade students and 559 twelfth grade students was surveyed to determine if there was a difference in reading attitudes between male and female students overall and between the sixth and twelfth grade levels for each sex. Although the majority of students disagreed with the statement that reading is for learning but not for…

A set of High School and Beyond data was used to study the effect of three variables on academic achievement. Homework had a positive effect, TV a negative, and parental involvement no direct effect on seniors' achievement scores, but influenced the amount of time students spent on homework. (Author/JAZ)

Reanalysis of data for 13,200 twelfth-grade students indicated that sex has a significant effect on mathematics achievement even after controlling for sex differences in spatial abilities and background and interest in mathematics. Women tend to have less spatial visualization ability, and its effects on mathematics achievement are greater for…

This study reports a national survey designed to identify the relative importance of the many factors that may be affecting women's participation in mathematics. Results confirm that numerous factors may affect women's and men's participation in mathematics and suggest areas for intervention to increase women's participation. (MP)

Investigated the influence of gender, ability, and grade level on the political attitudes of ninth and twelfth grade students. Among the conclusions were that low ability subjects are less likely to support fundamental freedoms and that females have greater respect for law and law officials. (GEA)

This report discusses findings from the Monitoring the Future study in relation to adolescent cigarette preferences. Results show that in 1998, 19.1% of the eighth graders, 27.6% of the tenth graders, and 35.1% of the twelfth graders reported smoking within 30 days prior to the survey. By the time they finish high school, 65.2% of American young…

A statewide sampling of Wyoming's graduating senior-high pupils raised serious concerns regarding the preparation of many of these pupils for college mathematics courses. Future occupational choices available to most females were seen as severely limited. (MP)

Investigated gender differences in economics education and achievement, using data from a study of Australian secondary school students that collected data on student background and economics achievement (via the Test of Economic Literacy). Results showed few gender differences related to item bias, total performance, and student background…

Investigated relationship between perceived physical attractiveness and frequency of substance use among 1,297 adolescents. Female adolescents who rated themselves as unattractive were more likely to use illicit psychoactive substances than those who rated themselves as average or attractive. Perceived attractiveness did not contribute to…

Analysis of 19 language features in impromptu essays written by 96 students (half males, half females) from grades 4, 8, and 12 enabled researchers to identify the gender of the writer 84-87 percent of the time. Further analyses established a relationship between this "gender-linked language effect" and subjective attributional ratings by…

This analysis uses data on science achievement and transcript reports of science course taking patterns of students from the National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988 (NELS:88) to estimate the relationship between science course taking and the change in science proficiency levels between 8th and 12th grades. It also explores the extent to…