This study compares and contrasts the following variables on the types of attributions (ability, effort, environment, and task) students make for their performance in algebra: attributions by gender and gender identification; attributions by level of math anxiety and self esteem; attributions by experience in competitive activities; and…

Previous studies have documented the effectiveness of feedback in improving students' achievement, but few studies have examined the effectiveness of summaries or reviews. This study examines the respective and combined effects of feedback and review on students' achievement, retention, and level of cognitive development. A total of 55 ninth-grade…

This study investigates student world views in an effort to provide information that will improve the learning environment of the science classroom. The research focuses on furthering knowledge of students as people in the context of investigating what students think about nature or the natural world. The objective of the descriptive case study is…

An informal study was conducted of the courses selected by ninth grade students who later dropped out of high school. Longitudinal data were available for high school students in the Austin (Texas) Independent School District, from 1978-79 to 1982-83. The courses selected by high-risk students in ninth grade, including extracurricular activities…

Using the Biomedical Sciences Preparatory Program (BioPrep) for illustration, this paper discusses an approach to educational improvement through the development of curriculum that emphasizes experiential learning and the involvement of students in real-life problems. Opening sections describe BioPrep, a program designed to prepare rural high…

Though item bias statistics are widely recommended for use in test development and analysis, problems arise in their interpretation. This research evaluates logistic test models and computer simulation methods for providing a frame of reference for interpreting item bias statistics. Specifically, the intent was to produce simulated sampling…

The purpose of this study was to identify factors responsible for the perceived decline in attitudes toward science observed in an intervention study designed to enhance scientific literacy. The literacy study focuses on a new freshman course in an urban Catholic high school. Negative attitudes toward science were found to be related to the demand…

The management problems of the implementation process of an Individualized Audio-Tutorial (IAT) learning unit in ninth grade biology in Israel are discussed. The sequence of the learning activities in relation to four problems which were raised during the implementation process are presented: (1) administrative problems at the school level; (2)…

The effects of cognitive and behavioral orienting activities and practice on student learning of cued and uncued information were examined in this study. The subjects were 54 grade 9 students (28 males and 26 females), who were classified as high or low ability based on the verbal intelligence estimate of the Iowa Test of Basic Skills. These…

Black students, other minorities and white students can show significant increases in achievement in biology by using a cooperative learning model. Concentrating on cooperating with group members toward a common goal is the ingredient that makes this cooperative learning model work. This study was designed to investigate the effects of cooperative…

Using techniques of inference appraisal suggested by T. A. van Dijk and R. J. Sternberg, a study investigated whether by assigning particular writing tasks it would be possible to influence the way readers produce inferences about a text. Subjects, 52 ninth grade students, read especially prepared booklets and completed either a paraphrasing,…

Maryland is one of the states which recently developed new requirements for high school graduation. A preliminary evaluation of these new state standards has raised a number of issues about graduation standards and their assessment. The Maryland State Department of Education examined statewide policies and guidelines for high schools between 1982…

Most school curricula include the study of health as a separate subject or as part of science. Despite this, students often leave school without a clear understanding of many health concepts. This study investigated a group of grade eight and nine students' knowledge of personal health and physical fitness concepts and its relation to locus of…

This case study presents a narrative summary of the evaluation of a two semester computer assisted instruction (CAI) project in an all minority high school. Use of PLATO software with Control Data microcomputers brought about modest achievement advantages, higher internal locus of control, more positive attitudes toward school and specific course…

In a previous study, the benefits of matching instruction with students' needs were examined. Three personality variables were used for the purpose of matching: Maslowian need level; locus of control; and cognitive style. This study used the ninth-grade physical science students (N=301) participating in the previous study to (1) examine…