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…

A study compared the effects of two instructional strategies on ninth grade students' reading comprehension, retention, and attitude. Students in 15 ninth-grade classes were randomly assigned to one of three treatments: summary writing (SW), writing short answers to questions (QA), and rereading (RR), (control). The dependent measures were good…

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…

Confirmatory Factor Analysis was used to test first- and second-order factor models on cognitive abilities and their invariance across male and female samples. Subjects were a stratified random sample of 234 male and 225 female 15-year-old students in Singapore attending Secondary 3 (the equivalent of grade 9). Four first-order factors were found…

This study integrated three major areas in understanding children's and young adults' metamemory components, self-efficacy, implicit theories, and performance-predictions. These areas were examined in relation to a picture recall task which was performed children at three age levels. Further, empirically-based "start value" information regarding…

A procedure was developed to detect differential item functioning (DIF) in a standardized essay test using the Partial Credit Model, the general polychotomous form of the Rasch model. Using a panel of experts in the writing process, hypothesized explanations for DIF at some score points were developed. Data for the study included averaged…

The current New Jersey high school graduation law requires that students pass a ninth grade test in reading, writing, and mathematics. Equating the writing test from year to year to be sure that passing scores remain identical, regardless of the test form administered, requires developing a scoring technique. A research study was developed based…

The objectives of this study were to: (1) develop a working model based on Pierre van Hiele and Dina van Hiele-Geldof's five levels of thought development in geometry; (2) characterize the thinking in geometry of sixth (N=16) and ninth (N=16) graders in terms of these levels (examining at what level they are at, if they show potential for progress…

The effects of family background characteristics (family income, parents' marital status, parents' education, and number of children already enrolled in postsecondary education) upon parents' postsecondary educational plans for their children, parents' saving for their children, and the amount of planning parents do with their children are…

This quasi-experiment was designed to assess Robert Slavin's challenge to research on the effects of mastery learning on student achievement in algebra. Focus was on determining if there would be a difference in mathematics achievement between an experimental group (EG) of students whose initial cognitive entry skills were enhanced and who were…

The Knoxville City Schools (KCS) Proficiency Project ran from fall 1984 to spring 1987 in three Knoxville, Tennessee, middle schools and three high schools. Students in three of the eight KCS high schools were scoring consistently lower than pupils in the other schools on the grade 9 State Proficiency Test, especially in math (M) and language arts…

This paper reports a six month intervention program in two ninth grade science classes and one eleventh grade human biology class. One teacher, one researcher, and 64 students participated in this action research to improve student learning and attitude through training in metacognition. The researcher was a participant observer, who introduced…

The unit of study offered in this paper is designed to guide the analysis of a representative sample of modern fiction from four English-speaking countries: the United States, Canada, Great Britain, and Australia. Annotations of six novels are offered to show both how their main characters are young people coping with an intensely painful problem…

Approximately 700 Mexican American and Anglo students in grades 9, 10, and 11, who were identified as having superior mathematical ability, were surveyed to identify the factors affecting mathematics participation, determine the relative importance of these factors, and determine their stability over time. Five variables were studied: cognitive…

This study utilized qualitative research methods (observations, interviews, and analysis of written documents) to investigate the research processes of ten gifted ninth grade students who participated in independent research projects. Research stages dealing with exploring and forming a focus presented the most difficulty for the students. The…