Designed to investigate the types of responses given to a sentence completion task when constraint elements of word order, word form, redundancy, distance between lexical items, and the interaction among these elements are considered, this instrument consists of 34 sentences, half of which are high associative sentences, while the other half are…

Describes a study that examined the similarities and differences in computer related attitudes between sixth grade boys and girls of different mathematics achievement levels. Students' responses to questions about self-confidence in their computer abilities, the utility of computers, and general attitudes toward computers are reported and…

Conducted in order to assess the equity of student access to instructional computing at the sixth-grade level in Wisconsin public schools in the spring of 1985, this study examined teachers' perceptions, attitudes, and opinions on the status of instructional computing and the potential effects of these viewpoints on student access to computers.…

Classroom decision-making was conceptualized within the framework of person-environment fit. A longitudinal sample of 2239 sixth graders in 117 mathematics classrooms were surveyed. The findings include: (1) students typically report fewer decision-making opportunities than they think they should have in their mathematics classrooms; (2) students…

Test components and results of the Grade 6 Social Studies Achievement Tests in Alberta, Canada administered to 28,566 students are described in this booklet. All questions were drawn from three prescribed topics: Topic A--"How People in Earlier Times Met Their Needs"; Topic B--"How People in Eastern Societies Meet Their Needs…

In order to assess the quantity and quality of equitable access to computers in Wisconsin public schools, teachers' perceptions, opinions, and attitudes about instructional computing were examined during the 1984-1985 school year. Questionnaires containing closed- and open-ended questions were mailed to all 510 sixth-grade teachers in K-6…

The purpose of this study was twofold: (1) to understand the conceptual frameworks that sixth-grade students use to explain the nature and structure of matter and molecules; and (2) to assess the effectiveness of two alternate instructional units in helping students change those conceptions. The study involved 15 sixth-grade classes taught by 12…

An examination of approximately 400 New Haven, Connecticut sixth graders using a modified social distance scale and race questionnaire measured student attitudes towards different ethnic and racial groups. The group interview questionnaire was given to a racial and ethnic cross section of students in nine different schools. Students were asked to…

This is a part of the Manitoba Mathematics Assessment Program 1987. Actual testing material and the manual for grade six are provided. The test (90 items) requires two 45-minute sessions. The manual describes general testing instructions, administration, scoring method and key, and format for recording the final test scores. (YP)

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of the 4MAT instructional system on achievement and attitudes in science. Fifty-four academically gifted sixth grade students in three schools in the Chapel Hill-Carrboro (North Carolina) City Schools were randomly assigned to two groups, a 4MAT group and a Restricted-Textbook group that…

Describes the effects upon the attitude and achievement of a group of below average sixth grade readers generated by enriching the language arts curriculum from a literature base to a science base. Results indicate that attitude did not improve overall, but the achievement measure increased for 12 of the 17 students. The attitude survey is…

This study investigated the effects of medium of instruction, task difficulty, and gender on continuing motivation. A total of 139 fifth and sixth graders with previous computer experience completed an initial learning task in one of the two media formats (computer or paper/pencil) and under either a hard or easy difficulty level. Students' choice…

The concept of the density of a material has an important role in elementary and secondary school science curricula, but it is a difficult concept to grasp. This project explores why this should be and whether there are some simpler, more accessible notions which can serve as the basis for building a concept of density in students' minds during…

The Education Resources Center (ERC) is a community-based organization that serves students from various elementary schools united by the Phoenix Coalition for Youth and Families (PCYF). The PCYF Project was authorized to organize agencies and schools in the lower socio-economic areas of inner-city Phoenix into one collaborative arrangement. This…

A study in Finland investigated the relationship of two general aspects of student motivation for second language learning (preference for challenge and curiosity) and motivation specific to the learning situation. Subjects were 292 sixth-graders and 301 eighth-graders, who performed two open and two closed English vocabulary tasks in two…