Finds that academic preferences of students in grades five, six, and eight for mathematics were near the midpoint of Mathematics Preference Index, whereas those for seventh graders were substantially below it. Shows a preference for mathematics to be negatively correlated with measures of academic achievement. (SR)

Examines students' perceptions of self, family, peers, and teachers in three construct areas: study skills, attitudes toward school, and future academic expectations. Finds that a decline occurs in students' self-perceptions between fifth and eighth grades and that female students were notably more positive in their perceptions of education than…

Reports on a study that assessed students' ability to perceive their teachers' level of warmth and empathy and whether this perception affected student achievement in language arts classrooms. (FL)