Analyzed trends of drug use as reported by four cohorts of 11th graders at three-year intervals between 1977 and 1986. Most salient trend was progressively higher percentages in perceived harmfulness of drugs. Higher percentages of health risk factors connected with various categories of drug use were not associated with significant trend of…

In the four-school stratified sample of eleventh graders, the females scored significantly higher in vocational attitude. For both sexes, the relationship between overall self-esteem level and vocational attitude maturity was significant. The self-concept variables contributing to vocational attitude maturity in each sex were identified.…

Presents high school students' responses to a yearly writing assessment which asked them to explain why there are discrepancies in the performances of males and females in reading and math. Finds that the largest category of responses was "the way things are," followed by the equally broad categories of work, society, school, and logic. (SR)

Discusses the performance of 11th-grade students from Barbados, Belize, Jamaica, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, and Trinidad (n=1216) on an Errors in Biological Labeling Test (EBLT). Concludes that performance was low in six categories of errors, and that girls performed significantly better on each category of error than did boys. Contains 15…

Surveyed 189 eleventh graders to assess attitudes toward war in general and attitudes toward Persian Gulf War. Reactions to war were associated with gender, race, and school setting. Students in study were slightly less supportive of war, in general, but more supportive of Gulf War than were past subjects on conflicts of their day (Vietnam and…

Investigated effects of two small group methods (print or video presentation) of teaching communication skills to eleventh grade students (n=96). Found no overall significant difference between two teaching methods. Significant effects were noted for sex but not for extroversion/introversion. Findings support effectiveness of role-play to teach…

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…

A nationwide survey of over 3,000 grade 11 students (approximately equal numbers of males and females) representing major urban areas in all ten provinces was undertaken to obtain baseline data on access to and usage of computers in each of three categories--recreational, nonrecreational home usage, and school--and to test a "manifold…

The Mantel-Haenszel approach for investigating differential item functioning (DIF) was applied to U.S. history items that were administered as part of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). DIF analyses were based on the responses of 7,743 students in grade 11. On some items, Blacks, Hispanics, and females performed more poorly…

Goals for educational attainment were studied in eleventh grade students. The males aspired to and expected higher levels of attainment. At higher aspiration levels, the discrepancy between aspiration and expectation was greater for females. Both socioeconomic background and academic ability had a greater effect on educational ambition for males.…

Examined whether a significant difference exists between variable of ethnicity and scores attained on a minimum competency test using high school juniors as subjects (N=2,681). Found ethnicity influenced competency scores; reading scores were influenced by sex; and ethnicity and sex negatively affected whether student passed or failed competency…

Self-regulation refers to the degree that individuals become metacognitively, motivationally, and behaviorally active in their own learning processes. One potentially helpful means of examining students' self-regulation is to analyze their internal representations, or scripts, for recurring academic tasks. For this study, researchers analyzed the…

This study was intended to negate or confirm the findings of prior studies conducted on the relationship between gender and reading preferences in high school students and to ascertain whether any changes have occurred that would reflect changing attitudes toward gender roles. Data were gathered by using a survey which was distributed to…

Study of problems experienced by ninth and eleventh grade Israeli students (n=1,645) indicated that younger adolescents were concerned with studies/career problems and with social "I"; older adolescents were concerned with existential issues and army/national service. Boys were concerned with existential issues, army/national service,…

The extent to which convergent and discriminant validity of 4 self-concept traits and the method effects associated with 3 measurement scales that were equivalent across gender was studied. Data from 832 students (412 boys and 420 girls) in grades 11 and 12 in suburban Canada were analyzed. (SLD)