This final report documents achievements of a project to assess social impact and achievement gains resulting from the use of interactive videodisc technology to teach fractions in mainstreamed classrooms across multicultural settings. Subjects (N=294) were regular upper elementary students and students with mild handicaps (MH) in Utah, Wyoming,…

The Adolescent Attitude Survey (AAS) was developed and administered to 214 sixth and eighth graders, 79 from the Chicago (Illinois) Public Schools and 135 from a Chicago magnet school where subjects were more academically oriented and homogeneous. The instrument assessed the subjects' self-image, demographic variables, and factors associated with…

The social climate of the early secondary school may be partially responsible for deteriorating parent-child communication and increasing misbehavior among early adolescents. Six hypotheses derived from this assertation were tested by surveying 501 parents and 661 students. The students, in grades 5 through 8, were enrolled in 10 schools that move…

This report is an evaluation of the American Values Program described in SO 000 042. It was hypothesized that pupils in the project schools would make greater gains in their knowledge of government processes and greater gains in democratic attitudes than "comparable pupils in the control schools." The 120 subjects were randomly selected…

A study compared the occupational preferences of middle-school girls and boys and examined whether service learning influences students' career interests. The sample included 717 middle school students at pretesting and 583 students at posttesting. Boys comprised 49 percent of the sample and girls 51 percent. Students attended five different…

Social and personal concomitants of exceptional academic capability in the context of various educational settings were studied, using 143 fifth-, 118 eighth-, and 93 tenth-grade gifted students. Results provide insights into the students' peer relations, social competence, academic self-concept, and attitudes toward school. (TJH)

Reports on a study of the impact of individual feedback on achievement, attitudes, and behavior in cooperative learning groups on 56 8th-grade students. Finds that individual feedback was more effective than group feedback and that individual feedback resulted in more positive relationships toward others. (CFR)

Reports on a study of instructional strategies and beliefs among 18 middle-school U.S. history teachers and 60 middle-school students. Finds the most widely used strategies involve active learning, group projects, and student participation. Includes a table of the 10 most used strategies and 4 recommendations for instructional design. (CFR)

Reports on a study of the effects of single-sex and mixed-sex schooling on personality characteristics among 2095 Belgian sixth-grade students. Finds that it is not the student gender composition but the gender composition of the teaching staff that exerts influence. (CFR)

The school lives of culturally diverse young adolescents identified as potential dropouts were studied ethnographically. Data collected across two years indicated that teachers who students considered most successful in helping them learn used practices based on knowledge about students' home cultures and knowledge about the impact of students'…

This study of middle and high school students' attitudes about school and gangs on Guam is part of a larger study of the island's expanding youth gang problem. The quantitative component of the study examined data from 3 different surveys of 655 middle school and high school students, examining the incidence of gang membership and attitudes about…

Changes in students' (N=313) present and possible "good student" selves over the transition from elementary school to middle school are examined by this study. Findings indicate that both present and possible selves decline over the transition, and that the decline is greater for males than for females. Holding mastery goals is related to…

Despite the number of studies investigating affective aspects of test taking, little is known about how students perceive the kinds of extended performance assessments currently being developed for state and local testing programs. This paper presents two studies that address these issues. In the first, hands-on science tasks were administered to…

This Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) Curriculum was developed for intermediate elementary (5th, 6th, and 7th grade) students. It is an integrated unit that encompasses health, science, social studies, math, and language arts. The curriculum is comprised of nine class activities designed to meet the following objectives: (1) to determine…

This study examined whether children communicate themselves via visual images and whether adults can better understand children by viewing images they use to express themselves. An extracurricular course was designed to help students become familiar with computers and the Internet; objectives included creating a word document, sending and reading…