Highlights a study to determine which personality traits (e.g., locus of control, academic self-concept, and study habits and attitudes) and biographical characteristics (e.g., age, sex, race, and marital status) of community college and technical institute students correlate significantly with grade point average and academic success. (AYC)

This article compares the characteristics of high achievers, gifted learners, and creative thinkers. It discusses the complexity of gifted student's thinking and the wild ideas of the creative thinker. A chart that lists the different characteristics and cartoons depicting the three different mindsets of the students are provided. (Contains 1…

A study explored the construct of mental restlessness in 20 college students with and without attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) using the Internal Restlessness Scale (IRS). Students with ADHD reported significantly higher ratings of internal restlessness. The IRS appears to have adequate test-retest reliability and a four-factor…

This paper examines characteristics of resilience and compares characteristics of giftedness and resilience. It discusses cognitive appraisal as a mechanism used by gifted children as they develop resilience. Applications for working with gifted students and areas for future research are noted. (JDD)

A 2-phase study (n=330 students, n=90 students) in 3 colleges developed a self-report survey to measure characteristics of students involved in academic misconduct. Five misconduct constructs were identified: cheating on tests and assignments; inappropriate use of resources; quasi-misconduct; subtle manipulation of faculty; and bold manipulation…

This article continues a series of analyses using the "theory of careers" developed by John Holland to examine the patterns of student stability and change inherent in the college experience--as part of an effort to understand the satisfaction, learning, and retention of college students. The underlying basis of Holland's theory is that human…

Researchers have a long-standing interest in better understanding why some students avoid challenging academic course work at the risk of harming their academic standing, whereas others are willing to pursue these types of challenges. The Academic Hardiness Scale (AHS) was developed to better understand characteristics that may differentiate these…

Focus of Study: This article investigates how teachers' relationships with boys can be central in bolstering boys' resilience and connection to their work in schools. Specifically, we examine how teachers understand the ways that their relationships with boys shape their teaching practice as well as their understandings of boys' learning in…

This study compared the characteristics of freshman teacher aspirants choosing to continue in or leave a teacher education program at the end of their first year. Personality characteristics of the freshmen (n=102) were assessed with the Personal Orientation Inventory which consists of 150 two-choice comparative value-judgment items reflecting the…

A study was conducted to investigate congruency between college students' vocational interests and their chosen academic major as an implementation of their self-concept. Of the 248 randomly selected college juniors and seniors who received the study instruments the response rate was 76% (188 responses). The instruments used were the Strong…

This study of student teachers' reflective abilities defines reflecting about teaching as the capability and willingness of prospective teachers to question and critically analyze their teaching and teaching experiences. In discussing differences between student teachers in psychological and personal dimensions, the characteristics examined were:…

The article examines ways to differentiate the material used in a reading program for gifted students (birth to age 9). Suggested books are provided for the following categories that correspond to recognized characteristics of gifted children: vocabulary (quality retellings of folk tales, word play, poetry, satire, and nuances of language);…

Previous research dealing with educational and vocational choices of college students has resulted in contradictory theories about why some students remain undecided. To determine if self-reported personality characteristics, when studied in conjunction with tested characteristics, increased the ability to discriminate between academic…

Personality characteristics of 101 epileptic children in two age groups (5-11 and 11-16) were studied by means of the child-reported Missouri Children's Picture Series and the mother-reported Missouri Problem Behavior Checklist. Scores for each age group across both parent and child reports were compared to published norms. A one-way multivariate…

The study described in this paper examined certain personality factors and dispositions characteristic of two types of inner city black high school students: those who achieve and those who fail to achieve. Interviews with eight black students from a ghetto high school in Chicago were analyzed. This analysis revealed six dichotomies which seemed…