Analyzed how computation is developed in three Japanese primary-grade textbook series by focusing on differences in presentation. Found that goals are similar but the methods and materials of presentation are very different, and that a much higher level of computational facility at the end of grade three is expected of Japanese students than of…

Discovers that Carson McCullers and August Strindberg both made extensive use of musical structure in their literature. Specifically discusses the use of the coda, a last section of music that creates a sense of finality by reiterating the principal theme. Briefly discusses literary uses of the ballad and sonata. (MJP)

A University of Queensland study investigated the validity of evaluating university teaching and subjects with a single instrument, the importance of student learning approaches in faculty evaluation, and the potential influence of several background variables on student attitudes. As a result of the study, the existing instrument has been…

Discussion of assessment in higher education focuses on a case study of undergraduates in Taiwan that uses a networked system to assess the correlation coefficients between self, peer, and instructor assessment in a long-term fashion and to compare the mean values of markings between peer-self, instructor-self, and peer-instructor assessment. (LRW)

Compares English acquisition of German students in English immersion (IM), non-immersion, and non-IM groups from the same school as the IM groups. Examines whether English vocabulary learning occurs incidentally while students are learning history or geography taught in English and whether learning abilities activated in the IM classroom are the…

This study investigated the effects of teacher evaluation and the combination of teacher evaluation and student self-evaluation on student performance and attitudes. Participants were 189 Latvian high school students and six teachers. Students in the teacher-evaluation and the self-plus-teacher evaluation groups received significantly higher…

Objective criteria for evaluating the Eysenck Personality Inventory's internal structure are discussed. An approach based on targeted rotations and the test's scoring key is proposed as a means of providing common criteria. Data from earlier structure and test results for 195 undergraduates support the utility of 3 criteria developed. (SLD)

The longitudinal study with second-year Chemical Engineering students (N=31) found conventionally taught courses generated study problems in the lecture and student assessment components whereas in resource-based education students confronted problems with the resource laboratory, with reference materials, with tutorials, and with student…

Results are reported from an experimental study involving 97 fifth grade math teachers in Thailand to determine whether participation in an inservice teacher education program directly influenced teachers' teaching practices and indirectly influenced the learning of their students. (IAH)

Proposes a model for a computer-assisted language learning software design based on interactionist theories of first and second language acquisition. Comparison of the conversational discourse generated by two groups of students working on negotiable- and non-negotiable outcome programs found that the negotiable-outcome software generated…

Findings are reported from a study which compared the effectiveness of specialized and general fifth-grade science teachers (N=86). A causal model, derived from path analysis, was constructed to explain the apparent lack of effect on student achievement of the superior preparation and instruction of specialized teachers.(IAH)

Reports the results of a comparative evaluation of an early total immersion program, a delayed immersion program, and an all French program for English-speaking language majority students in Montreal, Canada. (33 references) (Author/OD)

Compares the abilities of pre-nursing and mainstream chemistry students in general chemistry courses. Finds no significant difference between the populations. Lists topics covered, representative test questions, and performance comparisons. (MVL)

Five methods of equating minimum-competency tests were compared using the Florida Statewide Student Assessment Test, Part II, for 1984 and 1986. Four of five methods yielded essentially comparable results for the highest scoring 84% of the students. Different lengths of anchor items were compared, using the concurrent item response theory equating…

Six procedures for combining sets of item response theory (IRT) item parameter estimates from different samples were evaluated using real and simulated response data. Results support use of covariance matrix-weighted averaging and a procedure using sample-size-weighted averaging of estimated item characteristic curves at the center of the ability…