Student attitudes towards the use of portfolios to encourage journal reading are investigated in lower division psychology classes. Portfolios can be designed in various ways to meet different educational goals. It is also useful for undergraduates to read original research articles, but difficult to motivate them to do so. The intention of this…

Some of the reasons why the new social studies can expect a bleak future were discussed. They include the costs of instructional materials, the difference these materials have compared to traditional materials, and teacher education programs versus implementation of social studies materials. (Author/RK)

Three procedures for evaluating the sampling specificity of results are reviewed. These procedures are Tukey's jacknife technique, Efron's bootstrap technique, and cross-validation methods. The jacknife technique uses different subsamples derived from the original total data set to provide empirical estimates of the generalizability of effect…

Analysis of variance (ANOVA) and multiple regression are two of the most commonly used methods of data analysis in behavioral science research. Although ANOVA was intended for use with experimental designs, educational researchers have used ANOVA extensively in aptitude-treatment interaction (ATI) research. This practice tends to make researchers…

Determining the extent of consistency between distinct concepts has become increasingly important in current theorizing about the development and organization of cognitive structure. This paper discusses several conceptual and measurement issues that must be addressed in analyses of interconcept consistency: the distinction between connectivity…

RESEARCH ON SCHOOL DROPOUTS IS HANDICAPPED IN THE FOLLOWING AREAS--DEFINITION OF THE DROPOUT POPULATION, INCONSISTENT METHODS OF DATA COLLECTION, INADEQUATE RESEARCH DESIGNS, COMMUNITY VARIATION, VARIATION IN TYPE OF DROPOUT, AND KNOWLEDGE OF THE PROCESS OF DROPPING OUT. DROPOUT GROUPS SHOULD BE CLEARLY DEFINED, AND VARIATION IN THESE GROUPS…

Controversies over the extent and duration of projected enrollment declines have made the techniques involved in such predictions a matter of interest in the field of educational planning. This document is a survey of current methodologies and problems in forecasting at the state and institutional level. Part 1 discusses: a review of methodology…

Discusses development of rational set generator--an overall method for creating a rational set of examples to teach concepts and evaluate student knowledge levels--which combines formulas for creating examples measuring discrimination and generalization. Also discussed are results of a study to test the efficacy of a rational set generator. (MBR)

The read-think-aloud method is a viable alternative to traditional one-to-one trials as an approach to formative evaluation. This procedure provides valuable information about the learner's cognitive processing while reading instructional text. The authors describe the method and offer suggestions for its use. (Author/CH)

Reviews research on clarity, organization, and pace of presentation in social studies. Provides practical suggestions on how teachers can control each of these factors. Maintains that those who have mastered these techniques contribute much to the successful learning of their students. (JDH)

Reviews current teacher evaluation practices with particular focus on the use of observation. Argues that direct observation is an inadequate evaluation technique because it assumes that stability and consistency are necessary for effective teaching. Presents data showing that flexibility is a more accurate characterization of elementary level…

Suggests that fostering dependence on techniques along, without developing awareness of how techniques relate to theoretical principles, militates against healthy development in the English language teaching profession. Argues that teachers who see research as part of their role are likely to view their work more positively than teachers who are…

This study evaluates the effects of the first stage (Prepracticum) of a three-stage counselor training practicum designed to merge cognitive and experiential learning in a systematic manner using professional trainers. (Author)

Authors note that Fehrer and Biederman's two statistical tests were not of equal power and that their conclusion could be a statistical artifact of both the lesser power of the verbal report comparison and the insensitivity of their particular verbal report indicator. (Editor)

The role of community developers as contributers to a behavioral science is analyzed. The author discusses the importance of this new science and suggests that more research and discipline in this field of action research is necessary. (RR)