Every day, students collect, organize, and analyze data to make decisions. In this data-driven world, people need to assess how much trust they can place in summary statistics. The results of every survey and the safety of every drug that undergoes a clinical trial depend on the correct application of appropriate statistics. Recognizing the…

Preventative health has become central to contemporary health care, identifying youth physical activity as a key factor in determining health and functioning. Schools offer a unique research setting due to distinctive methodological circumstances. However, school-based researchers face several obstacles in their endeavour to complete successful…

A science unit on clocks demonstrates the need to control variables to obtain reliable results from an experiment. Two activities, one for beginners and one for advanced students, are included. Directions for making a sundial are offered. (MT)

This book provides a clear introduction to widely used topics in bivariate and multivariate statistics, including multiple regression, discriminant analysis, MANOVA, factor analysis, and binary logistic regression. The approach is applied and does not require formal mathematics; equations are accompanied by verbal explanations. Students are asked…

Presents a classroom demonstration illustrating the connection between spread and Pearson's r. Discusses different factors that may result in an increase, decrease, or no change in r. Describes an exercise using decks of playing cards to generate hypothetical data on variables of intelligence quotient (IQ) and grade point average (GPA). (DK)

Analyzes how sixth graders' untrained summarization ability relates to studying and recall of important text information in a more demanding task. Finds that neither summarization ability nor notetaking skill individually predicted better recall. Suggests instructional guidelines and caveats. (RS)

Determines what factors, if any, are predictors of computer anxiety among business communication students. Explores alternative teaching strategies suggested by the literature to effectively reduce computer anxiety in business communication classrooms. Concludes that it has become imperative for every instructor to develop an understanding both of…

This chapter discusses adolescent drug abuse relapse prevention. It presents the following four conclusions regarding the efficacy of prevention programs. First, more controlled studies are needed to evaluate the long-term effectiveness of relapse prevention strategies with adolescents in reducing factors such as cravings and increasing their…

Stresses the importance of the development of phonemic awareness skills for students with reading difficulties. Research suggesting phonemic awareness may be a more powerful predictor for reading progress than IQ is noted. Insets offer specific phonological awareness assessment tasks and corresponding phonological awareness instructional tasks.…

Described is an activity designed to make the concepts of experimentation, independent variables, and dependent variables easy to understand by using observable characteristics of several rods to illustrate these concepts. (DS)

In cases of trauma, medical indexes are used by paramedics to report the condition of the patient to the hospital. Presents a scenario in which students act as paramedics at the scene of an earthquake and use the index called capillary refill to report the severity of the trauma and predict probable survival. (MDH)

Symbol-and-arrow diagrams are helpful adjuncts to equations derived from pharmacokinetic models. Both show relationships among dependent and independent variables. Diagrams show only qualitative relationships, but clearly show which variables are dependent and which are independent, helping students understand complex but important functional…

Describes a classroom demonstration that simulates a verbal encounter with a person experiencing symptoms of schizophrenia. Suggests that the instructor deliver an unannounced monologue that illustrates the disordered thought and speech of a person with schizophrenia. Discusses student evaluation of the demonstration. Concludes that students in…

This teacher's guide is part of a program of activities that help secondary-level students develop the complex thinking skills needed to succeed in science. This program can be used with current curriculum materials. It is designed to help students integrate ideas and develop concepts that demonstrate higher level thinking. A rich environment of…

Children develop emotional intelligence during the early years of life, and according to some experts, emotional intelligence is a more reliable predictor of academic achievement than is IQ. However, today's children appear to be low on emotional well-being. This has potentially negative consequences, not only for academic achievement but also for…