This naturalistic inquiry investigated how instructional designers engage in complex and ambiguous problem solving across organizational boundaries in two corporations. Participants represented a range of instructional design experience, from novices to experts. Research methods included a participant background survey, observations of…

The read-aloud accommodation (RA) is frequently provided to students with high-incidence disabilities to facilitate their access to learning opportunities during instruction and to allow them to demonstrate knowledge and skills during testing. Empirical support for this accommodation has been somewhat mixed, and has primarily focused on…

Results show that consistency of student performance was related to both the stability dimension of attributional behavior and attributions for immediate outcome varied along the locus of control dimension. Findings suggest the dominance of an informationally oriented influence on attributional behavior. (BJG)

Examined whether performance on scales reflecting problem-solving dimensions of personality could predict ego-strength in college students (n=348). Findings did not support statistically significant relationship between all problem-solving scales and ego-strength. Individually, evidence supported hypothesis that ego-strength can be predicted from…

The study examined learned helplessness in approximately 200 elementary aged learning disabled (LD) students and the effectiveness of classroom based attribution training and coping skills training for these children. Ss received one half hour training 3 days a week for 5 weeks in a program which used techniques of modeling, direct instruction,…

This article describes the "Thinking Actively in a Social Context" (TASC) strategy of problem solving and reports on a study that demonstrated its effectiveness with 2 groups of 10 students (ages 7 and 8). TASC uses cooperative learning and emphasizes positive self-concept, the development of an internal locus of control, and use of real-life…

This study examined variables related to problem-solving approaches of young children, using the theoretical framework provided by Zigler and collaborators in their work on outerdirectedness. Four aspects of outerdirectedness were examined: developmental trends, different types of reinforcement, task difficulty, and pride in accomplishment. (ST)

Systematic investigations have verified the existence of a number of behavioral manifestations of the "Type A" behavior pattern. For example, brief exposure to salient uncontrollable stress has led to enhanced performance by Type A's on a subsequent task, whereas prolonged exposure has lead to performance deterioration. The ongoing experiences of…

The purpose of this study was to identify factors responsible for the perceived decline in attitudes toward science observed in an intervention study designed to enhance scientific literacy. The literacy study focuses on a new freshman course in an urban Catholic high school. Negative attitudes toward science were found to be related to the demand…

A study investigated the influence of perceived time management, operationalized as perceived control over time, as a coping strategy among 164 college students, and its effect on valued student outcomes. Results indicate lower levels of stress and higher levels of academic performance, problem-solving ability, and health in students perceiving…

Aspects of problem-solving measured here are delay of gratification, field-dependence independence, and the relection-impulsivity dimension. The following hypotheses are proposed (1) Those subjects who score high on externality will not delay gratification as those who score low, but they will score lower on measures on field-independence than…

Several teacher motivation variables were examined for relationships to stategies teachers use for responding to problem students. During interviews, 98 elementary school teachers described general strategies to twelve types of problem students: (1) failure syndrome; (2) perfectionist; (3) underachiever; (4) low achiever; (5) hostile aggressive;…

Discussion of achievement motivation and children's ideas about themselves as learners focuses on a study of third graders that examined the effects of LOGO programing on performance. Incremental and entity theories of intelligence are explained, and treatment of the experimental group and the control group are described. (26 references) (LRW)