Problems affecting the operation of the Nigerian Skills Acquisition Programme, a secondary school vocational program, were studied through the questionnaire responses of 105 trainees, 50 parents, and 10 administrators. Responses were generally favorable, with some specific suggestions for funding and additional technical and safety equipment. (SLD)

Studied the development of students' assessment skills and their skills in writing reflection papers as an effect of assessment training integrated into three mathematics courses. Findings for 110 first-year students at a teacher training college in the Netherlands show the usefulness of involving students in assessment procedures. (SLD)

Describes policies and practices found in each of the participant countries in the Second International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement Science Study that could foster development of practical laboratory process skills. Topics include (1) science curriculum; (2) science teacher; (3) science facilities; and (4) learning by…

Recent research has demonstrated that social skills training can be successful in bringing about enduring gains in unpopular children's sociometric status among peers. Further progress in promoting social competence in peer relations will depend upon the development of a framework for conceptualizing the process components underlying social…

The topic of teacher credentials and student performance is revisited in an international setting using the TIMSS-99 data. The lack of consistent positive link between credentials and performance can be explained via three routes: measurement problem of ''teacher quality'' input, measurement problem of ''student outcomes'', and the production…

The AVMB (General Preparation for Society and Career) educational route was developed in the Netherlands for students with little interest in vocational offerings or with too few skills for vocational training. The program aims to equip young people with skills for simple service jobs through experiential and work-based learning. (SLD)

This article examines the relationships between perceptions of authenticity and alignment on study approach and learning outcome. Senior students of a vocational training program performed an authentic assessment and filled in a questionnaire about the authenticity of various assessment characteristics and the alignment between the assessment and…

Graduates and their employers rated a master- or diploma-level program in business administration along nine skill development dimensions: initiative, judgment, contact, expression, control, decision making, leadership, problem solving, and problem diagnosis. Cognitive skills were perceived as more successfully developed than instrumental skills.…

This article presents three related evaluation studies looking at the effectiveness on achievement and motivation of Reading Together, a cross-age peer-tutoring reading program. The effects on tutees, tutors, teachers, and parents were monitored. The advantages of Reading Together began to accrue during the second and third phases of the program.…

The effects of a skill remediation program designed to improve students' observational skills were studied with 132 sixth-grade students (66 in the experimental group) from 3 cultural groups in Nigeria. The remedial treatment, which included practical experiences, enhanced students' acquisition of observational skills. (SLD)

The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) is a longitudinal study designed to measure changes in the knowledge, skills, and understandings of young Americans, ages 9, 13, 17, and 26-35. This overview discusses some special aspects of NAEP, and explains its history and governance. (MH) Aspect of National Assessment (NAEP) dealt with in…