This study investigated whether a self-efficacy course would raise English-as-a-Second-Language learners' English ability by raising their self-efficacy. It also examined the reliability and validity of a self-efficacy questionnaire and English test. Participants were 293 Japanese college freshmen. Researchers developed two versions of an English…

Past research has shown that adults can report their own skill level on four dimensions of emotional intelligence, using the Trait Meta-Mood Scale (TMMS). This study assessed children's ability to self-report on the emotional attention, emotional clarity, and emotional repair dimensions of emotional intelligence, using a modification of the above…

This study was conducted to confirm the validity and reliability of the 64-item Measure of School Capacity for Improvement (MSCI). The MSCI was designed to assess the degree to which schools possess the potential to become high performing learning communities, and was developed in response to a paucity of definition, operationalization, and…

Subjecting the comprehension passages of the Gates-McGinitie Reading Test to readability analysis using a multiformula computer program revealed that the instrument can best be used for making comparisons between groups using the same test forms and levels in the same sequence. (FL)

Describes the Mathematics Anxiety Rating Scale for Adolescents (MARS-A). Discusses psychometric data that relate to reliability and construct validity of the MARS-A scale. Results showed the association between high mathematics anxiety scale scores and low grade average in mathematics courses reported on two samples of students. (Author/JAC)

Analyzed the reliability, abnormality, and validity of Verbal Performance discrepancy scores on the WISC-R in relation to clinical decision making about learning disabilities. Suggests the information of greatest value seems to be the magnitude of the discrepancy that is both reliable and valid for learning-disabled children. (Author)

Obtained normative data from 305 children on a Coding Recall Measure adapted from the WISC-R. Although coding recall has face validity as a visual memory measure, there are some contradictions to such clinical use in view of possible lack of representativeness of the sample and limited reliability and validity. (Author/JAC)

Evidence suggests that the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT), in combination with high school grades, is a good predictor of college success for students from different ethnic groups and income levels. Although legislation stemming from the Nader investigation of the Educational Testing Service purports to protect consumers, it may actually work…

Describes the development of the College Freshman Adjustment Scale (CFAS) which enables deans and counselors to pinpoint quickly those areas of college life which may be generative of the problems college freshmen may experience. The CFAS was developed for two general areas: personal-social adjustment and academic adjustment. (Author/RC)

Represents a collection of normative data for the survey of reading attitudes using a sample of (N=90) inner city remedial readers. Reliability estimates for Expressed Reading Difficulty and Reading as Enjoyment justify their use in making inferences about students. Lowest reliability was for Alternative Learning Modes. (JAC)

Describes development of a new rating scale for use by teachers. The Prosocial Behaviour Questionnaire is designed for use in the investigation of elementary school children's behavior. A copy of the rating scale is included. (Author/DB)

A 22-item instrument (My Classmates) was developed to measure fifth-sixth graders' perceptions of their peer relationships, and administered to 621 students. The instrument's reliability and validity were supported. Group membership was found to be related to certain student characteristics. (The questionnaire is appended). (GDC)

Examined are questions pertinent to the use of the Position Analysis Questionnaire: Who can use the PAQ reliably and validly? Must one rely on trained job analysts? Can people having no direct contact with the job use the PAQ reliably and validly? Do response biases influence PAQ responses? (Author/KC)

Selective admissions may become an archaic notion for undergraduate institutions due to intensified competition for enrollments and a marketing mentality in recruiting students. It is likely that technical development of tests will continue on an incremental basis as testing agencies try to meet public criteria of fairness and credibility. (FG)

Presents a questionnaire which can be used by teachers to assess individual differences in the social behavior of nursery school children. Evidence for the instrument's reliability and validity is included. (CM)