Students' test anxiety is known to have significant influences on essential academic outcomes, and given the increased testing of school-aged children gender differences also appear in dimensions of test anxiety: thoughts, off-task behaviors, and autonomic reactions. This study examined: (i) whether there was a pattern of correlations existing…

This study examines university students' multitasking with computers and mobile phones in an authentic self-study context, with the primary focus being on off-task multitasking and interruption as precursor to multitasking. The study drew on interviews, observation, and video-stimulated recall to reveal the triggers for and processes of…

This study examined the effects of three response options (traditional responding, response cards, and response systems) on the mathematics performance, participation, and time on-task of secondary students with emotional or behavioral disorders (EBD). A three-way crossover design was utilized to evaluate the efficacy of response options in…

The capacity to cope with test anxiety that contain high concentrations of cognitive, behavioral, and physiological manifestations, is becoming increasingly important in educational contexts as well as evaluative settings. The developing ability to deal with test anxiety relative to the increasingly strict evaluative practices students encounter…

The use of on-line instruction at the university level is becoming increasingly prevalent. In one Arkansas university, computer assisted instruction occurs in the form of web-based assignments through on-line courses and degree programs. Students, who are aspiring to become educational leaders, engage in weekly web discussions and activities…

Conversation is a strategy that helps students build reading skills and improve reading comprehension. This study describes the implementation of connection prompts in a 2nd-grade classroom to support students in making predictions, questioning the text, and initiating further conversation. Research suggests that once conversation is initiated,…

The premise underlying this article is that identifying and using the "five practices model" can make discussions of cognitively challenging tasks more manageable for teachers. By giving teachers a roadmap that they can follow before and during whole-class discussions, these practices have the potential for helping teachers more effectively…

Academic engaged time of six children with low-incidence disabilities in general education elementary classes was compared to six students without disabilities from the same classes and six students without disabilities from different, non-inclusive classes. No significant differences were found between academic responding and task management…

This article, based upon a survey of 3000 teachers in 92 Illinois high schools, presents data on homework use by teachers. Data is provided on the amount, frequency, structure, purposes, and types of homework assigned to students. The level of school and parental support is also assessed. (IAH)

This study analyzed effects of repetitive task size on rate of responding and behavior of five adolescents with autism and mental retardation. Compared to large-task conditions, small-task conditions resulted in higher on-task behavior and better work-related behavior for all participants and higher work rate for four participants. (Author/PB)

Elementary-school learning-disabled, emotionally disabled, educable mentally retarded, and nonhandicapped students (N=122) were observed during written language instruction, to document writing tasks and student responding. Extreme variability was found in the amount of time individual students spent in writing activities or in receiving written…

This research abstract is based on two studies: first, "Student and Instructional Outcomes under Varying Student-Teacher Ratios in Special Education" and, second, "A Case Study Analysis of Factors Related to Effective Student-Teacher Ratios", both by Martha L. Thurlow and others. The studies investigated the effects of various student-teacher…

Students' class participation can be increased by having each child display a response to each of the teacher's questions. Suggestions are given for evaluating and using pre-printed response cards and write-on response cards. Evidence for the effectiveness of response cards in increasing learning and on-task behavior is offered. (DB)

This study investigated student academic responding time as a function of time of day for 122 students (grades 2-4) with and without disabilities in 10 urban and suburban schools. Student academic responding time was higher when an academic activity was occurring, an active task was underway, and an individual rather than a group structure was…

Seventeen pairs of learning disabled (LD) and normal elementary school students were observed to determine instructional and responding times. While the time allocated to activities and tasks did not differ for the two groups, LD students received more individual instruction and teacher approval than did non-LD students. (Author/SW)