The reliability of A. Bandura's Multidimensional Scales of Perceived Self-Efficacy (MSPSE) was studied using the Cronbach alpha measure of internal consistency. The divergent validity of the MSPSE was also examined using subscale correlations, and the construct validity of the measure was studied through application of principal axes factor…

This study investigates whether or not the factor structure of reading comprehension is invariant across large, nationally representative samples of 14-year-old students from four different countries. The data from French-speaking Belgium, Hungary, Italy, and the United States were collected as part of the Reading Literacy Study of 1990-91,…

Making a career choice can be one of the most important decisions in a person's life. Instruments recently developed for use in career counseling have placed an increased emphasis on evaluating career-related beliefs. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the psychometric characteristics of "Career Beliefs Inventory" scores in…

This study examined the hypothesis that age-related increases in reasoning ability are associated with the ability to represent relations of increasing complexity, defined as the number of entities related. The study's purpose was to determine the extent to which this ability to process relations with three entities increased between ages 4 and 8…

Since the Federal Communications Commission is to be a regulation service in the public interest, several studies investigated what several Midwestern American groups would consider "in public interest." The study began in 1991 with an examination of college students' attitudes. A second part of the study (in 1992) administered…

An instrument to measure the 13 personal characteristics of productive researchers described by C. J. Bland and others (1986, 1990) was developed and evaluated. The total eligible sample was 404 full-time assistant professor faculty members in the tenure track at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland (Ohio). A random sample of 100…

To learn more about the motivational factors of adult learners, data were collected regarding the instructional motivation perceptions of adults in a variety of learning environments. Subjects in the first phase of the study were a mixture of 183 graduate and undergraduate students enrolled in credit and noncredit education courses of 4…

The theory of multiple intelligence (MI) propounded by Gardner and Hatch suggests that human beings have seven distinct units of intellectual functioning, and that these units are actually separate intelligences with their own observable and measurable abilities. These intelligences were identified as logical-mathematical, linguistic, musical,…

This paper presents findings of a study that sought to delineate subtopics within school-effects research (SER). After conducting a literature review and determining initial categories, a survey was conducted of 37 authors who were judged to have made the most significant contribution to SER within the last decade. A total of 28 authors responded.…

A national survey of 175 public relations managers documented fund-raising encroachment (subordination of public relations functions to fund-raising) at 23% of their charitable organizations, with variation in vulnerability among different types (e.g., the public relations function is managed by fund raising at 50% of the private colleges and…

The performance of the following four methodologies for assessing unidimensionality was examined: (1) DIMTEST; (2) the approach of P. W. Holland and P. R. Rosenbaum; (3) linear factor analysis; and (4) non-linear factor analysis. Each method is examined and compared with other methods using simulated data sets and real data sets. Seven data sets,…

A study attempted to develop and test a questionnaire that could combine various sorts of demographic information to identify strong or weak students and forecast their course performance. The study determined if a significant relationship existed between students' personal and academic profiles and their final course grades in an introductory…

A study examined the association of reading instruction with the amount and breadth of students' reading activities, taking account of social, cognitive, and home factors in the educative process. A secondary analysis of a large national data base for students aged 9, 13, and 17 was conducted. Using answers from student questionnaires, conceptual…

out new ideas within their own classroom contexts and with the help of skilled colleagues. Professional development from this perspective, therefore, not only involves teachers attending training sessions such as workshops or conferences but also receiving on-site technical assistance and mentoring in new instructional techniques. To ensure that…

The use of the modern computer has revolutionized the field of educational research. Software packages are currently available that allow almost anyone to analyze data efficiently and rapidly. Yet, caution must temper the widespread acceptance and use of these programs. It is recommended that the researcher not rely solely on the use of…