The utility of teacher ratings of student academic performance and psychosocial behaviors as technically sound indirect measures of student outcomes was demonstrated in a long-term study of the effects of background variables on a cohort of Danish children (n=350). The Baker-Mednick Teacher Rating Form was developed for this purpose. (SLD)

Sensitivity to verbal and nonverbal communication was rated in brief samples of behavior by the following groups in Israel: (1) 39 fourth graders; (2) 37 seventh graders; (3) 33 tenth graders; (4) 23 teachers-in-training; and (5) 19 experienced elementary school teachers. Both students and teachers could detect differential expectancy information.…

A peer nomination assessment of 5 domains of children's competence was administered to 1,249 elementary school students. Factor analysis revealed two positive and two negative factors. Results indicate the structure of peer's perceptions of children's competence, and justify use of the measure to complement other methods of evaluation. (SLD)

Interpersonal and intrapersonal risk for substance use were investigated for 1,170 Caucasian and Hispanic American sixth and seventh graders, equally divided by gender. Mean use levels did not differ for ethnic groups. Across both gender and ethnicity, susceptibility to peer pressure and peer alcohol use were the best predictors of substance use.…

Discusses Art Costa's 14 Intelligent Behavior Characteristics and gives examples of picture books that apply to each characteristic, including persistence, decreasing impulsivity, listening, cooperative thinking, flexibility, metacognition, accuracy and precision, sense of humor, questioning, using past knowledge, risk taking, using all senses,…

Investigates rural and urban adolescents' perceptions of mental health. Provides insight into rural and urban students' perceptions of problematic behaviors, who should intervene, and how. Recommends that health care providers help adolescents expand their range of coping behaviors, especially in regard to alcohol abuse and violence. (Author/GCP)

This study investigated patterns among three practices used by 52 general education teachers for inclusion of students with disabilities: grouping strategies, teacher expectations, and modifications. Results found a pattern of differences between content and special area teachers in use of large-group instruction and reliance on special education…

Considers the increase in research on adolescence, with attention to its transitional aspects during the adolescent period and as a bridge between childhood and adulthood. In addition, discusses the effort to examine interactional processes between parent and child and between environment and genes, with respect to the articles of this special…

The purpose of this investigation was to examine associations between different child characteristics and conflict, closeness, and dependency within teacher-student relationships. The participants were primarily students of color from lower socioeconomic status backgrounds in a large urban school district. The strength of associations between…

This study examined discourse strategies used by males and females to convey embarrassing information to interlocutors of unequal status and unspecified gender. Subjects were 80 native speakers of Turkish (28 males, 52 females), from a variety of socioeconomic backgrounds and geographic areas. Data were derived from a written discourse completion…

This study examined whether the incidence of classroom behavior problems of students with behavior disorders were reduced in collaborative/cooperative classes when compared with traditional special education classes. Subjects were 15 students in grades 6 through 8 who spent half their class day in a collaborative/cooperative classroom and the…

In the study of students' achievement behavior, it has been argued that learning goals that emphasize self-improvement rather than outperforming others are more desirable. This study examined how students' learning goal orientations were related to their theories of intelligence (e.g., whether intelligence is inborn). The subjects were 400 Chinese…

Drawing on J. Epstein's theory of overlapping spheres of influence (1991, 1995), this study explores the effects of teacher, family, and church support on the school-related attitudes, behaviors, and academic achievement of African American, urban adolescents. To achieve this objective, 826 students in an urban school district in the southeastern…

The term "conative" is used to describe constructs that span both motivational and volitional aspects of human behavior, distinguished from constructs that emphasize cognition and affection. Among the conative constructs are achievement strivings, beliefs about self-esteem and self-efficacy, interests and attitudes about learning,…

The student teaching field experience has proven to be one of the most critical components of teacher preparation programs, and yet little is known about how pedagogical skills develop during this period. The purpose of this exploratory study was to examine student teachers' classroom interactions over the course of a 10-week student teaching…