Presented is a report on a cross-sectional and longitudinal study concerned with the course of intellectual development in 210 children (6-12 years old) educationally designated as brain damaged (learning disabled and/or behavior problems) and assigned to special school placement. The report is divided into four sections which focus on…

EFL learners from three language institutes in Brazil answered the Strategy Inventory for Language Learning--SILL--to self-report how they go about learning English. They emerged as balanced users of various strategies with a tendency to use metacognitive and social strategies to learn the language. This tendency, further reinforced by factor…

In recent years metacognition has been receiving increased attention in mathematics education. Special attention has been focused on metacognition and its essential role in achievement settings. The basic difficulty of the study on the field of metacognition is to develop and use valid tasks in order to measure metacognitive ability especially for…

Data collected in the Federal District of Brazil were analyzed in terms of information transfer through mass media and interpersonal communication and how they influence farmers in the Federal District of Brazil in their decisions to adopt agricultural innovations. (42 references) (EAM)

Describes study to identify alterable factors associated with academic achievement of economically poor Black and Hispanic middle- and high-school students. Compares 361 high- and low-achievers on social-psychological variables. Results suggest specific actions educators can take to encourage achievement. (MW)

Explores what it means to think in a target language, discusses those factors determining planned and unplanned use of more than one language for thinking, considers the role of target-language thinking in improving language ability, and examines mental translation in the reading of intermediate college French. The article concludes that benefits…

Factor analysis of 65 variables relating to personal competence and community adjustment in 336 persons with mental retardation, living in residential facilities of 6 or fewer residents, yielded 8 principal components that accounted for approximately half the total variance. Components included such skill areas as self-care skills, problem…

Reports a study to investigate the factors that affect science achievement in rural secondary schools. Data from multiple sources provided a profile of the science programs and teachers, and factor analysis identified groupings related to science achievement that included teacher variables, student and teacher attendance, and teacher in-service…

Three studies involving 79 teacher leaders, 4 school empowerment experts, and 387 secondary school teachers indicate that the 38-item School Participant Empowerment Scale (SPES) may tap 6 dimensions of empowerment within the school organization identified in the literature. The SPES effectively measures perceived empowerment in school settings.…

Surveys urban school principals about desirable alternative education programs for low-achieving students, and identifies schools and programs that have been effective in promoting educational excellence in this population. Explores the nature of effective schools, and examines the principal's role in establishing models for educating children in…

Describes a study that was conducted with junior baccalaureate nursing students to determine effects of learning style preferences, attitudes, and grade point average (GPA) on learner achievement when using computer-assisted interactive videodisc instruction (CAIVDI). Results are reported that indicate a strong and positive influence of attitude…

This study of 1,477 rating forms on students (grades 6-12) with mild disabilities attending mainstream vocational courses found that curriculum-based vocational assessment is a feasible means of assessing student career/vocational behaviors and skills. A two-factor solution representing work-related behaviors and generalized instructional outcomes…

Students (n=300) referred for special education and diagnosed as learning disabled, mentally retarded, or not eligible were examined to determine the differential contribution of sociocultural variables on eligibility decisions within the context of intelligence test factors. Factors analyzed included verbal comprehension, perceptual organization,…

Surveys 116 urban school principals to determine their viewpoints on the academic needs of high-risk students. Results reveal five critical areas where improvement is considered essential. A common theme is that more attention should be given to affective resources, including counseling, transitional programs, and alternative classroom structures.…

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)