Primary and second-order principal components analyses were performed on the Quality of School Life Scale (QSL), a measure of elementary school climate, for responses of 141 fourth through sixth graders. Findings suggest three general factors, but item composition of subscales differs somewhat from that proposed by the QSL's developers. (SLD)

The influence of self-concept and relationships with parents and school on life satisfaction of adolescents was explored for 1,156 Chinese junior high school students in Hong Kong. Results show that self-concept measures are correlated with life satisfaction. Implications of relationships with parents and school are discussed. (SLD)

Studied whether the impact of social support on self-esteem is moderated by the adolescent's orientation toward the source of aid, using 84 Israeli adolescents. The positive effect of social figures' support on self-esteem increased as a function of interest in receiving aid from the specific source. (SLD)

Describes a study that was conducted in Scotland to determine whether untrained classroom teachers could learn HyperCard from a minimal manual and then create their own stacks. The development of the minimal manual is discussed, use of the manual and software is analyzed, and teachers' attitudes are examined. (Contains five references.) (LRW)

Among 66 rural Louisiana ninth graders, 52 percent of variability in grade point average was explained by gender, school self-esteem, self-esteem scale lie score, father's educational attainment, whether student lived with parents, number of younger siblings, and participation in extracurricular activities. (SV)

Use of the Bender Visual Motor Gestalt Test in Australia was studied by comparing it with existing research, scores on the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised (WISC-R), and other attainment tests. Subjects were 142 children aged 7-11 years. The suitability of the instrument in Australia is discussed. (SLD)

Native (n=46) and nonnative (n=27) speakers of English enrolled in university English courses reacted to 15 prompts from essay tests. Nonnative speakers chose prompts on topics of interest to them; with topics of equal interest, they chose the prompts offering the greatest scope for doing a lot of writing. (six references) (JR)

Discussion of learner motivations and learner satisfaction in distance education courses using electronic media focuses on a study at Utah State University that compared students using an audio/graphic system with students taught by traditional methods. The use of the Educational Participation Scale (EPS) and the Learning Environment Inventory…

Explores the links between acquaintance rape and alcohol consumption among college students, two serious problems on campus. Seven explanations for the relationship focus on alcohol consumption by the perpetrator and by the victim. The need to conduct further studies and develop prevention programs is addressed. (Author/SM)

Describes a study that was conducted to examine the utility of "Books for College Libraries, 3rd Ed." (BCL3) as a collection development and evaluation tool for academic libraries. Holdings of sample titles from BCL3 in the OCLC Online Union Catalog are examined, and the in-print status of titles is investigated. (11 references) (LRW)

The relationship between marital status and academic achievement was studied for 199 single and married students with and without dependents at a community college. Married students were more likely to have higher grade point averages (GPA) and to be older. Having dependents is not a significant predictor of GPA. (SLD)

Simulated data typical of those from meta analyses are used to evaluate the reliability, Type I and Type II errors, bias, and standard error of the meta-analytic procedures of Schmidt and Hunter (1977). Concerns about power, reliability, and Type I errors are presented. (SLD)

Studied age trends in solving correlational problems involving over 2 continuous variables 100 Canadian students in grades 5, 7, 9, and 11 and a postgraduate college preparatory year; 278 seventh graders; and 120 tenth graders in 3 experiments. Correlational reasoning skills increased with age and improved through instruction. (SLD)

Examines the contribution of second-language proficiency and first-language reading ability in terms of the threshold hypothesis of language proficiency. (38 references) (Author/CK)

Data from a sample of 673 Chinese adolescents lent support to the hypothesis that concepts of success or achievement goals affect both inclination to and the actual performance of prosocial acts. Sex differences and grade differences in the relationship between conceptions of success and prosocial and antisocial behaviors were found. Discusses…