Reports the methodology used to measure the reading ability of third and fourth grade pupils in Finnish "comprehensive" schools in 1964 and 1979. Notes that 1979 students had significantly higher abilities in all areas measured, despite decreases in standard deviations. Interprets results in the light of acceleration theory. (SB)

Describes a study conducted at the North Texas State Nursery School to examine interaction of preschool children with a microcomputer and determine whether social patterns were altered in relation to computer use. Results indicate most children used the microcomputer with friends and that the microcomputer did not disrupt pre-existing social…

Describes a field study of kindergarteners which found 1,006 pupils conserved identity up to 8 months, and 693 pupils conserved identity and equivalence. Follow-up studies showed no relationship between kindergarten conservation abilities and grade 1 math skills, although grade 6 math performance correlated significantly with kindergarten…

Describes technique developed by the Barking Reading Project to judge relevance of visual sequential memory to reading. A study which used this technique to assess the effects of labelling strategy on sequential memory tasks is compared with alternative assessments, and results are discussed in terms of task analysis and structuralist approaches.…

Reports on Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (Australia) efforts to establish library staffing standards by use of statistics on current library operations and comparison of figures for number of libraries. Research methodology, use of mathematical models, factor analysis and regression analysis, and measures of…

Recent methodological and conceptual changes in sociology of art research are valuable because they provide descriptive material and counter prevalent sociological assumptions. Researchers now see the need for a sociological component in the study of aesthetics and art. An effective sociology of art is of vital concern to art education. (RM)

Examines the methodology of a comparative study by Tuppen and Deutrom of student performance in Third World countries and challenges its conclusions by providing a rationale for redefining retentivity as the proportion of the original enrollment retained rather than the proportion of the age group enrolled. (MM)

Describes a study of differences in reported symptoms of psychological well-being and academic attainment among United Kingdom Open University distance learners aged under 30, 30-40, and over 40. Results indicate several factors combine to affect academic performance of different age groups, but students over 40 exhibited greater sense of…

The major goals of this two-semester seminar are to help first-year graduate students understand the links among perspective, theory, assumptions, problem formulation, methods, and findings in psychological research and to optimize their transition into the PhD program. The seminar is described and evaluated and suggestions for change are made.…

Dialog features--communication flow, language structures, and meaning/content--and nonverbal formal features of six children's television programs are examined to determine if there is dialog simplification, if certain dialog characteristics differentiate among shows sampled, and if there are different combinations of linguistic features and…

This review discusses major organizational theories used by researchers to investigate questions related to librarianship: libraries as bureaucracies; contingency theory; decision-making; design and structure; technology; organizational climate; research by social scientists; theory, research, practice. Development of organizational theory and its…

Results of survey of graduate programs accredited by American Library Association indicate that student evaluation of courses and instructors occurs at 81 percent of library schools; sharing evaluation results with students is exception rather than rule; common evaluation factors and areas of emphasis can be identified on evaluation forms…

Describes a study of the effectiveness of microcomputer-based instruction compared with the lecture method and independent-reading approaches in delivering instruction on library information retrieval skills to eighth-grade students. Results indicate the microcomputer-based courseware and lecture method were identical in instructional…

The Grand Rapids Area Medical Education Center undertook to promote and facilitate research on the local campus of the Michigan State University College of Human Medicine through consultation on all phases of medical research. The services were offered to house officers, volunteer and paid faculty, and medical students. (MSE)

Discussed are the assumptions which underpin research studies of the effects of pupil, school, and local education authority characteristics on student achievement in Great Britain. The purpose is to clarify the necessary limitations on knowledge imposed by various research methods and to suggest how these might be improved. (RM)