This volume of the report presents Criterion-referenced tests developed to assess student achievement in classes whose teachers did or did not use curriculum guides (developed in phase 1 of this project) for instructional decisionmaking. A total of 38 cognitive tests are included: 8 for career awareness units, 4 for career exploration units, and…

Cognitive and communicative skills of library school students and health science students were compared using two self-reporting cognitive style inventories. Differences were found between the groups in oral, written, and nonverbal communication, and reasoning patterns, which may result in poor communication when librarians deal with health…

This study investigated the delayed effects of LOGO programing on the cognitive abilities and achievement of children in the primary grades. Results of tests administered 18 months after first graders participated in either LOGO computer programing or computer-assisted instruction treatments and interviews five months after testing are reported…

Research suggests that special tests of reasoning ability are superfluous. Reading comprehension and algebra scores on common aptitude and achievement tests are highly correlated with scores on several reasoning tests. Furthermore, three programs in reasoning skills have been shown to improve reading comprehension scores in various settings. (MCG)

Students of high intellectual ability and their parents were tested on a battery of cognitive tests. Vernon's model of intelligence best fit results. A verbal-educational and a practical-spatial-mechanical factor explained most performance variance. Among children, age related to verbal but not spatial or mechanical abilities. (Author/RD)

Children's exposure to family violence may lead to increased school difficulties, as shown in studies demonstrating the relationship between children's adjustment disorders and stressful family events. To examine the unique effects of violence on children's cognition, this study compared the academic performance and conflict levels of two groups…

This 42-month project at the University of Denver (Colorado) developed materials and faculty development activities concerning application of Kitchener and King's reflective judgment theory. Testing and implementation were at the University of Denver and Bowling Green State University (Ohio) and the University of Missouri (Columbia). The model…

The National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988 (NELS:88) provides a wealth of information about factors that influence academic performance and social development of students. The focus of this content overview is the research issues addressed by the NELS:88 second followup in 1992. In 1988, by surveying nearly 25,000 eighth graders, their…

This first part of a preliminary study considered the impact of students' gender, cognitive learning styles, and computer anxiety on students' academic achievement and performance. The sample consisted of 60 male and 80 female undergraduates enrolled in two basic/developmental mathematics courses taught by one male and one female instructor at a…

A College Board-sponsored survey of a nationally representative sample of takers of the 1995-96 SAT I: Reasoning Test yielded a database for more than 4,000 examinees, about 500 of whom had attended formal coaching programs outside their schools. Several alternative analytical methods were used to estimate the effects of coaching on SAT scores.…

The SAT is designed to measure the verbal and math reasoning abilities of high school juniors and seniors. These abilities develop over a long period of time and are independent of a particular school curriculum. The performance of seventh and eighth graders on the SAT is amazing, especially when considering their age. Although these students do,…

Examines methods by which test researchers and practitioners might respond to social and educational demands. Reports on the research which examines human cognition and development. Suggests that understanding how these abilities are acquired can facilitate their acquisition. Proposes a research agenda to redress social problems concerning testing…

Thirty-four 5- to 11-year-old children, classified as concrete or preoperational on a conservation task, were asked questions during individual interviews about food and snacks, the changes food undergoes, and the effects of food on their bodies. Implications for nutrition curriculum and instruction based on the findings are discussed. (DS)

Explored the relationship between high school students' (N=37) performances on the Tomlinson-Keasey and Campbell paper-and-pencil test of formal operations and a set of traditional, individually administered, Piagetian developmental tasks. Correlations between the traditional, formal operations tasks and paper-and-pencil tests were low. (Author/DS)

Investigates the misconceptions in physics among South African students. The physics test which was administered to selected high school and college students is included. (HM)