This collection of abstracts is part of a continuing series providing information on recent doctoral dissertations. The 16 titles deal with the following topics: the effects of teacher-directed lessons on fourth and fifth grade students; self-concept and the comprehension of scientific reading; the readability of junior college textbooks; the…

This investigation examined the acquisition of five complex English syntactic structures by Egyptian and Israeli adult learners at different levels of proficiency. Carol Chomsky's methodology, as adapted by d'Anglejan and Tucker, served to assess comprehension of these structures. The responses of the Egyptians and Israelis, which were similar to…

As part of an effort to design and implement staff development and instructional improvement opportunities for personnel at the College of Alameda (California), questionnaires were distributed to all 250 staff members (105 responded--24 classified and 81 faculty). Additionally, the concerns of the college president and the staff development…

This paper argues that researchers should not investigate child development simply through studies of the child alone or mother-infant interactions, but rather through studies of the family as a system. Data is reported which seem to support this view. A review of recent literature indicates that an adequate account of child development requires…

At a 20/1 pupil/teacher and pupil/room ratio, by 1984 Iowa public schools will need 8,100 fewer rooms and teachers than was necessary during the peak enrollment year of 1969. The most precipitous drop in enrollment could come in the six year period from 1977 to 1982 when 120,363 more students will graduate from the public school system than will…

This state of the art report examines the postsecondary educational opportunities of Canadian police officers, specifically within the context of Canadian community colleges. The purpose of the project was to provide police executives with adequate information about the advantages and outcomes of higher education in general and about law…

Students' reported reasons for academic success or failure (categorized as ability, effort, task difficulty, or luck) were studied simultaneously in over 1,000 students in grades 4, 8, and 11. Differences between 16 attributional groups (4 success x 4 failure) were reported by discriminant analysis, according to grade, sex, and ethnic…

Use of the Woodcock Reading Mastery Tests (WRMT), individually administered wide ranging reading tests, was explored, using Title I evaluation Models A1 and A2. Attention was focused on: (1) relationship of the Title I curriculum to the WRMT and the SRA Reading Test; (2) comparative reading achievement gains on both tests, using Model A1; and (3)…

The transformation of American college life since World War II is traced by a university president who participated in the process at both Lawrence College (1944 to 1953) and Harvard University (1953 to 1971). Some of the crucial changes in university education during that period are discussed, including: its increasing availability to a far…

Mathematics achievement test scores of high school students in the Austin Independent School District who graduated before implementation of minimum competency testing were compared to the scores of students who were more recently enrolled in mathematics tutorial classes in order to meet minimum competency requirements. The percentages of…

Although classrooms vary in design and populations, there are certain features that are common to virtually all classrooms. These include the crowding of pupils, the compulsion of school attendance, and the expectation that teachers will foster literacy. The manner in which these features are dealt with in a classroom constitutes the core problem…

This report is a composite of the evaluation methods and findings derived from national evaluations of experiential education programs. Section I, an overview of assessing experiential education, has two chapters: an introduction which discusses the origins and current trends of experiential education and identifies the purpose of the study; and…

A RESEARCH PROJECT WAS CONDUCTED BY THE IOWA AGRICULTURAL AND HOME ECONOMICS EXPERIMENT STATION TO DETERMINE THE INFLUENCE OF AN INTENSIVE TRAINING PROGRAM FOR GENERAL MANAGERS OF LOCAL RETAIL FARM SUPPLY BUSINESSES DEALING IN FERTILIZER AND AGRICULTURAL CEHMICALS. CHANGES IN KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDES AND PERFORMANCE, INTERNAL ENVIRONMENT AND…

THIS STUDY, CONDUCTED BY THE MODERN LANGUAGE ASSOCIATION (MLA) WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF THE EDUCATIONAL TESTING SERVICE, WAS DESIGNED TO DETERMINE WHETHER THE FRENCH, GERMAN, AND SPANISH SKILL TESTS OF THE MLA COOPERATIVE FOREIGN LANGUAGE TESTS AND THE MLA PROFICIENCY TESTS FOR TEACHERS AND ADVANCED STUDENTS MEASURE ALONG A CONTINUUM OR WHETHER…

THE PURPOSE OF THIS PAPER IS TO PRESENT A SUMMARY OF PRESENT KNOWLEDGE CONCERNING RURAL AND URBAN DIFFERENCES IN STUDENT ASPIRATION AND OCCUPATIONAL CHOICE OF YOUTH. THE PAPER RELIED HEAVILY ON DATA OBTAINED IN A WISCONSIN RESEARCH PROJECT FINANCED BY THE ROCKEFELLER FOUNDATION AND THE U.S. PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE. OTHER STUDIES MENTIONED INDICATED…