Discusses results of a study based on a sample of secondary school teachers in Germany that was conducted to analyze the relationships between prior knowledge of content- and context-area topics and teaching practices in the computer education curriculum. The use of path analysis is described, and gender differences are examined. (Contains 11…

Fourteen high-intelligence and 13 low-intelligence first-year college students worked in a structured or unstructured simulation environment to learn correlational principles. Thinking-aloud protocols indicate that high-intelligence subjects exhibit a better working method than do low-intelligence subjects, and that working method is a strong…

This study explored the relationship between traditional item difficulty and cognitive complexity as measured by response time. Rural students (n=43) responded to computer-based tests of the Individualized Study by Technology General Mathematics Course developed by Alaska's Department of Education. Results indicated that mean response times were…

The reliability and accuracy of evaluations of 126 surgical faculty made by 47 general surgery residents over 2 years were examined. The general accuracy and reliability over both years indicate that anonymous ratings of surgical faculty by groups of residents can be a valuable evaluation method. (SLD)

A model of relationships among the cognitive components of working memory, representation, metacognition, and performance implicated in the acquisition and transfer of the LOGO computer language was developed and tested with 48 second graders. The respective contributions of each component vary with the transfer task. (SLD)

Describes a study of Australian undergraduates that investigated the nature of learning experiences and quality of learning achieved when students organized information into a HyperCard program. Differences between the learning strategies of using HyperCard and traditional class tutorial presentations are discussed, and student attitudes are…

A study investigating variables in Canadian Chief Executive Officers' use of information sources to scan external business environments is reported. Findings show that frequency of source use correlates to perceived uncertainty and that source quality is more important than source accessibility--a finding that contradicts past user studies. (28…

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…