The Federal Aviation Administration of the Department of Transportation controls civilian pilot training. Through its regulations and testing and licensing procedures, the FAA sets minimum criteria for course content and knowledge and skill acquisition. Since few training organizations have the economic resources required to do original research…

Examines ways in which social studies teachers can help students identify and evaluate significant changes in the past and present and enlarge their perspectives on change. Information on the roles of women in the first American Revolution and insights on the present revolution are provided. (Author/DB)

The development of the associative structure of physics concepts as a result of the content presented to the learner and the relationship between associative structure and academic achievement was investigated using a treatment and a control group. Assessment of associative structure may allow insight into a learner's progress which complements…

Seven formulas for scoring test items with two options (true-false or multiple choice with only two choices) were investigated. Several conditions, such as varying directions for guessing and whether testees had prior knowledge of the proportions of false items on the test were also investigated. (Author/JKS)

Discusses a study to compare effects of two teaching techniques (lecture-discussion and performance-based) on attitude and knowledge level of students in two 11th grade American history classes. Findings indicate that a combination of the two methods of instruction is the best approach to teaching. (Author/DB)

Comparison of pre-service social studies teachers in field and non-field based methods courses indicated no significant differences with regard to teaching skills, attitudes, or behaviors teachers should exhibit in the classroom. (Author/DB)

Suggests ways to construct multiple choice questions which test both factual knowledge and critical thinking. Three models explain how to relate facts, fact sets, and reasons to hypotheses and concepts. (Author/DB)

A four-foil, 69-item multiple-choice test was administered in 1974 to 32 preservice elementary teachers, 60 inservice teachers, and 479 sixth-grade students. Results showed from 30 to 50 percent of the teachers had problems with test items in the same skill areas which the students had problems, indicating that student performance of map and globe…

Data concerning political attitudes and knowledge were collected for 30,000 adolescents in nine countries. Findings indicate that students in countries with a high degree of international contact were more internationally minded. Sampling procedures are described. Available from: Elsevier Scientific Publishing Company, P.O. Box 211, Amsterdam, The…

Individualization of instruction of mentally handicapped adolescents may be facilitated by understanding of relevant variables associated with the learning skills required for coping with community life. This study explores the relationship between knowledge of such skills and locus of control (belief concerning the relative contribution of chance…

Briefly reviews the research literature on political socialization across several nations and presents the results of a study concerning the level of political knowledge for 453 10- to 22-year-old British youth. Results showed greater knowledge of local and national political leaders than of parlimentary and political party affairs. (JDH)

A 1986 national assessment of 7,812 high school juniors found them deeply ignorant of literature and history, with a lack of basic information as severe as their weakness in mathematics and science. The report by Diane Ravitch and Chester E. Finn finds that students score poorly because educators emphasize basic skills over content. (MSE)

Sexual decision making, perceptions of responsibility for birth control and pregnancy, and knowledge of contraception and the consequences of teenage pregnancy were assessed among 251 high-risk seventh- and eighth-grade Black, inner-city adolescents to determine these young peoples' need for information. (Author/LMO)

Summarizes studies which focus on energy concerns as they interface with education and communications. These studies (selected as representative and reflective of the varieties of environmental education research reported in the literature) are presented under these headings: (1) energy education in schools; (2) knowledge and attitudes; and (3)…

Presents study findings which supported the use of answer-until-correct tests. Discusses results based on responses of secondary students from England (N=387) that revealed that the answer-until-correct test of mechanical reasoning had similar findings to the spatial reasoning test. (ML)