Facets of problem solving instruction (PSI) were studied in German mathematics classrooms. Nine different facets of PSI were identified from the research literature, and a video rating form was developed to assess these facets and teacher effectiveness. Videotaped mathematics lessons (n=147) for German eighth graders from the sample for the Third…

A review of the literature, existing instructional theory, and critical incident techniques aided in the development of a rating instrument consisting of 40 items regarding the clinical experiences of third-year medical students. Factor analysis indicated that clinical teaching can be described in terms useful for specification of teaching…

Nineteen studies of instruments used by students to evaluate college teachers are reviewed for factors used as evaluation criteria, and several instruments are briefly described. Eight criteria for selecting a student rating instrument to be used for improving college instruction are listed. (GDC)

In a study conducted in Ireland, factor analysis of IQ, mathematics, and English standardized test scores, together with the 15 teacher ratings, showed that there is overlap between ratings and test results but that the information obtained is not redundant. (Author/RL)

Correlation of the Learning Environment Inventory with a semantic differential attitude test indicated that three learning environment variables (goal direction, satisfaction, and classroom organization) fostered positive attitudes toward chemistry. Course difficulty, interpersonal tension, and course speed were related to negative attitudes. (CP)

Describes three case studies presented in a British science course to show the impact of industrial chemicals on people's lives, and how students can evaluate various factors involved in a particular case study. References and a list of factors for each case study are also included. (HM)

The development and validation of three instruments for the multidimensional assessment of a child's classroom behavior are described. The multidimensional nature, internal consistency, and test-retest properties of scales depicting teacher-, peer-, and self-rated behavior are explicated. Principal-components analyses demonstrate the convergent…

Six personality measures, measures of stress, self-reported health status and coping, and a measure of social desirability were administered to samples of college students and adults (n=589) in a series of four studies. Correlations among these measures and evidence for a higher order factor called Health Proneness factor are discussed. (SLD)

This study reports on the development and psychometric properties of a new 87-item Mathematics Information Processing Scale that explores learning strategies, metacognitive problem-solving skills, and attentional deployment. Results with 340 college students support the use of the instrument, for which factor analysis identified five theoretically…

Used the Revised Class Play measure to examine measurement of peer perceptions of behavioral reputation in elementary, middle, and high school environments. Found that data did not fit the original 3-factor structure; cross-loading of items and different patterns of association between subscales across age groups contributed to poor fit.…

Comparisons of aptitude factor structures were made in nationally representative samples of young black, white, and Hispanic American men and women who took the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) (n=9,173). Tests reflecting content common in high school curricula showed few sex or ethnic differences. Other differences are…

The stability of some dimensions of ability between the ages of 12 and 15 years was investigated for 225 boys and 242 girls in Sweden. Testing in grades 6, 8, and 9 indicated high stability for the general intelligence factor and for the residual of the General Visual factor. (SLD)

Using the Mayo Older Americans Normative Studies (MOANS) group (526 55-to 97-year-old adults), factor models were examined for the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Revised (WAIS-R); the Wechsler Memory Scale (WMS); and a core battery of the WAIS-R, the WMS, and the Rey Auditory-Verbal Learning Test. (SLD)

Defines playfulness in human-computer interactions in terms of flow theory and explores the dimensionality of the flow concept. Two studies are reported that investigated the factor structure and correlates of flow in human-computer interactions: one examined MBA students using Lotus 1-2-3 spreadsheet software, and one examined employees using…

Choice of leisure activity expressed by students and one parent each from four countries supports a three-dimensional factor structure of leisure dimensions, identified as aesthetic-intellectual, sports, and social-entertainment. Subjects were 642 U.S., 174 French, 243 Danish, and 139 New Zealand college students and their parents. (SLD)