This digest describes some basics of the construction of multiple-choice tests. As a rule, the test maker should strive for test item stems (introductory questions or incomplete statements at the beginning of each item that are followed by the options) that are clear and parsimonious, answers that are unequivocal and chosen by the students who do…

A study which reviewed the research literature analyzed the relationship between television advertisements and the lowering of the self concept. Although television advertising has a relatively short history, today a person can hardly escape from it. Advertisements are specifically targeted to age-related and demographic groups. By focusing on…

This study examined the treatment of girls versus boys in Catholic elementary schools, building on the national studies of Dr. Myra Sadker and Dr. David Sadker, which have demonstrated bias against girls in American classrooms and curriculum. Subjects were 879 male and 868 female students from 81 classrooms (grades K-8) in 41 Catholic elementary…

A form for assessing the multicultural content of instructional materials at the elementary and secondary school levels is presented. It consists of 41 statements about the content extent, content validity, and cognitive content of classroom materials, each to be rated on a scale of 0 to 5. The statements address the degree to which the materials…

These essays represent a plateau in the fight for Chicana voices to be heard, and they display the range of scholarship Chicanas are producing. The first section contains statements given at the plenary session on Chicana feminism, and the second section analyzes the position of Chicanas in the workplace. Section 3 considers research and data on…

Racism, discrimination, and prejudice are typically viewed from the perspective of the disadvantaged ethnic minority, but another approach is to address the advantages of whites. There is one culture that is usually invisible to whites, and that is "whiteness." To grow up white is to be the focal point from which others differ. Whites…

To test a previous study on therapist bias and to investigate whether gender-role stereotypes continue to influence judgments of mental health workers, 55 Master's-level counselors-in-training, from 2 different programs, were administered questionnaires. Each item in the questionnaire was rated on a seven-point scale, with one pole being typically…

A study examined gender differences in reading attitudes among school age children. The hypothesis was that school age children in grades K-8 regard reading as a predominately feminine activity. Subjects were 269 students, grades K-8, from a low-income, urban school setting. Students completed Reading Attitude Surveys, modified from the Downing…

This research project was inspired by an observation that in written descriptions of pupils by student teachers, gender appeared to play a role in the words used to describe successful students. Girls were interpreted as "overconscientious," while boys were regarded as "scientific types." The project centered on Anna, an…

The video "Cultural Baggage" was created to parody stereotypes by which people are often labeled. Using comedy as the vehicle, this short video tape serves as a way to break down defenses and allow dialog to begin about how people can learn not to stereotype each other culturally or racially. The facilitator's manual is divided into four sections:…

Various definitions of gender identity have ranged from recognition of one's biological sex to an individual's sense of masculinity or femininity. For the purpose of this paper, which examines some of the theoretical approaches to the subject, gender identity will be defined as "the degree to which individuals are 'aware' of and accept their…

This position paper asserts that sexual harassment in educational settings constitutes a serious problem and is on the increase, if the number of court cases involving alleged incidents of harassment in education is any indicator. Members of the academic community appear reluctant to confront incidents of sexual harassment and develop proactive…

Television programming has long been recognized as an effective method of educating children. This paper investigated the degree of exposure an educational children's program, Sesame Street, gave to female and male characters and the extent to which these characters were stereotypically portrayed. Children's Television Workshop produces 110…

A study examined the way teachers have been portrayed in nine films spanning a 50-year time period. Thirty-seven teachers attending a graduate education course completed a 27-item questionnaire to rate each of nine films. Results indicated that although the teachers portrayed in the films were distinctly different from each other, overall, the…

This paper explored the behavior of children of the U.S. homefront during World War II, and found that, in general, girls and boys adopted the sex-typed behavior that their parents, teachers, and peers believed was appropriate to their gender and age. Thus, girls played the roles of mother, teacher, and nurse, while boys played the roles of…