The authors (1) cross-validate research supporting the hypothesis that perceived peer status mediates the effects of athletics on educational aspirations and attainments; (2) compare the estimates with those for a model which incorporates significant-others' influence as the key intervening variable; and (3) extend past research to include…

Investigates the effects of situational constraint and type of causal explanation on the degree to which described behavior would be perceived as evidencing "mental illness" and the degree to which it would lead to social rejection. (Editor/RK)

Explores the language learning experiences of a class of adult learners of Chinese in Australia who were all teachers of English as a Second Language or a language other than English. The study examined the learners' response to their learning environment and their response to the target language. (nine references) (Author/CK)

Results and interpretations of the data from a performance examination were compared for four methods of analysis for 74 medical specialty certification candidates: (1) traditional summary statistics; (2) inter-judge correlations; (3) generalizability theory; and (4) the multifaceted Rasch model. Advantages of the Rasch model are outlined. (SLD)

Summarizes current reference-services costing practices and reveals problems with these practices. Suggests six ways that current costing practices of reference services can be improved. (AEF)

Details an investigation concerned with the composition of a grape to illustrate how food and nutrition topics can drive inquiry-oriented science learning. Students design experiments that surround the development of a fictitious new beverage. (DDR)

Examines relationship between Connected and Separate Knowing dimensions of Knowledge Styles Inventory (K. Knight and others, 1994) and learning modes of A. Kolb (1984), formal operational reasoning (B. Inhelder and J. Piaget, 1958, 1975; G. Tobin and W. Capie, 1981), and vocabulary and abstract thinking abilities (W. Shipley, 1940). Findings…

Analyses of the search styles of 47 female and 56 male high school students revealed that an equal number of males and females focused clearly and remained detached (Detached Navigators) or focused clearly and became involved (Involved Navigators). Gender differences were found in topics, task perception, and affective experience. Also discusses…

Introduces students to the study of dynamical systems through a number of learning activities that explore functions in general and linear and exponential functions in particular. Students use calculators to interpret graphs, find patterns in tables of data, and also use algebra. (DDR)

Discusses the issues related to evaluation of distance education and virtual schooling. The evaluation design of a virtual high school project is presented, and goals, stakeholder analysis, evaluator role, data collection, and data analysis are described. The need for evaluation of distance education and the ethical responsibility of the…

Presents a lesson involving the measurement of wood beams and the prediction and testing of their stress limits. Provides an example of a problem with multiple solutions, each with different consequences. (KHR)

Focuses on communication in teaching statistics. Describes a classroom in which students developed statistical understanding of exploratory data analysis. (KHR)

Describes a way of using multiple representations to help students learn data analysis and make sense out of a large amount of data. Includes an activity for a group-learning environment. (KHR)

Examined student experiences in a class integrating the teaching of theory and data analysis. Found that a majority of students enjoyed this way of learning; believed that the exercise assisted their learning of substantive theory, computing applications, and the nature of survey data; and felt that what they learned could be applied elsewhere.…

Uses an information processing approach to analyze the pausal behavior of end-users and identifies reasons for pausing, location of pauses, hesitation rate and pausal behavior changes over time. Confirms that searchers pause less frequently and for shorter periods as they progressed through searches over time. (Author/AEF)