Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are a class of conditions categorized by communication problems, ritualistic behaviors, and inappropriate social behaviors. While there is much evidence to support a genetic link for ASD, an identified genetic marker remains elusive. As such, practitioners place considerable emphasis on traditional measures of…

Novice teachers often struggle in their first year. Some succumb to illness, depression, or burnout, and some even decide to abandon teaching as a career option. The classic stressors identified by new teachers have been remarkably consistent over the years, and their challenges have been well chronicled. Less has been written, however, about the…

In tests with time limits, items at the end are often not reached. Usually, the pattern of missing responses depends on the ability level of the respondents; therefore, missing data are not ignorable in statistical inference. This study models data using a combination of two item response theory (IRT) models: one for the observed response data and…

Studies of group differences in intelligence often invite conclusions about groups in general from studies of group differences in selected populations. The same design is used in the study of group differences in other traits as well. Investigators observe samples from two groups (e.g. men and women) in some accessible population, but seek to…

The attitudes towards science of upper-primary students in three ability strands (average, above average, and gifted) were investigated. A total of 580 upper primary students from co-educational government and government-aided schools in Singapore were involved in this study. The attitude subscales investigated were enjoyment of science,…

American educators have become very concerned by mandates prescribed in the federal No Child Left Behind Act and a slew of state-level reforms such as new curriculum standards and requirements. It is difficult for them to entertain other suggestions. The concern is understandable because noncompliance leads to unbearable consequences. Failure to…

This study examined gender, socio-economic (SES), and ethnic group differences in academic performance (measured at 14 and 16 years) in a sample of 517 British pupils (mean age = 16.5 years). White pupils outperformed their Black and Pakistani counterparts and high SES pupils consistently outperformed their low SES counterparts. Results from two…

This study of 311 adult education learners found 29% self-reported having a specific learning disability (SLD). Significant differences in demographic, academic, and life experience variables between the adult learners with and without SLD included prior participation in special education, having both an SLD diagnosis and a high school diploma,…

We extend prior research on involvement in employee development activity by including prominent individual difference constructs that have been previously ignored in this area of research. These include two important personality characteristics (conscientiousness and openness to experience), mental ability and goal orientation constructs. We…

Many studies have been conducted on the achievement gap, with most findings pointing to how school and family variables affect Black students' achievement. Another body of work focuses on how social variables (i.e., peers) impact Black students' achievement, including how accusations of "acting White" affect the performance of Black students and…

Finding teaching models and strategies that benefit learners while incorporating skills students will need in the future, such as using technology, is important. This study examined the problem of whether Webquests, an inquiry-based teaching strategy where much of the information is found online, are a beneficial way to integrate technology into…

The purpose of this research was to investigate the nature of listeners' attitudes toward foreign-accented speech and the manner in which those attitudes are formed. This study measured 165 participants' implicit and explicit attitudes toward US- and foreign-accented audio stimuli. Implicit attitudes were measured with an audio Implicit…

This book reports in detail on a research study that was conducted in Egypt. The main purpose of the study was to investigate the effect of using a Multiple Intelligences-Based Training Programme on developing first-year English majors' oral communication skills. Based on literature review and related studies, a list of 20 oral communication…

A fundamental assumption in the identification of specific learning disabilities (SLD) has been that the presence of a severe discrepancy between ability and academic achievement is a valid marker for the presence of a SLD. This assumption is based on the notion that discrepant low achievers constitute a unique group of children who are different…

The following article discusses an educational simulation created within Second Life (SL) in order to assist pre-service teachers (PSTs) in gaining more experience managing student behavior. The article discusses the development, implementation, and assessment of the simulation as well as student data on the feasibility of the approach in…