This study was designed to assess preservice elementary education teachers' knowledge of the functions of the U.S. Government. The "High School Subject Tests: American Government," developed by Scott, Foresman and Company for use with high school students, was elememtary education teachers' knowledge of the functions of the U.S.…

A theory of learning based on recent insights from sociology and semiotics is explicated. Building on the work of Vygotsky, Dewey, Halliday, Barnes, Deely, Eisner, and others, this sociosemiotic model of learning is used as a frame of reference for thinking about the process by which texts are created from sensation. It is argued that the process…

A study was conducted to test a model of relational competence that consisted of three components: motivation, knowledge, and skill in interaction for both participants in a conversation. The model is based on the assumption that the additive combination of these components for both participants will be significantly predictive of several…

A self-administered survey was given to 152 college students to test their knowledge and understanding of some basic health facts and terminology commonly found in printed materials affixed to or accompanying common over-the-counter (OTC) drug preparations. The results indicated that 96% of the sample had used OTC medications as college students.…

In the answer-until-correct mode of multiple-choice testing, respondents are directed to continue choosing among the alternatives to each item until they find the correct response. There is no consensus as to how to convert the resulting pattern of responses into a measure because of two conflicting models of item response behavior. The first…

The Minnesota Sea Grant Education Sub-program provided funds to the University of Minnesota in 1980 to develop aquatic education materials (dealing with freshwater systems) for grades 5-9. The project resulted in the development and classroom testing of 13 instructional modules. A second grant (1982) funded workshops to introduce Minnesota…

The document reports on a series of 18 regional workshops for school psychologists on assessment of visually handicapped students. Workshop topics are summarized, and materials indexed in an appendix are cross referenced for each topic: background information (social attitudes regarding vision loss, developmental implications); assessment (use of…

Student performance on the 1983-84 Michigan Educational Assessment Program's social studies assessment test is examined. The purpose of the test was to collect statewide sample data on how well public school students in Michigan are learning, based on a selected set of social studies objectives. A random sample of each type of school community in…

Telephone interviews with 389 people were conducted by undergraduate students to test the hypothesis that attention to economic news in the media would result in more beliefs about the economy, and that both news media attention and beliefs would lead to the holding of stronger attitudes toward the current administration's economic policy.…

The role of the universities in the international distribution of knowledge is examined. An introduction by Irving J. Spitzberg, Jr. provides an overview of the volume. Part I: Analytical Context includes: "Universities and the New International Order: A Conceptual Analysis" (Spitzberg); "Knowledge as a Commodity: The Inequities of…

A description and evaluation of an environmental science inservice education program for teachers of grades 4-6 from central Texas is described. Participants attended 32 class sessions which involved lecture, demonstration, seminars, laboratory work, and discussion. Two full-day and four half-day field trips were also part of the program. The…

Based upon Ausubel's theory of meaningful learning, this study focused on the use of concept maps (diagrams that portray relationships among concepts in a given area of study) to help students identify logical relationships between a new concept and concepts already known. Relationships of a learner's prior knowledge and cognitive development to…

Current data on the widespread nature of sexual activity among unmarried teenagers and young adults and the rise in unplanned pregnancy among these groups offer evidence of a lack of knowledge about reproduction and contraception. Male (N=75) and female (N=78) university students participated in a study of the effects of authoritarianism,…

A study was conducted to compare five different techniques for determining the best means of assessing a reader's background knowledge and for discovering if it is possible to elicit different amounts of information from the same subject by simply varying techniques. Subjects were 32 third through sixth grade students, divided into groups of…

This paper discusses a survey undertaken to assess the attitudes of over 2,000 high school students towards economic issues and economics courses. The premise of the survey was that more studies evaluating economics instruction at the high school level overemphasize achievement and knowledge outcomes and fail to measure attitude outcomes. The…