A survey of 434 students of beginning Spanish at the University of Pittsburgh revealed "indifferent" attitudes toward second language courses (required at the school) and a lack of high school training in culture, literature, and conversation among those who studied Spanish at the high school level. (CB)

Examined the influence of selected factors on secondary student's performance in practical chemistry for a sample of students and teachers from 39 Nigerian schools. Student participation in laboratory activities and students attitudes to chemistry were identified as being the most important factors affecting performance in chemistry. (ML)

Attributes of teachers remembered by students as effective and memorable included commitment, goal orientation, integrated perception, reward orientation, individualized perception, innovation, objectivity, rapport, active listening, and empathy. (CB)

This review and critique of the literature on aging and faculty performance identifies major theoretical perspectives that run through studies on aging. Four types of aging theories are considered: biological, psychological, sociological, and social psychological. Aging effects are examined in relation to cohort and historical effects. (Author/LMO)

Investigates the relationship between employee productivity with new technology and listening ability. Data entry employees from two divisions of a large corporation were given a standardized test to assess their listening ability. Results reveal that employees who received listening training performed at significantly higher levels than those who…

Twelve learning-handicapped elementary students were exposed to synthetic speech. Subsequently, the children identified a higher percentage of stimulus words presented by a speech synthesizer than did children in a limited exposure group. Both groups correctly identified more words presented by a tape recording than presented by the speech…

Second-year medical students (N=187) evaluated their own videotaped performances during physical assessment examinations. Peers and expert evaluators also rated the performances. Significant differences emerged across types of raters. Results show that these students do not accurately assess their own or peers' skills performances. (TJH)

Differences in performance IQs between deaf children of hearing parents (HP), deaf children of deaf parents (DP), and hearing children (HC) may be a result of differences in speed of information processing. DP adolescents were found to have faster reaction and movement times than HP or HC subjects along with equivalent IQs. (Author/VW)

The relationships between academic achievement in medical school and performance in first-year residency was investigated. Residents rated as "outstanding" consistently performed better on the National Board of Medical Examiners' examinations than those rated as "below average." Results support the consideration of academic…

A study of the relationship between students' evaluation of university instruction and instructors' self-ratings at Tel-Aviv University found only a modest relationship. Discrepancies between teacher and student ratings were not found in relation to teacher training but were found in relation to the amount of teaching experience. (MSE)

Reports on a study that examined the performance and science attitudes of two groups of students in a college chemistry course. One group had enrolled in high school chemistry; the other group had not. There was no difference between groups as to attitude toward chemistry or academic performance. (RT)

This article briefly interprets the major findings of Peters and Waterman's themes about corporate excellence; describes the theoretical framework of two outcome-based education programs; discusses the messages common to excellence in management and in education; and interprets key elements in the emerging excellence paradigm. (JL)

Contains three articles designed to help practitioners with practical assessment for the GCSE. Articles include: "GCSE Biology Practical Assessment--Can the End Justify the Means?"; "Investigating the Effect of Catalase: GCSE Assessment Practical"; and "An Experimental Design for GCSE Physics." (CW)

Examined how the gender of instructors who taught gender-salient material influenced students' perceptions of the instructor and the course content. Results showed that a male instructor was viewed more positively than a female instructor. Implications for teaching are discussed. (Author/GEA)

Statistical validation is reported for the Child Care Perceiver Interview instrument, used in employing residential child care workers. Results indicate that the interview is effective in predicting job performance in group care settings and is acceptable in meeting Equal Employment Opportunity requirements. (Author/BB)