The development of Q methodology is briefly reviewed, and the methodology itself is briefly described. Finally, a number of the issues are raised relating to the use of Q. Q methodology can have fruitful applications if it is not used indescriminately. Appropriate use of Q requires careful attention to the way the problems being researched are…

The second phase of the study of social skills development in the Appalachia Preschool Education Program is presented. A standardized situation in which children would have an opportunity to demonstrate those skills was devised. Three treatment groups were included in the program. Sex of the child was used as a factor. One purpose of this study…

The major purpose of this study was to identify common professional education competencies essential to adequate performance by administrators of vocational education at the community college level. Data were collected by means of a 98-item questionnaire which was designed so that deans and department chairmen could respond to the level of…

Contrary to popular opinion, it is very difficult to find any objective evidence of culture bias that could account for social class and racial differences in performance on current standard tests of intelligence, even those like the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (PPVT), which give the appearance of being highly culture-loaded. They may be…

Examines how social and psychological factors interact to produce different lifestyles and patterns of media use. Based on responses to telephone interviews and questionnaires, four lifestyle types are identified and their use of cable television and newspapers and newsmagazines is analyzed. (50 references) (Author/LRW)

A modified version of the Approaches to Studying Inventory was administered to students in an innovative medical school. It was found that, although the inventory was not predictive of academic success for this group, it might be helpful in student counseling, and student responses were consistent with the school's philosophy. (LRW)

This study investigates whether a linear factor analytic method commonly used to evaluate violation of the item response theory (IRT) unidimensionality assumption is sensitive to measurable curricular differences within a school district and to examine the possibility of differential item performance for groups of students receiving different…

Analysis of 1,796 student ratings of clinical instruction showed students link teacher effectiveness to (1) an instructor meeting teaching responsibilities; (2) instructor behavior conducive to clinical learning; (3) technical competence; and (4) instructor enjoyment of his/her job. (MSE)

The London Challenge is a Department for Education and Skills (DfES) initiative, which aims to raise levels of attainment in London secondary schools and to create a world class education system in the capital. In 2005, London Challenge commissioned the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER) to carry out a survey of Year 7 pupils,…

Because an instructor's first interaction with students on the first day of class can determine the success of those to follow, it is important to explore what happens in a classroom setting before offering prescriptions on how to best handle situations in that setting. To understand how students' responses to specific attributes related to…

Values education has recently been high on the political agenda in many countries, including the Netherlands. Using a theoretical framework based on traditions in several academic areas, this study examined attitudes of Dutch parents, teachers, and secondary school students regarding moral education goals and the division of moral tasks between…

Reviews evolution of workfare programs during the past 25 years. Summarizes both positive and negative outcomes of such programs, and identifies some key issues and unanswered questions resulting from these outcomes. Suggests a more viable direction for welfare reform in the areas of child care responsibility, balance of rights and obligations,…

Psychometric evaluation of the Preschool and Kindergarten Behavior Scales (PKBS) is reported. Factor analyses indicated the presence of a stable factor structure for both social skills and problem behaviors scales. Reliability studies indicated the PKBS has adequate-to-strong stability. Explorations of within-scale relationships yielded evidence…

The Mathematics Anxiety Scale (MAS) was subjected to exploratory factor analysis in 1,047 students (including college undergraduates, high school students, and middle school students). Factor structures were similar for males and females. Recommends the MAS be used in conjunction with other measures that assess students' feelings and beliefs with…

Evaluates changes in social background, resource constraints, and labor market incentives as possible explanations for differences in the educational expectations between black, and white high school students during 1980-92. Maintains that a consideration of relative direct costs and improvement of social background is necessary to explain these…