This overview of recent research on individual differences especially concerns that research which relates to human learning and instruction. Several major areas of research are identified, and within each area various issues related to that area and representative studies are discussed. Whenever possible, references to more comprehensive reviews…

The purpose of this study was to determine if verbal scores on the "Scholastic Aptitude Test" (SAT) were related to student birth order and number of siblings in the family. The SAT scores of 71 randomly chosen students of the 1978 graduating class of a suburban high school were classified by family size and class rank of student. Each…

This report is an executive summary of a study conducted for the Minister's Advisory Committee on Student Achievement (MACOSA) of Alberta, Canada. It was designed to investigate levels of student achievement in science in Alberta at grades three, six, nine and twelve and to provide a data base for future assessment. Between 2,000 and 3,000…

In this volume the April, 1978 Instructional Dimensions Study Conference is reported. The conference focused on four areas of compensatory education: (1) opportunity to learn; (2) instructional setting; (3) planning, organization, and management; and (4) individualized instruction. An overview of the proceedings outlines and briefly discusses each…

A literature review is summarized on the effects of educational and environmental factors on student achievement. Environmental factors include background and community influences, such as social, economic, racial, educational and achievement levels; home environment; and qualities of students, such as academic readiness, motivation, and social…

This volume evaluates learning gains, learning problems, and pedagogical climate related to the elementary school social studies curriculum, "Man: A Course of Study" (MACOS). MACOS, a behavioral/anthropological curriculum, is intended to help elementary school children understand differences and similarities between man and other animals…

It is argued in this paper that generalizability theory provides a uniquely useful framework for defining and quantifying the dependability of data for decision making. It does so by requiring careful specification of the conditions of measurement and the anticipated sources of variation in the results of the measurement procedure. A distinction…

Compositions in the narrative and argumentative modes of discourse were collected from 240 students (40 boys and 40 girls each from grades 6, 10, and 12) and analyzed for mean T-unit length to determine any differences in syntactic complexity across modes of discourse or grade levels. At each grade level, T-unit length was significantly greater in…

This study of Piagetian formal reasoning in seventh grade students reports the relationships between four aspects of the ability to control variables in an experiment and the relationships between those four aspects and other constructs. The four aspects of the ability to control variables identified are: (1) set up a controlled experiment, (2)…

A study was undertaken to confirm previous findings on the relation between teacher performance on the "Teacher Test of Black English" (TTBE), certain teaching behaviors (direct correction, establishing a set, and "directly relevant" teaching), and the achievement of Vernacular Black English speaking students. In addition, the study sought to…

A 1968 appraisal of the effectiveness of the school research office as a channel for the dissemination of research and development information to school personnel is the main concern of this report. The paper is a product of the Communication Program at Far West Laboratory which is designed to fill three main research needs: the investigation of…

The literature on research and development of programs relevant to the area of compensatory education is reviewed and summarized in this report, which was designed to provide information for the state of Florida in planning compensatory programs. The review is divided into four sections concerning administration and organization, home/school…

Part 2 of a three-part volume for research and development systems researchers, this report attempts to apply the contextual analysis framework of research, development, and innovation (RD & I) activities presented in Part 1. The authors make a detailed analysis of RD & I activities in the sectors of education, civilian aviation, health,…

A 4-YEAR RESEARCH STUDY HAS INDICATED THAT A MOTHER'S ATTITUDE TOWARD THE SCHOOL INFLUENCES THE YOUNG CHILD'S SCHOOL BEHAVIOR AND HIS ABILITY TO DEAL WITH ADULTS AND PERFORM COGNITIVE TASKS. THE SAMPLE POPULATION FOR THE STUDY WAS MADE UP OF 1,963 NEGRO MOTHERS OF 4-YEAR-OLD CHILDREN FROM ONE MIDDLE-CLASS AND FROM THREE LOWER-CLASS…

A STUDY INVESTIGATED THE RELATION BETWEEN PERFORMANCE ON LEARNING AND PROBLEM-SOLVING TASKS AND LEVEL OF INTELLIGENCE. PERFORMANCE WAS MEASURED ACROSS A SERIES OF 10 LEARNING AND PROBLEM-SOLVING TASKS PRESENTED TO SUBJECTS IN A SERIES OF SIX FILMS SHOWN IN A CLASSROOM. THE SUBJECTS WERE 275 JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS AND 109 FOURTH GRADERS…