The purpose of this research is to study the effects of drama and traditional methods on primary school students' use of reading strategies, on their attitudes toward reading, and on their perceptions of the drama method. A pre- and post-test experimental design with the control group was employed for this study. The drama technique was used in…

Since their creation over two centuries ago, public schools have been coupled with students via geographical zones. Bolstered by compulsory attendance laws, public schools have a very consistent clientele. Based solely on where they resided, students were required to attend specific schools between Kindergarten and Grade 12. Schools have, in…

This study investigated school administrators' perceptions of school improvement policies in a high-impact policy environment by measuring the impact of accountability, site-based management, professional development, and scheduling reform on the three dependent variables of a) academic outcomes, b) staff morale, and c) parent and community…

In this study, the authors conducted a mixed analysis of student perceptions of their best high school teachers. The sample of 257 preservice teachers from a College of Education in California described their best high school teacher. From their descriptions, qualitative analysis through the method of constant comparison yielded eight themes:…

This study uses generalizability theory to examine the dependability of anchoring labels of Likert-type scales. Variance components associated with labeling were estimated in two samples using a two-facet random effect generalizability-study design. In one sample, 173 graduate students in education were administered 7 items measuring attitudes…

This study of survey research experts was conducted to determine desirable characteristics of mail questionnaires. The 82-item Likert-scale instrument used in the study covered general appearance, instructions, choice of items, choice of response options, wording, order of items, and item format. The instrument was administered to: 8 subjects who…

The purpose of this study was to investigate salience of overt teaching biases among pre-service teachers. Psychological and self-reported characteristics and views were examined among 114 pre-service teachers to determine whether those characteristics and views were consistent with known tendencies associated with cognitive perceptual ability.…

The study surveyed first year graduates of a newly formed graduate educational leadership program and focused quantitatively and qualitatively on collecting data regarding participants' perceptions of quality of online courses in the degree program. Through post program anonymous surveys participants reported they expected to have only an average…

Studied the primacy effect (tendency to select items closer to the left side of the response scale) in Likert scales worded from "Strongly Disagree" to "Strongly Agree" and in the opposite direction. Findings for 386 high school and college students show no primacy effect, although negatively worded stems had an effect on Cronbach's alpha. (SLD)

This article describes efforts involved in an initial attempt to develop an objective instrument that assesses a teacher's perceived engagement in reflective practice. The Reflective Teaching Instrument was developed around three dimensions of reflective practice: diagnosis, testing, and personal causation. (IAH)

Attitudes toward physical activity among 564 undergraduate and graduate students were primarily influenced by gender, year in school, activity class enrollment, and the passage of time. An experimental group, which received mini-lectures on the scientific bases of exercise, showed little significant change in attitude. The survey instrument is…

Discusses the importance of assessing camp staff attitudes, the nature of attitudes, and how attitudes are formed. Recommends Likert scales as effective in measuring the direction and strength of an attitude, identifying the object of an attitude, and detecting how an attitude was formed. Provides guidelines for developing a Likert scale and…

Discusses part of study stimulated by the continuing debate over differences between boys and girls in their attitudes towards mathematics and their participation and performance in this subject at school. Concludes that there were clear differences between boys and girls on the Mathematics as a Male Domain scale with girls being less stereotyped…

Reports on the development of a 12-item Likert-type measure of collective efficacy in schools designed to assess the extent to which a faculty believes in its conjoint capacity to influence student learning positively. A total of 452 teachers in 47 schools completed a 21-item scale later refined to 12 items. Discusses internal consistency and…

This study attempted to investigate students perceptions toward the use of the digital library in weekly web-based distance learning assignments portion of a hybrid instructional programme. Attention was given to three variables: age, gender, and prior experience with the Internet. A Likert-type instrument consisting of 10 items was designed to…