The purpose of the study was to determine comparability of an online version to the original paper-pencil version of Defining Issues Test 2 (DIT2). This study employed methods from both Classical Test Theory (CTT) and Item Response Theory (IRT). Findings from CTT analyses supported the reliability and discriminant validity of both versions.…

This article discusses the goals and challenges of adult education in Malaysia. In addition, it reports on the evaluation of two programmes--Computer Literacy and Civic Development--offered by a government agency called the Community Development Department (KEMAS) to rural communities. In both programmes, the respondents scored high in cognitive…

This paper reports on a study that sought to uncover and explore the beliefs female secondary pre-service teachers held about teaching and being the teacher as they entered into their teacher education programs. The results indicated that for the participating teacher candidates it was their prior teachers in their intended subject who most…

Academic administrators play a critical role in supporting and otherwise encouraging faculty to participate in web-based learning. In the fall of 2000, administrators at five academic institutions in the University of Texas System were surveyed concerning their attitudes on web-based learning. Administrators were defined as Chairs, Deans, and Vice…

More than any other of its aspects, assessment plays a central role in determining the quality of education. Quality of primary/basic education (QoE) can be viewed as the extent to which the process of education at the primary education level maximizes desirable outcomes in terms of cognitive, affective and psychomotor behaviour of the learners.…

The Quest program offers a comprehensive test and questionnaire analysis environment by providing a data analyst (a computer program) with access to the most recent developments in Rasch measurement theory, as well as a range of traditional analysis procedures. This manual helps the user use Quest to construct and validate variables based on…

The following seven statistical procedures are compared in terms of the ability to recover a unidimensional latent trait from Likert-type data: (1) factor analysis based on Pearson correlations (FA-PR); (2) factor analysis based on polychoric correlations (FA-PL); (3) the graded response model in item response theory (IRT-GRM); (4) internal…

In recent years, standardized test scores have assumed an increasingly important role in educational assessment. As the stakes involved in testing become higher, educators are forced to make decisions regarding the ethics involved in standardized test preparation and administration. The ethical continuum of test preparation practices as formulated…

Educators have been optimistic that technology would enhance teaching and learning by effective use of educational technology in classroom atmosphere. But, little attention has focused on the attitudes of both preschool pre-service and their cooperating teachers towards using educational technology in the classroom. This study employed an…

It has been an ongoing concern among academicians teaching social sciences to develop a better methodology to ease understanding of students. Since verbal emphasis is at the core of the concepts within such disciplines it has been observed that the adequate or desired level of conceptual understanding of the students to transforms the theories…

The purpose of this study was to assess the attitudes toward learning about and working with computers of Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), Shah Alam students. Attitudes were studied in an attempt to ascertain factors such as anxiety, confidence, liking and, usefulness at the university level. A total of 300 students at various stages of education…

Introduction: We report an investigation designed to explore the information-seeking behaviour of extension managers and specialists in Iran, and to identify the factors that correlate with this behaviour. Method: A questionnaire was developed to explore information-seeking behaviour of extension managers and specialists. The questionnaire was…

A self-report measure of procrastination tendencies was developed and tested by relating it to a behavioral measure of procrastination and to a self-report measure of general efficacy. A 72-item Likert scale was written and administered to 50 college juniors and seniors. A factor analysis of the results yielded two factors that formed the basis…

Educators have been optimistic that technology would enhance teaching and learning by effective use of educational technology in classroom atmosphere. But, little attention has focused on the attitudes of both preschool pre-service and their cooperating teachers towards using educational technology in the classroom. This study employed an…

This paper describes an interdisciplinary project at California State University (Long Beach) designed to increase the attractiveness of the geosciences to underrepresented groups. The project is called the Geoscience Diversity Enhancement Project (GDEP). It is a 3-year program which began in the fall of 2001 with funding from the National Science…