A survey of high school seniors assessed indicators of educational quality and selectivity as predictors of academic reputation (AR) and desire to attend a college. Curriculum rigor and social/cultural activities were predictive of AR; class size and individualized attention were not. Curriculum rigor and individualized attention were predictive…

Examines communication about contraception and specific knowledge of oral contraceptives (OCs) in a sample of Norwegian high school students. More females than males discussed contraception at least monthly. Discussions were predominantly held with peers and not adults. Females were far more knowledgeable about OCs than males. The most significant…

Investigates the role of child care in childbearing decisions in western Germany. Finds that access to informal care arrangements increases the probability of entering parenthood, but does not find any statistically significant effect of the public day care provision on fertility. (Contains 65 references, 5 tables, and 1 appendix.) (GCP)

Describes a study that investigated gender differences in perceptions of and preferences for telematic learning environments based on questionnaires completed by open and distance learning university students. Significant gender differences were found, but none of the variables explained differences in students' perceptions and preferences.…

Gives children (ages 5+ to 9+) four tests of phonological skill to investigate relationships between these measures and their predictive relationship with reading and spelling ability. Finds performance at phonemic segmentation, rhyme sound categorization, and alliteration sound categorization improved with age, but all groups performed onset-rime…

Examines attitudes of beginning teachers toward their current support systems and compares those attitudes with factors previously identified as predictors of attrition. Notes that this sample of teachers is not predisposed to leaving the profession. Suggests that administrators should strongly support teachers' new ideas. (RS)

Attempted to replicate and extend the findings of earlier Student Loan Recipient Survey of the 1987 National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NPSAS:87) on student loan defaults. Analysis of 1,117 borrowers from 510 institutions indicated that besides certain precollege traits and high grade point averages, postcollege employment congruent with the…

A study of individual and group achievement of 362 London Business School students found the strongest predictors of individual performance were English proficiency and Graduate Management Admission Test scores. Younger students and married students performed better. No predictors of group performance were found. (SK)

Studies whether Piagetian reasoning, general intelligence and achievement motive tap different mental structures, and the relative importance of these measures for concept attainment in physics. Concepts chosen for the study were force, couple, total internal reflection and atom. Results indicate that proportional reasoning, combinatorial…

Reports on a study to investigate the factors that influence the creation of links to journal Web sites. Specific questions addressed are whether site age and site content are inducers of links to a journal's Web site as measured by the ratio of link counts to Journal Impact Factors. (Author/MES)

Investigated how conflict management of boys in Head Start related to disruptive behavior and peer rejection in the Fall and Spring of the preschool year. Found that boys who engaged in higher rates of conflict and exhibited greater aggression and avoidance during peer conflicts tended to be rejected by peers and perceived as disruptive by…

Explores how living in a residential learning community affects drinking behaviors. Students living in three different residential learning communities were found to binge drink at significantly lower rates than did matched comparison groups who lived in another university residence hall. Further, learning community residents also suffered fewer…

Purpose of study was to determine predictive validity of self-regulated learning variables in comparison to traditional college admission test scores for first-generation students. Also investigated were differences, regarding self-regulated learning variables and ACT, between first- and second-generation students and how self-regulated learning…

This prospective study found that self-reported attitudes toward peer aggression among 403 middle school students were both internally consistent and stable over time (7 months). Aggressive attitudes were correlated with four outcome criteria for aggressive behavior: student self-report of peer aggression; peer and teacher nominations of bullying;…

A survey of 89 graduates with learning disabilities found high levels of employment self-efficacy and satisfaction. Although there were no significant differences related to self-efficacy and job satisfaction and selected demographic variables, perceptions of employment self-efficacy and use of self-regulatory strategies were found to be…