The merits and hazards of minimum competency testing for the individual student or for student groups are discussed. Types of groups which lend themselves to group application and some important factors in determining the parameters of a group are discussed. Ten critical issues related to minimum competency testing are identified: (1) scope of…

The relationship between student reported achievements (SRA) and student ratings of their corresponding course and teacher was investigated, from responses to the Instructor and Course Evaluation Questionnaire. The SRA consisted of 10 commonly accepted concepts of cognitive and individual development; their average was used as a measure of…

The optimal test length, using predictive validity as a criterion, depends on two major conditions: the appropriate item-difficulty rather than the total number of items, and the method used in scoring the test. These conclusions were reached when responses to a 100-item multi-level test of reading comprehension from 136 non-native speakers of…

The crucial variable in good classroom teaching is the verbal behavior of the teacher. Through his questioning techniques--what questions he asks, how and when he asks them, how he replies to students, and how he stimulates students to reply to each other--the teacher can evoke a high level of class discussion and force students to go beyond the…

Performance in concrete and abstract tasks is examined systematically by varying the degree of abstractness of problem-solving and concept formation tasks. Four forms of a problem solving test were constructed. Each form of the test presented problem situations through four different modes: verbal stories, picture-book, color slides,…

This report examines how selection fairness is influenced by the item characteristics of a selection instrument in terms of its distribution of item difficulties, level of item discrimination, and degree of item bias. Computer simulation was used in the administration of conventional ability tests to a hypothetical target population consisting of…

Investigated the cognitive engagement of students in grades 4-6 who received science lessons that varied in the level of cognitive content, procedural complexity, and social organization. The variables did not significantly affect student involvement. Cognitive engagement was similar for tasks judged as low and high in difficulty. (SKC)

Describes a study of the mental processes college students use in thinking about speed. Piagetian-type tasks dealing with speed, time, and distance were used in an individual interview format. Males outperformed females on tasks relating to speed, but not on the other tasks. (TW)

Describes design of an item bank for use with lower ability mathematics students in Scottish secondary schools. Aspects of bank usage discussed include raw score translation to measures on validated scales, test design for various purposes, and ways of recording and analyzing results. Test examples with corresponding outputs are given. (Author/MBR)

The foreign language teaching process depends on making various choices regarding materials, approaches, and activities. This decision-making process is analyzed, the needs behind it examined, and a decision hierarchy developed. A model is suggested for teacher education that incorporates this hierarchy into preservice, inservice, and graduate…

Field observation studies involving 121 American and 200 Chinese third- through fifth-grade students, aged 8 to 11 years, examined developmental and cultural patterns in academic risk-taking. Variables assessed included developmental stage, situational factors, curricular emphasis, optimum risk level, cultural background, gender, and industrial…

Describes the use of Rasch item statistics for curricular analysis and instructional decision making. Uses a case study of application of the Rasch model in the pilot testing of items selected for criterion-referenced tests developed for grades one through eight in Charleston (South Carolina) schools. (SLD)

Transcript data were analyzed to determine changes in course taking among graduates of high schools including mostly lower achieving students in California, Florida, Missouri, and Pennsylvania, which adopted high graduation requirements in the 1980s. Average credits per student increased in all academic subjects, as did the courses' difficulty…

The use of restricted item response models to test hypotheses regarding item difficulty ordering and slope uniformity was demonstrated in a study in which 597 algebra students were asked to solve word problems reflecting various types of cognitive processing. Benefits and limitations of the procedures are discussed. (SLD)

In one college course in colonial history, students read and review one of several designated books, then share their reviews with small groups at the culmination of study of that topic. Discussion groups then answer and discuss synthesis questions about the books. Student response to the approach has been positive. (MSE)