There has been abundant research examining how early life experiences affect achievement. In this article, we investigate the transition from elementary to junior high school at a developmental stage where numerous changes have an impact on students. Using nationally representative survey data, we found no differences in academic achievement…

This research evaluates the effectiveness of an anti-bullying program, Project Ploughshares Puppets for Peace (Woodfine, Lubimiv, & Langlois, 1995). Students in grades 3 and 4 (N = 129, 69 boys, 60 girls) from two public elementary schools completed a questionnaire on bullying at both pretest/post-test. Although Chi-square results showed no…

Characteristics of university courses and student engagement were examined in relation to student ratings of instruction. The Universal Student Ratings of Instruction instrument was administered to students at the end of every course at a major Canadian university over a three-year period. Using a two-step analytic procedure, a latent variable…

At most Canadian and American community colleges and universities, student ratings have been implemented as a means of evaluating course instruction. Although concerns regarding the validity of student ratings from instructors' perspectives have been studied quite extensively, issues associated with the use of student ratings information by…

Students, faculty and administrators at a major Canadian university were surveyed to investigate the utility or "consequential validity" of student ratings of instructors. Of the 1,229 (approximately equal number of males and females) students and alumni, about half (52%) indicated that they had never used the ratings, but of those who did use it,…