Stability from morning to afternoon and from year to year of 25 kindergarten and first grade teachers was examined for time and frequency of interactions during reading, story reading, and all instruction. Possible reasons for the lesser stability of first grade teachers are discussed. (SLD)

A correlational study examined the relationship between test performance and four study processes (encoding, word meaning, organizing, and executive control). Results with 123 college freshmen trained to use study strategies suggest that executive control is related to test performance and that trained subjects select a variety of strategies…

Perceptions of four reading-disabled middle school students were examined to reveal factors that may have prevented progress in reading. The following were identified as contributors: (1) ineffective use of reading strategies; (2) student perceptions of their reading instruction; (3) reading-related stress; and (4) students' educational histories.…

The effects of problem content on mathematics word problem performance were explored for 128 male and 128 female college students solving problems with masculine, feminine, and neutral (familiar and unfamiliar) cover stories. No effect of sex typing was found, and a small, but highly significant, effect was found for familiarity. (SLD)

Australian study examined the ways that school factors and family background influenced high school students to stay in school for the senior secondary noncompulsory years. Researchers proposed a causal model which suggested student achievement level and perceptions of the quality of school life influenced their intentions. (SM)

Study of metacognition in reading examined the psychometric properties of the Index of Reading Awareness. To determine reliability and validity data, researchers administered it to elementary students along with the Woodcock Reading Mastery Test-Revised. They concluded that it should be used cautiously to measure metacognition in reading. (SM)

Researchers investigated the effects of frequent classroom testing on students, examining studies on adjunct questions and on mastery testing. Meta-analysis of 40 studies indicated students who took at least 1 test over 15 weeks scored one-half of a standard deviation higher on criterion examinations than did students who took no tests. (SM)

Researchers investigated Spanish learning outcomes for fluent and nonfluent limited-English-proficient Hispanic subjects in a maintenance bilingual program. Spanish reading and mathematics achievement were analyzed for each group using Texas norms. Both groups performed at or above the norms for 11 of 12 grade clusters for Spanish reading or…

Researchers tried training preservice teachers to make clearer presentations and produce greater student learning and satisfaction. Subjects received training in 17 instructional clarifying behaviors. Researchers videotaped their teaching pre- and posttraining. Learners rated content and satisfaction. Results indicated significant improvement in…

Describes an objective, reliable method for functionally measuring cursive handwriting. Researchers assessed the sensitivity of a functional response-class definition to differentiate easy-to-read from difficult-to-read cursive handwriting. Results showed no overlap between the categories. There was small sample-to-sample variability with the…

Reports on a study of absenteeism and truancy in 36 secondary schools in 4 large Dutch cities. Found that students in vocationally oriented schools had higher rates of truancy. Also found that non-Dutch (ethnic minority) pupils had higher rates of absenteeism and truancy. (CFR)

This article discusses the study of educational history as it helps develop certain habits of thought, examining related questions (what the goals defining school curricula should be, what educational experiences schoolchildren need to be ready for adult activities, and how schools can meet the common and individual needs of students). (SM)

The effectiveness of teacher training for enhancing feelings of personal teaching efficacy was assessed for control and training-group teachers. Pretesting, posttesting, and followup examined personal and teaching efficacy, teaching satisfaction, and role integration. Results supported the value of training and of addressing teacher efficacy…

This study investigated the effects of teachers' psychological presence on writing task engagement in students reporting low and high levels of linguistic self-efficacy. Results found that teachers play important roles in shaping students' task-related engagement, with a complex relationship between teachers' pedagogical beliefs and practices and…

The Academic Motivation Profile is derived from theories of motivation. Researchers studied preservice teachers to refine the instrument, examine the relationship between undergraduate student motivation and achievement, and determine the instrument's utility for detecting group differences. The paper discusses the instrument's development,…