A survey of 75 school administrators was made to determine what they judge to be the specific oral communication skills most vital to teacher success. The emphasis administrators place on oral communication means that it should figure prominently in teacher education. Of all communication factors, listening is considered most important. (SLD)

A motivation questionnaire was used to investigate dominant factors and features of motivation among 90 Singapore elementary school teachers. Through item analysis, the following factors emerged as underlying motivations: esteem, self-actualization, security, autonomy, belongingness, achievement orientation, professional challenge, and task…

The extent to which university students at 3 Texas universities exhibit a postmodern shift in their values systems was studied in approximately 1,600 students. Although results suggest the dominance of a generally traditional world view among most students, enough ambiguity exists to indicate views in transition. (SLD)

A self-regulated learning inventory was developed for the study and was administered to 160 college students. Factor analysis found that self-regulated learning and self-efficacy account for the majority of the variance. The importance of self-regulated learning in college academic achievement is supported by these results. (SLD)

Characteristics and perceived training needs were studied for 173 educators working with nontraditional students and other high-risk students in developmental education in the Massachusetts community college system. Most respondents spend their time working directly with students. Classroom and counseling skills are areas in which respondents most…

Whether specific motivational traits (social concern, goal directedness, self-reliance, external and intrinsic qualities, and task involvement) are related to gender, race, and religion was studied for 74 New Jersey educators. Gender differences in motivation are not found, but racial differences for some variables are discussed. (SLD)

Whether the sex of school board presidents affects their responsiveness to constituents, the operations of their school boards, and the roles of their boards in school district governance was studied for 128 female and 240 male presidents. Only limited differences were found, but women were more likely to view representing the community as a major…

How to get young people to find status and prestige within a law-abiding society presents the most promising, although most difficult, solution to crime. It continues to be the most ignored and underfunded dimension within the political-legal-therapeutic process that attempts to prevent and control delinquent and criminal behavior. (SLD)

The relationship between humor and the physiological trait cardiorespiratory after pulse (CAP) was studied for 98 exercise clinic subjects. No significant correlation was found between the composite humor score and CAP, but some relationships were found with humor, CAP, marital status, and age. (SLD)

The phenomenon of social skills is explored in the context of school superintendency, and findings of a study designed to assess social communications skills of 236 practicing superintendents are reported. Reasons for the discrepancy between the high skills expected and the low to average skills actually found are discussed. (SLD)

Whether 130 students, 38 faculty, 51 staff, and 7 administrators were consistent in their beliefs pertaining to educational philosophy and whether or not they favored the open or closed approach to education was studied. All groups favored the open approach. The highest consistency in educational philosophy was among students. (SLD)

The Attitudes toward Mainstreaming Scale was administered to 233 undergraduate education majors, 110 of whom participated in a follow-up study. Students were generally willing to teach the disabled. Attitudes toward mainstreaming became more positive during professional preparation but declined after student teaching. Implications for teacher…

Effects of the policy of mandated busing for integration on overall achievement test scores of African-American children were studied with 434 elementary school students in Norfolk (Virginia). Achievement test scores declined after the elimination of mandated busing. School characteristics explained 9% of the variance in scores for all students.…

In planning for mathematical assessment, there are several theoretical and practical problems of which the mathematics teacher must be aware. These are discussed under the subheadings of scope; assessment of concepts and higher-order thinking skills; and alignment. Assessors should consider pedagogical approaches when planning assessments. (SLD)

The Purpose-in-Life Test was given to 415 college students in developmental reading classes. Results were compared to those of studies from 1968 and 1981 to determine any changes in student feelings of apathy and meaninglessness. Means of all groups were approximately equal, indicating no changes in student apathy since 1968. (SLD)