Elementary and junior high school students took part in a test involving the probability texture of the language to determine whether spelling ability is related to a student's understanding of possible letter combinations in English words. Two similar groups of 124 fifth grade students and 129 eighth grade students were ranked in spelling ability…

To learn what essay titles appealed to seventh grade students, 40 female and 52 male California students rated each of 100 essay titles according to their interest in writing a composition based on that title. Also, the study was designed to contrast the title preferences of male, female, intellectually-bright, and intellectually-dull subgroups…

Presents findings from a longitudinal study of reading comprehension development that revealed a negative relationship between the amount of time kindergarten and first-grade teachers spend reading to their students' reading achievement. Results are discussed in terms of a "displacement theory." Students' reading achievement is related to their…

Researchers used a fifth-grade videodisc fractions program to examine accountability in mastery learning programs. Four classes were randomly assigned to two treatments (those who were and were not aware of participation in mastery learning). Results revealed standardized mean differences for achievement favoring knowledge of being in the mastery…

This study examined preferences for computer graphics among elementary school students. Researchers constructed high female interest, high male interest, and equal interest pictures; then students rated their interest in them. Girls rated high female interest pictures highest and high male interest pictures lowest. The opposite was true for boys.…

The effects of students' conceptual levels and teachers' instruction patterns on students' motivation to learn academic course content were investigated. An examination of 63 students indicated that for low-conceptual-level students, direct teaching methods maximized motivation to learn course content. For high-conceptual-level students, nondirect…

Study investigated elementary student teachers' propositional knowledge of classroom management, examining their conceptions of control. Elementary student teachers completed a survey with two tasks designed to elicit thinking about rule-based, dominance, and nurturance conceptions of classroom control. Results indicated rule-based conceptions…

Reports a study comparing academically at-risk elementary students with typical students to determine differences in family functioning. Researchers collected data on the families and students and determined that at-risk families were different in demographics and family functioning and were less cohesive and adaptable than families not at risk.…

The study reported here assessed the analogical reasoning ability of gifted young children and examined the influence of gender, socioeconomic status, and ethnicity on that ability. Only the effect of ethnicity was found to be significant. The mean difference in analogical reasoning reflected performance differences between the white and Hispanic…

Fifth- and sixth-grade students and teachers were interviewed about their perceptions of the general aspects of cooperative small group instruction. Students' and teachers' perceptions were found to be fairly well aligned; differences were found regarding emphasis given to curriculum, group, and individual accountability. (SM)

Compares results of Hunter-Schmidt meta-analytic technique with results of Glass meta-analytic technique on three meta-analytic data sets chosen from the literature, hypothesizing that the Hunter-Schmidt mean effect size would be significantly larger than the Glass mean effect size because of correlation for measurement error. Results confirmed…

Study investigated how to characterize students' transformational geometry problem-solving strategies, how strategies characterized particular subjects, and how strategy usage related to performance. Videotapes indicated problem-solving responses could be classified consistently, some students preferred holistic processing, some items readily…

Two groups of teachers from large urban school district in Florida were compared in terms of demographic variables, work-related attitudes and perceptions, and reactions to conditions in their work environment. Results indicated those who moonlighted were reliably distinguished from those who did not by demographic characteristics and work-related…

Over a school year, researchers had first graders talk and write about paintings, picture books, and films while participating in a program that introduced them to visual literacy. Researchers found that, over the school year, children's choices of pictures and volume of language changed and that urban and suburban children differed. (SM)

Urban elementary school teachers completed a checklist designed to determine a profile of the most significant factors that caused students to be at risk. Results indicated there were eight important factors: academic risk, behavior and coping skills, social withdrawal, family income, parenting, language development, retention, and attendance. (SM)