A study of the reliability and validity of a course evaluation method using small student discussion groups revealed the method to be reliable and productive but found discrepancies between student and teacher objects of evaluation and some dissatisfaction among teachers. (MSE)

The study investigated whether ethnicity and gender influenced anxiety scores at different developmental levels (grades one through three). Internal evidence of test bias was examined by computing internal reliability coefficients for the anxiety measures. The two anxiety scales were found to have adequate reliability coefficients for all groups…

This study validated computerized versions of selected tests from the Kit of Factor-Referenced Cognitive Tests of 1976, compared performance of higher education students on computerized and paper-and-pencil versions of the tests, and explored whether gender, academic status, or age interacted with the tests. (MBR)

Compared transactions in junior/senior high biology classes and indentified relationships between classroom conditions, lesson format, and instructional activities. Found instruction characterized by inquiry-oriented, laboratory-based learning led and guided by the teacher, with only medium dependence on the textbook. Also found the Structured…

Investigates differences in attitudes toward children and parents among nursery nurses and teachers in three combined nursery centers, three nursery schools, and six day nurseries. Differences between the professional groups were found. (RH)

The Dental Aptitude Test (DAT) in Canada and the Dental Admission Test (DAT) in the United States are discussed. A history of the DAT, its composition, underlying concepts, and the problems of validation and guidelines for its uses are presented. A review of the literature is provided. (Author/MLW)

Describes study that compared the administration of the Microtest computer version of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) with administration procedures for the traditional paper and pencil version. Highlights include an anxiety inventory; attitude scales; rank order and reliability; correlation analyses; power analyses; and…

The reliability of derived measures from 4 cognitive paradigms was studied using 19 Navy enlisted men (aged between 18 and 24 years). The paradigms were: graphemic and phonemic analysis; semantic memory retrieval; lexical decision making; and letter classification. Results indicate that derived scores may have low reliability. (SLD)

Establishing stability, defined as observing minimal measurement error in a test-retest assessment, is vital to validating psychometric tools. Correlational methods, such as Pearson product-moment, intraclass, and kappa are tests of association or consistency, whereas stability or reproducibility (regarded here as synonymous) assesses the…

Researchers studying monitoring accuracy currently use two different indexes to estimate accuracy: relative accuracy and absolute accuracy. The authors compared the distributional properties of two measures of monitoring accuracy using Monte Carlo procedures that fit within these categories. They manipulated the accuracy of judgments (i.e., chance…

Although current research has not shown prevailing effects of the preschool experience on overall achievement scores, it does indicate a positive effect on language related skills, particularly for males. This study examined the relationship between language related achievement test scores between those first graders with preschool experience and…

Credentialing agencies that use multi-test examinations (MTEs) should be concerned with the quality of pass/fail outcomes as well as with the proportion of candidates passing. This study addressed three questions: (1) the effects on passing rate of MTE reliability, number of tests comprising a MTE, and correlations between pairs of component…

A study investigated the variability of language performance on different types of testing task, global versus discrete-focus. Three tests (cloze, multiple-choice, and fill-in-the-blank) were developed to measure learners' knowledge of five verb forms. The tests, containing corresponding items designed to elicit equivalent structures, were…

Viewing the reliability for criterion-referenced tests as that of mastery classification decisions, three models for determining reliability were examined using two test administrations so that two estimates could be compared to a standard. A major purpose of the research was to determine how several reliability coefficients (coefficient kappa, an…

A study was designed to develop a number of tests of oral proficiency and to compare those tests with the existing, highly subjective testing method used at the end of secondary school in Israel. The study used four experimental tests: the oral interview, role playing, reporting task, and group discussion. The experimental tests were analyzed for…