Possible integrated and independent tasks were pilot tested for the writing section of a new generation of TOEFL® (Test of English as a Foreign Language™) examination. This study examines the impact of various rating designs as well as the impact of the number of tasks and raters on the reliability of writing scores based on integrated and…

A total of 1,487 eleventh grade students from the Hamburg (West Germany) school system were asked to complete four writing assignments used in an International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA) study of writing assessment. In analyzing the writing samples, the study focused on: (1) between-rater effects; (2)…

The International Adult Literacy Survey (IALS) was conducted in 1994 in seven European countries with the aim of producing literacy profiles to be used in individual national analyses as well as in international comparisons. It was assumed that the test items could be divided into three unidimensional scales corresponding to the aspects…

Preretirees displayed the least work satisfaction, preferred a lower retirement age, and manifested simultaneous positive attitudes toward retirees and their gatherings. Early retirees had negative attitudes toward work and retirement. Working retirees were the most work-oriented while fully retired persons were retirement-oriented and negative…

Compares the effect of weak, flexible, and rigid family structures on the cognitive development of 61 Scottish and 40 Pakistani school children in Glasgow, Scotland. In a problem-solving test, children from flexible environments outperformed those from either weakly or rigidly structured homes. This difference was reflected in the school…

An international study was undertaken to determine the differences in attitude and approach to outdoor leadership preparation for experts from five nations. Characteristics derived from a canonical discriminant function analysis were used to explain the differences in North America and provide the foundation for a model program. (Author/CW)

Describes two studies that were conducted to investigate the relationship between confidence in the language of instruction and approaches to learning: one with university students in Hong Kong, and one with high school students in Nepal. The use of English as a Second Language both in and out of the classroom is examined. (13 references) (LRW)

Survey data on perceptions of the ability and economic circumstances of their students of 304 teachers in 45 schools in Scotland are used to illustrate multilevel multivariate linear regression. Teachers in a school tended to share beliefs about the students, and these beliefs linked economic disadvantage and low ability. (SLD)

Objective: The goal of this study was to examine the association between sexual abuse (SA) and initiation, cessation, and current cigarette smoking among a large representative adult population in France. Method: A random sample size of 12,256 adults (18-75 years of age) was interviewed by telephone concerning demographic variables, health…

Although the role of education in an economy is emphasized in theoretical studies, empirical literature finds mixed results for the relationship between growth and education. We examine the relationship between Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and enrollments in primary, secondary, and high schools, as well as universities in Turkey for 1937-1996, in…

The research to explain students' self-regulated learning has grown rapidly in recent years. However, the studies on self-regulated learning have shown fascinating but mixed results. Thus, there is a need to identify and describe the key dimensions of self-regulated learning according to an empirical framework in order to integrate these complex…

According to biological indicators trends in young people's health appear favourable, but the psychosocial aspects suggest a different pattern. We studied the differences across schools in common health complaints and in three groups of factors behind them: pupils' individual characteristics, family related factors and school-related factors.…

Mathematics performance at 7 years as assessed by teachers using UK national curriculum criteria has been found to be highly heritable. For almost 3000 pairs of 7-year-old same-sex twins, we used multivariate genetic analysis to investigate the extent to which these genetic effects on mathematics performance overlap with genetic effects on reading…

Background: The social inclusion of tenants living in two forms of supported living schemes--those clustered on one site and those dispersed in neighbourhoods--is contrasted with more traditional provision found on the island of Ireland, namely, small group homes, residential homes and campus-style settings. Methods: A standard pro forma based on…

This study investigated whether the "Big-5" structure (a 5-factor model used to capture variance in adult personality) can be obtained from parental ratings of 4-year-old children using traditional markers of this structure that are derived primarily from research on adult personality. The study also examined whether Big-5 markers can be…