This study investigated the nature of spatial ability, as measured by four instruments based on spatial orientation and visualization, and its relationship to the mathematical performance of elementary school pupils. Participating in the study were 127 elementary school students, 72 boys and 55 girls, ages 10 to 11 years. Spatial ability was…

This review examines and summarizes 16 research studies examining the writing self-efficacy beliefs of 6th to 10th grade students. In the majority of the studies, self-efficacy was found to play a primary role in predicting student writing performance. Students with learning disabilities were found to over-estimate their ability to complete…

Studied a cluster-analytic approach to developing value profiles as a technique for identifying value similarities in managerial subgroups. Results, from a sample of Indian (N=27) and American managers (N=47), show that two dominant value profiles (designated "pragmatic" and "altruistic") were present and helped explain variances in decision…

Females' and males' ninth grade scores for three cognitive tests and eight mathematics attitudes scales were used to predict mathematics performance. These scores significantly predicted mathematics performance 1-3 years later. Spatial visualization was an important variable, significantly predicting geometry grade for girls, but not for boys.…

At 3 points in time over a 12-month period, this short-term longitudinal study examined 67 preschoolers' syllable, rime, and phoneme awareness; speech and language skills; and letter knowledge. Findings indicated that rime skills developed earlier than phoneme skills. Structural equation models showed that articulatory skills and syllable and rime…

Discussion of research methodology for evaluating the degree of standardization in multinational corporations' online communication strategies across differing cultures focuses on a research framework for cross-cultural comparison of corporate Web pages, applying traditional advertising content study techniques. Describes pre-tests that examined…

Interviewed about favorite TV characters, 91% of boys and 53% of girls ages 7-12 chose same-sex favorites. For male characters, wishful identification was predicted by intelligence and (for girls only) humor; parasocial interaction was predicted by intelligence, attractiveness, and (for boys only) strength. For female characters (chosen only by…

A replication of a study conducted nearly 20 years ago investigated teacher burnout among 300 special education teachers. Teachers' age, amount of experience, and preparation had markedly increased since the previous study. Age, experience, certification status, and preparation were not as significantly related to burnout as in the past. (Contains…

Discussion of gender differences in response to instructional technology highlights a study of attitudinal consequences of a Logo programing exercise among primary school children in Edinburgh, Scotland. Attitudinal measures before and after the computer experience are described, and gender differences in interactions at the computer terminal are…

Examined effects of short-term memory, age, and reading ability on the instructional effectiveness of imagery during reading of sentences among fourth and sixth graders, half of whom were instructed to construct images representing sentence meanings. Half were uninstructed. Imagery instructions had a positive effect on learning efficiency among…

Findings suggest a certain amount of discordance in teacher and peer perceptions of children's likability, and an association of discordance with differential perceptions of children's social behaviors. A teacher preference measure used in combination with sociometric measures may provide more reliable assessment of social adjustment than peer…

Describes a study that identified both technical aptitudes and personality characteristics that are related to academic orientation variables previously found to predict information retrieval performance. It is argued that individual characteristics should be described so that they can be accommodated through design and training. (74 references)…

Researchers compared fourth graders' literature preferences and examined categories of children's literature as preference indices. They investigated whether children preferred to read or view selections. Students expressed preferences on an annotated titles inventory. Content was a more powerful preference factor than traditional classifications…

Analyzes the effects of the following factors on low birth weight of 103,072 Black and White infants in Chicago: (1) median family income; (2) maternal age; (3) education; and (4) marital status. Concludes that family income shows racial disparity and that traditional risk factors do not completely explain racial differences in neonatal outcome.…

Examines parent-teen communication about sexual topics in mother-teen (n=666) and father-teen (n=510) pairs. Results show that, aside from gender of parents and teens, demographic variables were insignificant; relationship and attitudinal variables were linked to sexual discussions in both mother-teen and father-teen dyads. (Author/MKA)