Thirty-two kindergarten children, nine parents, and two teachers participated in a study of classroom learning environments. Participants included lower and middle income White and Hispanic families; the children were enrolled in three schools in the southwestern United States. Both interviews and pictures of classroom learning events were used to…

This study by two Ph.D. students in library science reviewed a systematic sample of the research literature in library and information science published in 62 core library journals in 1983 to order to identify substantive articles and compare their findings on research methodologies and trends with those reported in a similar study performed in…

Stanford's Environment for Teaching study involved analysis of data collected in 1973 and 1975 by questionnaire and interview from 188 principals and over 200 teachers from a stratified sample of 46 elementary schools drawn from 34 San Francisco Bay Area school districts. Using aggregate indices, the study examined data relating school complexity…

Limitations of the confirmatory factor analysis conducted by H. W. Marsh to demonstrate the multidimensionality of a rating form to assess student evaluation of teaching effectiveness are discussed. A secondary analysis suggests that dimensionality is not stable across solutions and a global factor can be retrieved. (SLD)

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act requires that States provide a free, appropriate public education to children with disabilities residing within that state between the ages of 3 and 21. The ages of 18 to 21 constitute a unique time for students with disabilities whose peers have left public schools for postsecondary education or…

This report contains accounts of studies, about scales to be used in the "A Study of Schooling" research project, undertaken to derive indices for constructs presumed to be measureable by composites of items. The report is introduced by a discussion on the rationale for selecting the research methodology used and an explanation of the…

This study examined the reliability and validity of scores from the Multidimensional Inventory of Black Identity with 550 Euro-American, 112 Latino, and 41 Native American undergraduates. Data for the Centrality, Private Regard, and Public Regard scales indicate that these scores have construct validity. Scores have acceptable Cronbach alpha…

This study examines the multidimensional and hierarchical structure of achievement goal orientation measured by the Inventory of School Motivation. The instrument consists of eight different scales with 43 survey items (ranging from three to seven items each). Each scale reflects one of eight specific dimensions: task, effort, competition, social…

Presents an overview of some well-known instruments and recently developed scales for assessing student or teacher perceptions of actual or preferred classroom learning environments. Past research and practical applications followed using the instruments are described. (SM)

Various methods used to assess the content of a test are reviewed, and a new procedure designed to improve on these methods is presented. The two tests considered are a professional licensure examination, the auditing section of the Uniform Certified Public Accountant Examination, and an educational achievement test, a nationally standardized…