Describes the practice of federal evaluation of research impact through three approaches: retrospective methods; qualitative methods, including peer review; and quantitative methods. Recommended areas for study in federal research impact assessment are suggested, including predictive reliability, comparative studies, time and cost estimates,…

Norm-referenced and criterion-referenced approaches were used to set a minimum passing score for Part II of the pilot National Board Dental Examination. Standards and associated failure rates were found similar for both approaches. This and the advantages of the former approach suggest it is an appropriate method. (Author/MSE)

This study is a follow-up to a Correspondence Factor Analysis of a dataset of over six million bibliometric entries, which compared publication output patterns of 48 countries in 18 disciplines over a 12-year period (1981-1992). Several approaches to the comparison of publication output patterns and time trends are illustrated. (AEF)

Describes a study of the retrieval results of World Wide Web search engines. Research quantified accurate matches versus matches of arguable quality for 200 subjects relevant to undergraduate curricula. Both "evaluative" engines (Magellan, Point Communications) and "nonevaluative" engines (Lycos, InfoSeek, AltaVista) were…

Presents two chain-of-choices models, one for adoptive parents and one for birth parents and adoptees, as possible frameworks within which to consider the role of individual differences, choices, and selections in understanding the process of adoption and adoption outcomes. Discusses the research and practice implications following from the…

Reviews state reliance of various user fees in public education; discusses conceptual issues regarding the use of school district user charges; analyzes statewide variations in school district user charges; suggests reasons for observed variations. (Contains 25 references.) (PKP)

Uses both qualitative and quantitative procedures to study select "Gymnasien" in Thuringia and Bavaria. Explores the influence the Gymnasium has had on individual schools' developments. Examines how "long-term mental formations" determine the transformation process. Examines differences between the school structures of…

One of the variables that could explain the considerable variety of ways that adult couples handle the transition to parenthood is whether the pregnancy was planned or not. However, very little is known about the impact of pregnancy intendedness on the conjugal life of couples during this transition. The aim of this study was to address this gap…

Two public schools (A and B) from two cities in southern Taiwan were selected to participate in this study. In each school, two sixth grade classes (an experimental and a control class) were studied. Number sense activities were conducted in the experimental classes through process-oriented teaching model to help children develop number sense,…

The purpose of this study was to evaluate mothers' and fathers' perception of their child's health-related quality of life (HRQOL) among 10- to 12-year-old Icelandic children with or without chronic health condition or illness. A total of 912 Icelandic parents (510 mothers and 402 fathers) and 480 children (209 boys and 271 girls) participated in…

This article presents the first results of the study of argumentative essays in English as a foreign language and in Spanish as a foreign language and as a native language, carried out at Radboud University Nijmegen (formerly the University of Nijmegen) between 2002 and 2008. The aim of the project is to compare teachers' holistic assessments with…

This paper reports the investigation of the effectiveness of Problem-Based Learning (PBL) within a web-based environment in the delivery of an undergraduate Physics course. The effectiveness was evaluated by comparing the performances and the perceptions of the sample students (n=67) using the web-based PBL and comparing the outcomes with those of…

Objective: The purpose of this study was to assess heritability of activity, attention, and impulsivity by comparing young monozygotic (MZ) twins with dizygotic (DZ) twins using objective measures. Method: The OPTAx test is an infrared motion analysis to record the movement pattern during a continuous performance test. Seventeen MZ and 12 same…

The research examined how Chinese leaders view the thinking process, what thinking styles they value and how they prefer to think. The methodological framework used quantitative analyses of two thinking styles inventories. The survey included a sample of nearly 300 leaders from a wide representation of industry sectors across China who completed…

Transacting business with individuals who may speak English fluently but have an accent is common today. Use of translation services such as in transportation facilities, government offices, educational institutions, and manufacturers' instruction manuals is on the increase. Consequently, linguistic diversity issues require relevant academic…