A university birth control education program was created to improve student knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors. Students attended a birth control class before visiting the health clinic for prescriptions. Pre- and posttest questionnaires and clinician assessments indicated knowledge of birth control improved significantly, and students became…

Evaluated "Talking about Touching" program (designed to increase children's knowledge about sexual abuse, ways to resist abuse, and where to get help) in five elementary schools. Found that children made statistically significant gains in knowledge about sexual abuse, teachers felt the program was needed and had few negative side…

This study examined the constructive cognitive activity of children listening to text. Analysis of thinking-aloud protocols of 109 children in grades 1 to 6 identified 5 levels of constructive activity, with 3 subtypes at each level. Path analysis indicates that only constructive activity exerts a direct effect on learning. (SLD)

The pencil-and-paper assignment "Represent water in its three states using a model" was given to pupils (n=227) from eighth to twelfth grades. The findings show that the dominant model used was the space filling type; movement of particles was indicated by a minority of pupils; size of the model changed when drawn in different states.…

A survey instrument is an efficient means of assessing public support for local gifted education programs. A questionnaire, developed for a survey of 133 individuals at post offices in rural northwest Arkansas, revealed positive attitudes toward gifted education but lack of awareness of specialized programming. (JDD)

The article presents a step-by-step guide to choosing and using performance assessment to determine what students know and can do in science. Performance assessment allows teachers to measure what students know by watching what they do. An example of performance assessment in action is included. (SM)

Fifty-seven direct care staff members from an intermediate care facility for adults with mental retardation rated the acceptability of interventions used for self-injurious behavior and completed a measure of knowledge about behavioral principles. Results indicated that staff age and educational attainment were related to knowledge scores, but…

Aspects of elementary school teachers' work that are problematic in identifying child abuse were studied in Ontario (Canada). Interviews with 10 teachers and questionnaires completed by 500 teachers and 100 principals show that abuse detection is affected by concern with academic learning and lack of information about child abuse. (SLD)

Reports a study to determine the effectiveness of conservation education strategies in use at zoological parks by comparing program formats. Fourth-grade students (n=1,015) were assigned to experimental groups and completed questionnaires. Knowledge and attitude scores of students whose teachers participated in the educational program improved…

Examined differences in cognitive and metacognitive processes of 40 high- and low-mathematics-ability students in grade 12 as they solved 5 everyday mathematics problems. Competence in problem solving was characterized by a rich knowledge base, metacognitive strategies, and confidence. Boys and girls exhibited different cognitive structures for…

Studies of long-term retention of what is taught in the classroom (62 articles) were reviewed. It is concluded that students retain much of what they are taught, that retention decreases over time, and that increasing original learning affects retention. Effects of instructional strategy and ability are discussed. (SLD)

Describes the research of Stanford University's Teacher Assessment Project which studied alternative modes of performance-based assessments for potential use in licensing and certifying teachers. The article discusses how researchers combined assessment center exercises and portfolio development to create a new form of assessment center…

Stanford University's Teacher Assessment Project (TAP) explored new modes of teacher assessment designed to reflect the richness and complexity of teaching. The article discusses TAP's creation, administration, and evaluation of assessment center exercises based on documents teachers submitted in portfolios that included their plans, activities,…

Examines elementary literature instruction in Stanford University's Teacher Assessment Project (TAP). TAP candidates carried out exercises assessing their classroom instructional abilities. A study used data from the exercises to discuss best practice in teaching literature, noting that certain exercises were amenable to professional growth and…

The effects of students' misconceptions, declarative knowledge, and stimulus conditions on students' solutions to a problem in basic electricity were studied for 80 undergraduates at Iowa State University (Ames). The implications of the findings of influence by knowledge and stimulus conditions are discussed. (SLD)