The shortcomings of the conventional way of using and interpreting multiple-choice tests are summarized. Some theories and methodologies that can be applied for better use multiple-choice test items are described. Empirical facts are introduced to support the theoretical observations. New strategies are proposed that will reduce "noise"…

This book presents findings of a cross-section of teachers, elementary through college, who have developed ways to enable students to make connections between their lives and the literature they read. The 28 articles are grouped into: (1) a section on the collaborating and creating connection with literature; and (2) a section on the reading and…

Based upon the hypothesis that a person's behavior is dictated by the immediate environment, a study was conducted to investigate whether student's perception of their best liked and least liked subjects was affected by their teacher's perception of the subjects they liked to teach best and felt most knowledgeable about. Participants, 47 third…

This report explores an approach to item development and psychometric modeling which explicitly incorporates knowledge about the mental models used by examinees in the solution of items into a psychometric model that characterize performances on a test, as well as incorporating that knowledge into the item development process. The paper focuses on…

Developed as a model for teachers faced with the task of assigning research papers to students who are still apprentice writers, this two-part paper explores the possibilities of written response that reside both in the dialogic interplay of ideas in utopian texts and in the criticism of utopian texts. The first part examines some ideas contained…

The literary theorist Terry Eagleton believes that literary study is the study of human discourse. To build on his idea for use in the classroom, it must first be assumed that literature constitutes a dialogue between the work (and its author) and the reader. The dialogue process can be introduced in a 2- to 4-week unit through a cluster of…

A study examined the pronoun miscues of 32 sixth grade and 24 second grade students reading short prose selections aloud. The miscue analysis led to the identification of text features readers use to assign pronoun reference, the strategies developing readers often employ, and the patterns of correction of pronoun miscues. Specifically, it…

An overview of some of the recent developments in experimental research on early infantile autism considers related issues such as language impairments, cognitive and affective deficits, nonverbal communication, social behavior, and therapeutic interventions. Research indicates that difficulty with abstract use of language and with pragmatic…

Factors affecting the return rate of a mailed questionnaire were investigated. A survey was mailed to 196 students who had dropped out of home study courses offered by a distance education university. The effects of personalizing the cover letter and of including anonymous pre-coded personal information on the questionnaire were studied in a 2 X 2…

A program was developed by a nurse/counselor to provide individual education and counseling for mothers having high-risk infants admitted to a Special Care Nursery after delivery. The program begins as soon after delivery as possible and evaluates the mother's skills, attitudes, beliefs, and knowledge of childrearing practices necessary for caring…

Four papers are included in this document that examines roles of participants in high school change. Each paper draws on data gathered from three years of a three-phase study of change processes in 30 high schools in Texas, Oregon, Maryland, Indiana, New York, and Florida. Four major questions provide research focus: the types, sources, and…

The purpose of this study was to trace the development of children's understanding of emotions between the ages of 4 and 12. Twenty-four children at each of five age groups (4, 6, 8, 10, and 12), equally divided by sex, served as subjects. Three groups of tasks were administered: (1) the recognition of facial expressions from photographs, (2) the…

The articles in this journal issue (1) discuss involving students in various language arts activities that have peace as a theme, and (2) deal with literature for students from kindergarten through grade 12. Topics in the first part are as follows: peace education in the English classroom, the peaceful hero, understanding the language of peace,…

The ability to infuse language with qualities of the human voice in the act of speaking is what distinguishes autobiography as a genre and makes it most suited to teaching students subtle features inherent in the complex act of writing. When students write from personal experience, they consciously begin to shape their identities in one direction…

Examined are the interactions of parents and their children with developmental disabilities, focusing on the following aspects: social, emotional, language, communication, clinical, educational, and methodological. A partial listing of contents follows: "Determinants of Parent and Child Interactive Behavior" (Carl Dunst and Carol…