Explores the impact of classroom environment on curriculum implementation. Provides historical background for this area of study, describes instruments for assessing prosocial behavior, and examines studies of teacher and student perception of classroom environment. Reports on two studies that combine qualitative and quantitative methods, and…

Discusses the impact of community, family, and personal values on adolescent male sexual behavior. Analyzes the use of two school-based clinics in Chicago and advocates the use of such clinics to promote responsible sexual behavior among African-American adolescent male students. (FMW)

Reports a study of 56 fifth graders that questioned whether the cognitive style of reflection-impulsivity could be measured by students' performance on 2 art-related tests. Found that cognitive style was not a strong predictor of artistic performance. (GG)

Traces the development of new research approaches to the history of elementary education. Examines the impact of the 1870 legislation that instituted compulsory education on the elementary school system. Assesses this impact on the school system in the context of the wider social structure. Includes quantitative studies on school attendance, age,…

Offers several LOGO programs to study the behavior of simple nonlinear systems. Suggests that LOGO is an excellent tool for studying chaotic systems. Offers suggestions for different forms of LOGO. Builds upon programs presented in a previous article. (MVL)

Impacts of the parents' divorce and the student's academic potential and drug use on non-completion of high school were examined using 3 methods of structural equation modeling with latent variables. Data were collected from 706 adolescents (in grades 10 through 12). Maximum likelihood, asymptotically distribution-free, and categorical variable…

The effects of number of score groups and inclusion/exclusion of the studied item were examined in an empirical evaluation of the Mantel-Haenszel technique (MHT), using 3,795 elementary school students who took the SRA vocabulary test. Inclusion of four or more score groups yielded stable alpha estimates with the MHT. (SLD)

Describes the addition of a microcomputer component to a Tulane University (Louisiana) undergraduate history course on the Salem witchcraft trials. Discusses the use of a statistical package and a data set to analyze and display data and the enhancement of the active learning approach by introducing students to quantitative methods of historical…

A study investigating factors in the variation in direct costs of medical residency programs across hospitals found that much of the current variation is attributable to accounting and not structural or location-related factors. A federal policy providing for a national payment rate per resident is proposed to replace the current system based on…

Presents a procedure for analyzing statistical data involving distributions that is more informative about causal and other relationships. Finds test scores were affected positively by increased time on task, teachers with higher educational attainment, and better school facilities. (CFR)

The background and rationale for the 2 tests are described and results of a norming and validation study involving 804 Mexican-American college freshmen in 5 border community colleges are reported. The results provide evidence that the DTES and VAT are reliable and effective for Mexican-American students, having overcome inadequacies of other…

This overview of the research process for the novice information retrieval (IR) researcher provides guidance on selecting a research question, choosing the type of test, defining variables, developing or using databases, finding and processing queries, assigning treatments to experimental units, collecting and analyzing the data, and presenting…

Median polishing, an exploratory data statistical analysis technique, was used to study achievement patterns for men and women on the Pharmacy College Admission Test over a six-year period. In general, a declining trend in scores was found, and males performed better than females, with the largest differences found in chemistry and biology.…

Discusses objects, methods of instruction, content, and accomplishments of the undergraduate major in economics. Recommends a strong introductory sequence stressing application of economic tools, rigorous intermediate theory courses, background courses in quantitative methods, and a minimum of five economics electives. Suggests synthesis through a…

A study with 2,453 college students investigated the construct validity of the student commitment to institution as a factor in academic persistence. Results suggest factors such as institutional quality, practical educational utility, student-institution fit, and loyalty to institution were more predictive of persistence than similarity of…