Describes a study of college students that explored the effect of integrating metaphorical strategies in various graphic representations for learning biotechnology concepts. Highlights include student motivation, the use of a criterion-referenced test, and student attitudes as determined through interviews and observations. (Author/LRW)

Four boys (ages 5 to 12) with developmental disabilities and severe challenging behaviors were evaluated using two functional assessment procedures: different analog probe conditions, and direct classroom observation of the child's behavior, antecedents, and consequences. Results raised questions about the reliability and ecological validity of…

Examined the effects of two forms of organization of pretend play on children's behavior in the cognitive and affective domains as observed in a mixed-age environment: teacher-directed frontal play, with all children involved, and child-directed small group play. Found a significant increase in cognitive domain behavior during child-directed group…

Focuses on the qualitative methods used to examine a high school science teacher's instructional practice and his students' performance. Explains participation-observation, collection of field notes and documents, pre-post survey, interviews, and analysis of analytic memos; and discusses the teacher's goal of combining skills-based instruction…

Carries out a naturalistic small-scale study involving a class from a senior high school in Spain over two years. Analyzes students' essays on chemical change using text analysis techniques. Reports the development of four conceptual profiles and the implications of research for the process of teaching the concept of chemical change. (Author/KHR)

Presents a study focusing on the effect of a self-management intervention. Included self-recording and goal setting for the behavior of eight-year-old boys attending a large suburban primary school. Suggests that the intervention was socially valid and cost effective. Includes references. (CMK)

Describes a course designed to teach students qualitative methods and to engage them in collecting data and reflecting on the experiences of students at their college. Explains that during the semester course, students spent one month engaged in participant observation followed by one month conducting qualitative interviews. (DAJ)

Investigates the relationship between observational and checklist measures of vocabulary composition in preschool children. Results indicate that while the two measures are correlated, there are systematic quantitative differences between them, reflecting a combination of checklist, maternal-report and observational sampling biases. (22…

Observed six children of settled migrants on their first day in nursery school and again 12 weeks later, analyzing changes in their time-on-task. Found that the number of activities selected did not generally increase, but the time spent on sustained activities did, with this time period being significantly longer than those recorded in previous…

Construct validity of the Child Observation Record (COR) was examined with low-income urban preschoolers in two samples. Analyses yielded a three-dimensional structure: cognitive skills, social engagement, and coordinated movement. Cross-validation of this structure across gender and ethnic groups found evidence of validity for social engagement…

Examines the use of literate language, or a specific oral language register. Investigates the effect of peer collaboration and social context. Explains that seven- and eight-year-old children were placed in friend or non-friend groups and were observed during collaborative writing tasks. Includes references. (CMK)

Multiple socially grounded, user-centered methodologies are being employed in the Biological Information Browsing Environment (BIBE). This article integrates findings from interviews, participant observation, field observation, and focus groups to study the information needs and information seeking of groups of high school students conducting…

Reports on a study of teacher regulation of classroom activity and teacher-student behavior. Focuses on two types of regulatory strategies: (1) regulating the social structure of participation; and (2) regulating the content development and learning task. Identifies and analyzes the second type of strategy. Includes references. (CMK)

This study of 10 aggressive and 9 nonaggressive preschool boys found that both groups attempted the same repertoire of social goals and used the same social strategies, but with varying relative frequencies. Aggressive children sought to stop or prevent action more often and used intrusive strategies more often than nonaggressive children.…

Assessment of student performance in nursing education takes many forms: (1) the Real Clinical Situation Model; (2) the Quasi-Clinical Situation Model; (3) the Clinical Laboratory Simulation Model; and (4) the Clinicam Video Simulation Model. The New York Regents External Degree Program has a highly developed method of examining the proficiency of…