Linguistic and statistical analyses of cloze tests as a measure of second language competence revealed qualitative and quantitative differences between the performances of Anglophone immersion and French control groups. The diagnostic limitations of the procedure and the usefulness of the linguistic information derived from it are discussed. (MSE)

The Health Locus of Control (HLC) Scale is an area-specific measure of expectancies regarding locus of control developed for prediction of health-related behavior. Two experiments show discriminant validity of the HLC in contrast with Rotter's Internal-External Locus of Control Scale. Normative data on the HLC are provided. (Author)

A 27-item Quality of School Life scale is presented, which shows reliability and validity across educational levels (elementary, middle and high school) based on 4,266 student survey responses. Concurrent and discriminative validity is demonstrated using measures of academic achievement, participation, personality, family background, and…

Evidence for construct validity of this multi-dimensional concept of self esteem includes the relative congruence of the factor structure with the theoretical construct, the stability of the structure when subjected to a series of empirical tests, increasingly positive self-referent responses with increasing age, willingness to become more…

This study revised the Teacher Beliefs Survey (S. Wooley and A. Wooley, 1999; TBS), an instrument to assess teachers beliefs related to constructivist and behaviorist theories of learning, and then studied the validity of the revised TBS. Drawing on a literature review, researchers added items for the existing constructs of the TBS and added a new…

Proof by mathematical induction is known to be conceptually difficult for high school students. This paper presents results from interviews with six experienced high school teachers, concerning the use of models in teaching mathematical induction. Along with creative and adequate use of models, we found explanations, models and examples that…

This study explored institutional similarities using modelling techniques in the national university population. Measures of proximity in national datasets shed light on the dynamics of peer group construction. Factors were identified that provide the foundation for peer similarities. Structural equation modelling allowed testing of fit across…

This report describes the development and testing of a computerized early literacy diagnostic assessment for students in prekindergarten to grade 3 that can measure skills across a variety of preliteracy and reading domains. The STAR Early Literacy assessment was developed by a team of more than 50 people, including literacy experts,…

A faculty's commitment to continuous learning and improvement is a critical dimension in defining schools as high-performing learning communities. When planning an improvement effort, a school's staff needs a conceptual framework that outlines the dimensions of school improvement. The AEL Continuous School Improvement Questionnaire (CSIQ) is a…

This book provides a comprehensive overview of assessment used to support learning, and it makes this area accessible and understandable for a wise range of users. This unique text is a major source of practice-based theory on assessment for learning, a formative assessment to support individual development and motivate learners. Key areas covered…

This paper explores the role of instructional scaffolding in the development of undergraduate students' understanding of mathematical proof during a one-year discrete mathematics course. We describe here the framework adapted for the analysis of whole-class discussion and examine how the teacher scaffolded students' thinking. Results suggest that…

We present results from a study which investigated the influence of dynamic geometry-based activities in the development of proving skills (in geometry) in high-school students (15-16 years of age). After a 12-week course on Cabri and the writing of conjectures and proofs, students were asked to write and prove conjectures based on their…

Job satisfaction expresses the extent of match between teachers' expectation of the job, job requirements and the satisfaction derived from their jobs. There seems to be a growing discontentment towards teaching as a result of which standards of education are falling. Teachers are dissatisfied in spite of different plans and programmes which have…