In large-scale assessments, some amount of background material is generally collected. Background questionnaires in the National Assessment of Educational Progress are the subject of this report. Most of the questions in NAEP background questionnaires have asked about course taking patterns and course content, but it is argued that the material…

This guidebook is designed to help Virginia high school students plan for college. It suggests ways for students to prepare for college, classes they should take in high school to make sure they will be accepted into college, and ways to get scholarships and other kinds of financial aid. The booklet outlines the courses required for graduation…

The purpose of this study was to examine the attitudes of males and females at Clovis Community College towards math anxiety and to look for possible factors that could be used to assist in the assignment of students to various math classes. The subjects in the study were fifty male students and fifty female students. Subjects responded to a math…

This document presents a national tapestry of what is studied where, and by whom, in U.S. colleges, community colleges, and postsecondary trade schools. The "Map" is based on empirical information from national samples of postsecondary transcripts in two national longitudinal studies, the National Longitudinal Study of the High School…

This report examines the effects of high school courses on students' readiness for college-level work. ACT Assessment scores for 1998 for graduates of Council of the Great City Schools member high schools are compared with those for 1997 graduates and with students nationally. All data are analyzed by course-taking patterns, school district…

This document highlights notable findings to the report, "Making the Transition from High School to College in Ohio, 2003," through questions and answers. This Ohio Board of Regents report focuses on the preparedness and success of recent high school graduates who go on to college. Data is presented on secondary school preparation for college,…

Examines the impact of government science education policy through the uptake of science A level subjects and patterns of attainment among boys and girls. Whereas recent evidence from Britain has been popularly interpreted as showing the educational advantage of single-sex schooling, the evidence of this study suggests that pupils are more likely…

Investigates gender differences in subject choice patterns at the General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) and A level in England between 1970 and 1995. Provides background information on the British Sex Discrimination Act (SDA) (1975) and the British National Curriculum (1988.) Presents the results of the study in detail. (CMK)

A scale of course appeal was tested on medical students in preclinical courses. Results showed that positive (pleasure, satisfaction) or negative (anxiety, grief) student reactions were substantially correlated with an independent measure, the Course Valuing Inventory. In addition, different student adaptation modes appeared to correspond to…

Reports the deteriorating status of the humanities and social sciences versus mathematics in Israeli secondary education that was revealed through a study of 19,047 academic-track students in 201 schools for four years. More able students tended to specialize in mathematics and science, for which student characteristics were the major determinants…

Studied the role mathematical world views, as domain-centered epistemological beliefs, played in the academic lives of upper secondary school students in Germany participating in the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS). World views were substantial predictors of achievement in advanced mathematics, even when controlling for…

A Canadian university surveyed 300 mature students (33% responded) and interviewed 12. Responses indicated that 62% changed their academic program. Institutional influences on academic decision making were more significant than personal influences, with no differences between full- and part-time students. Students wanted preliminary information…

Investigates formulation of an appropriate 4-year high school program of study consisting of required courses and electives that would provide a map of educational milestones for realizing a student's career aspirations. Results suggest that interventions including announcements, handouts, and computer-assisted classroom career guidance were…

Uses data from six waves of the Longitudinal Study of American Youth to discern when and why students drop out of advanced mathematics. Between grades 8 and 9, prior achievement plays a more important role than attitude or socioeconomic status, and between grades 11 and 12, student attitude toward mathematics is the most important factor. (SLD)

The prevalent undergraduate major selection at King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals (KFUPM) mostly depends on the student's choice regardless of academic abilities and qualifications. Owing to the adoption of this Free Choice Method (FCM), the number of students will continue to grow and external pressures at the national level may…