The Department of Rehabilitation Studies at Massey University (New Zealand) incorporates attitude-changing strategies during the students' first year in the program. These strategies involve personal contact with people with disabilities, provision of accurate information about disabilities, and simulation or role playing. Students' attitudes…

Reports a study that evaluated the effectiveness of a nutrition education program on the knowledge, attitudes, and nutrient intake of female college athletes (n=28) and female nonathletes (n=32). Survey data and food diaries indicated that, though the program improved subjects' knowledge and attitudes, there was no significant impact on dietary…

Demonstrates that attitude-relevant knowledge can enable biased or objective systematic processing of new information. Subjects (n=172) having a high or low knowledge on AIDS risk prevention evaluated a serial of scenarios estimating the likelihood of contracting AIDS from sexual behavior. Subjects with a considerable knowledge of AIDS engaged in…

To explore theoretical issues inspired by the Likert response format, 2 social insight scales were developed and administered to 391 Air Force recruits. Results demonstrate the applicability of the probabilistic response format to measure differences in nontraditional knowledge domains and the existence of a factor that may be interpreted as…

Interviews with 64 college students with disabilities investigated attitudes toward study abroad and perceived barriers to participation. Subjects cited lack of knowledge about programs, lack of assistive devices and services, and financial issues as barriers. Students favored inclusionary programs over those just for students with disabilities,…

Describes the theoretical framework and practical application of the International Adult Literacy Survey (IALS). Concludes that the survey is based on an empirically-proven statistical construct that has been executed accurately with results that shed light on the relationship between functional literacy and national and individual well being.…

States that French authorities refused to make International Adult Literacy Survey results public, citing methodological flaws, the need for better procedural precautions, and a more adequate notion of literacy. Presents a synthesis of the counter investigations demanded by French authorities that justify their doubts on the IALS definitions and…

Considers the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) 1997 Arts Report Card. The NAEP assessment provides data on what eighth-graders know and can do in music, visual arts, and theater. Evaluates the assessment, discusses the results, and addresses a call for action. (CMK)

Acquiring subject matter knowledge and developing teaching methodology in university coursework facilitates changes in conceptions of teaching. Professional conferences and mentor programs help beginning teachers continue acquiring this content and pedagogical knowledge. Through this developmental stage, physical educator majors' and beginning…

Discusses pre-service teachers' perceptions of their knowledge level and their self-efficacy regarding family-school-community collaboration. Reports on a study in which a significant number of students reported a lack of knowledge and self-efficacy regarding parent-teacher conferences, workshops for parents, and other issues. States that high…

A survey of 69 women at risk for carrying a fetus with a disability found most would choose to terminate a pregnancy that tested positive for a disability regardless of type of disability (either Down syndrome or spina bifida). The decision was not related to knowledge about disabilities but was negatively related to knowledge of…

Outlines new directions for research on parents' contributions to children's values. Advocates research that demonstrates that parental understanding of a particular child's characteristics and situation is the mark of effective parenting, traces differential impact of varieties of parent responsiveness, assesses conditions surrounding the fact…

Describes a study of high school students' and chemistry teachers' understanding of the gas laws which focused on the application of scientific concepts in practical situations instead of mathematical calculations in theoretical situations. (Contains 13 references.) (WRM)

Introduces the growing body of research on development of scientific reasoning skills, focusing on reasoning and problem-solving strategies used in experimentation and evidence evaluation. Maintains that current research examines strategy development and use in moderately complex domains to examine conditions under which subjects' theories…

Investigates the reliability and validity of the Bentley Measures of Musical Abilities (BMMA) for predicting musical achievement of students entering the Conservatory Alberto Ginastera (Argentina) by measuring the students improvement over the first four-month term. Encourages the use of the BMMA as a means to evaluating the entering students…