bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Feminism and Professionalism in Teaching and Educational Administration
Authors: Glazer Judith S.
Published: March 2007

Feminist theory, methodology, and research applications are discussed in this article. Emphasis is placed on the relationship of feminism and professionalism and the role of feminist perspectives in transforming teaching and educational administration.
Both Ends of a Telescope: Experience and Expertise in Principal Problem Solving
Authors: Allison Derek J. , Allison Patricia A.
Published: March 2007

This article develops a conceptual framework for the application of schema theory to the appraisal of expertise in school administration and reports the results of a study conducted to investigate relevant variables. More complex schemata of the kind considered likely to be associated with expertise were viewed as being associated with both greater attention to detail and a more abstract approach to problem solving. The relationship of these characteristics to judged expertise in transcribed think-aloud responses to a case problem was investigated with reference to the effects of professional experience. Results showed that attention to detail and level of abstraction were both positively related to judged expertise. Professional experience in schools-but not necessarily in the principalship-was also positively related to judged expertise and the other variables, with some interesting exceptions.
Using Profiles of School Leadership as Supports to Cognitive Apprenticeship
Authors: Begley Paul T.
Published: March 2007

This article proposes the development and use of school leadership profiles as supports to the cognitive-apprenticeship experiences of administrators in both formal and informal leadership development applications. The theoretical process of cognitive apprenticeship is described and linked conceptually to the outcomes of three recent role-profiling projects; university-sponsored action research carried out during the years 1990-1992 in Ontario (Canada), the Northwest Territories (Canada), and the state of Western Australia The outcomes are contemporary and regionally specific images of the principalship portrayed within multiple metaphorical images of practice. Effective school leadership practices are described within developmental stages of growth leading to ideal practice as locally defined.
Toward a Reconsideration of Biography and Other Forms of Life Writing as a Focus for Teaching Educational Administration
Authors: English Fenwick W.
Published: March 2007

Biography and other forms of life writing have been neglected sources in teaching educational administration. The main reasons for this neglect can be traced to the field's positivistic definition of science and research methods that marginalized anything not considered "objective." These biases continue to dominate the major texts and approaches. Change has been fostered by a concern for the absence of morality in preparing educational leaders, a continuing confusion between management and leadership, and emerging concerns for preparing the "reflective practitioner." How instructors of educational administration use biography and other forms of life writing is dependent on how they view the efficacy of the field. Criteria are presented by which instructors can select forms of life writing for use in graduate curricula and methodological examples are discussed as to how they may be used in the process of instruction.
High School Principals and School Reform: Lessons Learned from a Statewide Study of Project Re:Learning
Authors: Anderson Lorin W. , Shirley J. Robert
Published: March 2007

The purpose of the study was to answer a single question: What is the roe of the school principal in providing the leadership needed for the proper exploration and implemenation of Project Re:Learning? A conceptual framework was developed to guide the study. “Principals' strategies” was the centerpiece of the framework being influenced by “external factors” and “community and district factors” and, in turn, influencing “school-related factors” and “classroom-related factors.” The influence of the principal on “success or failure of innovations” was hypothesized to be indirect rather than direct. The study was conducted in four phases, initially included fifteen schools, and involved questionnaires completed by teachers and principals, interviews with teachers and principals, and whole-day shadows of principals. Based on the results of the study six types of school administrators were identified: the absent administrator, the pawn, the pragmatic principal the enthusiastic buffer, the principal as catalyst, and the implementer. Three of these typologies were believed to be consistent with the conceptualization of the principal advocated by the Coalition of Essential Schools: the enthusiastic buffer, the principal as catalyst, and the implementer. A set of generalizations derived from the results completes the study.
Teacher Recruitment: A Test of The Similarity-Attraction Hypothesis for Race and Sex
Authors: Young I. Phillip , Place A. William , Rinehart James S. , Jury James C. , Baits David F.
Published: March 2007

Race (Black and White) and sex of applicants and of organizational representatives were systematically manipulated to produce demographically similar and dissimilar pairings. Vacancy characteristics associated with teacher positions were manipulated through recruitment messages. Contents of recruitment messages were varied to reflect different groupings of homogeneous attributes relating to economic incentives, work environment, or work itself Each attribute grouping rendered a different recruitment message (n = 3),and all recruitment messages were evaluated by each applicant. Reactions of applicants provided partial support for the similarity-attraction paradigm within the recruitment context. Racially similar pairings produced more positive results than racially dissimilar pairings. Contents of recruitment messages were found to interact with sex of an organizational representative and race of an applicant. Black applicants preferred female organizational representatives presenting recruitment messages emphasizing either work environment attributes or work itself attributes. White applicants preferred male organizational representatives presenting recruitment messages stressing only work environment attributes.
Negotiating the Ethics of Care and Justice
Authors: Enomoto Ernestine K.
Published: March 2007

This article explores the competing demands imposed by the ethics of care and justice in an urban high school. Beginning with theoretical constructs of each ethic, the author contrasts care and justice as ideal types and discusses the tensions in educational administration around negotiating the two ethics. Presenting the specific case of a multiethnic urban high school grappling with attendance and truancy problems, the author describes the various perspectives of students, teachers, administrators, and staff members with respect to their school as caregiving and justice seeking. The findings of the study suggest that school members negotiate, rather than reconcile, the ethics of care and justice in actual practice.
Fragile Changes, Sturdy Lives: Implementing Authentic Assessment in Schools
Authors: Prestine Nona A. , McGreal Thomas L.
Published: March 2007

This study examines data from four schools that struggled to develop and implement authentic learning and assessment over a 3-year period. The study begins by identifying the factors that were significant in the schools' attempts to implement this pedagogical change. The identified factors serve as a frame for a broader discussion of why changes in the core technology of teaching and assessment are so difficult and how they differ from changes in school organization and governance.
We Gather Together: Work, Discourse, and Constitutive Social Action in Elementary School Faculty Meetings
Authors: Riehl Carolyn
Published: March 2007

Meetings are common occurrences in schools, but to date, minimal analytic research has focused on them This article reports on a case study of faculty meetings in a public elementary school. Three theoretical heuristics are used to examine how the faculty functioned as a task-performing work group, how conversations unfolded as dialogue, and how collective behavior in the meetings both conserved and helped to transform the social structure of the school.
Critically Oriented and Postmodern Perspectives: Sorting Out the Differences and Applications for Practice
Authors: Capper Colleen A.
Published: March 2007

The purpose of this article is three-fold: (a) to locate and describe several aspects of what the author terms critically oriented theories, which in addition to critical theory and feminist theory include critical race theory and queer theory; (b) to describe more fully poststructural perspectives including critical pragmatism and feminist poststructuralism; and (c) to identify key questions from each perspective that can help persons in the field of educational administration think about and respond to research and specific leadership situations in ways that push beyond traditional approaches. This article challenges the assumption that some critically oriented perspectives and postmodern perspectives have little utility for administrator practice. The author offers teaching suggestions to stimulate further conversation about making critical and postmodern ideas more accessible to educational leaders. In so doing, these ideas can lend support to leaders who wish to cocreate inclusive school communities.
Principals’ Instructional Leadership and Teacher Development: Teachers’ Perspectives
Authors: Blase Joseph , Blase Jo
Published: March 2007

In recent years, reflective, collaborative, inquiry-oriented approaches to supervision of teachers and teacher development have been discussed in the professional literature. However, few published studies have directly examined teachers’perspectives on principals’everyday instructional leadership characteristics and the impact of those characteristics on teachers. This article describes the everyday strategies of principals practicing exemplary instructional leadership and how these principals influenced teachers. The data were drawn from a qualitative study of more than 800 teachers in the southeastern, midwestern, and northwestern United States. An open-ended questionnaire was designed to provide teachers with the opportunity to identify and describe in detail the characteristics of principals that enhanced their classroom instruction and what impact those characteristics had on them. Inductive analyses of the data generated two major themes comprising 11 strategies, which were used to construct the Reflection-Growth (RG) model of instructional leadership. This article emphasizes those strategies and the meanings teachers identified with them.
An Interactive Program for the Solution of Linear Models
Authors: O'Dell Jerry W.
Published: March 2007

An easy to use program for the interactive solution of linear models is described. The program allows one to enter and to edit simply the complex design matrix, and then separately to solve the linear model. The interactive nature of the program results in a great saving of time for the student. In addition, teleprinter output is timed carefully so that one has the feeling of actually doing the computations.
Coding for Correlation and Regression
Authors: Gocka Edward F.
Published: March 2007

Data coding for analyzing the relationships between variables can often be a critical step relative to tests of significance or interpretation of regression coefficients. Resultant correlations can sometimes range from "trivial" to "large" depending on the data and the methods of coding. This paper focuses on the procedures available for substituting a special predictive coding method for some of the more complex general regression procedures.
The Comparative Validity of the Mandler-Sarason Test Anxiety Questionnaire and the Achievement Anxiety Test
Authors: Harper Frank B.W.
Published: March 2007

The validity of the Mandler-Sarason Test Anxiety Questionnaire (TAQ) and its subscales, (anxiety about taking individual intelligence tests (AII), anxiety about taking group intelligence tests (AGI), and anxiety about taking course examinations (ACE), was compared with the validity of the two subscales of the Academic Achievement Test (AAT), Debilitating Anxiety (Deb), and Facilitating Anxiety (Fac), against the criterion of cumulative grade point average (CGPA) in a college population. The subscales whose item content was directed at measuring anxiety about taking academic examinations, correlated significantly with the criterion measure, but the other subscales did not. The Deb scale had the highest numerical correlation. The total TAQ score was significantly related to the criterion in the male sample but not in the female sample.
An Assessment of the Effectiveness of Complex Alternatives in Multiple Choice Achievement Test Items
Authors: Mueller Daniel J.
Published: March 2007

Discrimination indices and difficulty levels of multiple-choice achievement test items containing only substantive response alternatives were compared with items containing each of three complex alternative types: All of the above; None of the above; and combination complex alternatives (e.g., A and B; Either A or B; Two of the above, etc.). The same item statistics were compared, with items reclassified according to type of alternative keyed as the correct answer. Items containing combination complex alternatives were found to be most difficult, and items containing an "All of the above" alternative were found to be least difficult (especially when that alternative was keyed as the correct answer). Discrimination index was less affected by the inclusion or exclusion of complex alternatives than was difficulty level, but the highest discrimination occurred in items containing only substantive alternatives; the lowest in items in which "None of the above" was keyed as the correct answer. It was also found that all three types of complex alternatives functioned better as distractors than did substantive alternatives, with combination complex distractors receiving the highest rate of response.
Random Variables and Correlational Overkill
Authors: Kunce Joseph T. , Cook Daniel W. , Miller Douglas E.
Published: March 2007

Research findings may be more publishable if significant results are reported. This type of publication bias would increase the likelihood of "chance" relationships being disseminated. The implications of these assumptions are empirically investigated in a correlational analogue study. A large number of significant relationships were found in several groups of subjects between their actual scores on 45 SVIB scales and scores on 10 "experimental" scales which were determined by a set of random numbers. Furthermore, "logical" factors were shown to underly relationships which existed among scores on a given random scale with its significant correlations to SVIB scales. Considerations in such overkill in simple correlational studies are the subject-to-variable ratio, variable independence, and more stringent probability levels.
The Structure of Domain Hierarchies Found Within a Domain Referenced Testing System
Authors: Macready George B.
Published: March 2007

The purpose of this study was to assess conditional states of item mastery found among items from different item domains and the effectiveness of various procedures for identifying such conditional relations. The item domains considered were from the curriculum area of multiplication of whole numbers, and were defined by a domain referenced testing system. It was possible to infer from the results of this study that the domain referenced testing system considered produced items which across domains showed strong conditional relations. Comparisons of goodness of fit were made among domain hierarchies with similar numbers of specified conditional relations generated by two different empirical procedures and by experts judgment. Additional comparisons were made among models generated by the same procedure but with different numbers of specified conditional relations.

Support for the validity of empirically generated hierarchies with moderate numbers of conditional relations among domains was provided. However, similar support was not provided for the conditional relations hypothesized to exist by subject matter experts.
A Computer Program to Create a Population with Any Desired Centroid and Covariance Matrix
Authors: Morris John D.
Published: March 2007

A computer program written in FORTRAN IV is presented which will create a population of desired size with marginally normal score vectors manifesting any desired centroid and covariance matrix. Uses and documentation are provided.
Prediction of Persistence and Performance With the Hermans Prestatic Motivation Test
Authors: Hamilton J. Ogden
Published: March 2007

Hermans' Prestatic Motivation Test, a questionnaire measure of achievement motivation, is easier to administer and to score than are its projective counterparts, the Thematic Apperception Test and the French Test of Insight; and it need not be administered under controlled conditions. In two independent studies of its predictive validity, Hermans' measure was found to be positively related to persistence and to performance in academic examinations, both when the measure was used alone and when it was combined with the Mandler-Sarason Test Anxiety Questionnaire as a measure of resultant motivation. Moreover, although the French Test of Insight was found to be related to persistence as in earlier research, it was not related to Hermans' measure. It is concluded that Hermans' questionnaire taps a psychological characteristic that is manifest in achievement directed behavior, but that this characteristic is something other than the achievement motive of McClelland and his colleagues.
Pep: a Fortran Program for Item Analysis
Authors: Carroll C. Dennis
Published: March 2007

A computer program for item evaluation, reliability estimation, and test scoring is described. The program contains a variable format procedure allowing flexible input of responses. Achievement tests and affective scales may be analyzed.
The Influence of Test Context On Item Difficulty
Authors: Whitely Susan E. , Dawis René V.
Published: March 2007

Item analysis techniques commonly assume that item difficulties are stable over varying test contexts. The current emphasis on information-efficiency and individualized selection of items has made context stability a critical assumption. The simple item difficulties and Rasch log easiness values of 15 verbal analogy items were compared over seven internally consistent analogy tests. The results indicate that 60% of the items varied over contexts and that context difficulty was a factor for 27% of the items. The general applicability of item-parameter-invariant models is questioned by the finding of contextual interaction for parameter estimates.
An Item Factor Analysis of the Mooney Problem Check List
Authors: Stewart David W. , Deiker Thomas
Published: March 2007

A large obverse factor analysis was carried out on item responses given to the Mooney Problem Check List by three groups of adolescents between 12 and 18 years of age: 173 emotionally disturbed, 134 delinquent, and 273 normal controls. Individual analyses were performed for each of the three groups on the High School form of the test, and for the emotionally disturbed and normal groups on the Junior High school form. One large general factor emerged from each of the five analyses. It was suggested that the singular factor for the groups employed was the result of an overly narrow set of problem areas in the original item sampling.
The Friedman two-Way Analysis of Variance as a Test for Ranking Error
Authors: Wagner Edwin E.
Published: March 2007

Recent research has indicated that the initial position in which a group of entities is presented can spuriously affect the subsequent rankings of these entities along some prescribed dimension. It has also been demonstrated that the location of this "ranking error" is variable and may occur anywhere across a set of rankings. It was suggested that a methodological variation of the Friedman Two-Way Analysis of Variance could be used for detecting this type of error.
Large Sample Confidence Limits for Goodman and Kruskal's Proportional Prediction Measure Taub
Authors: Berry Kenneth J. , Mielke Paul W.
Published: March 2007

Goodman and Kruskal's tb test statistic is frequently employed in measuring association between nominally-scaled polynomies. Because of an error in the published large sample standard error, the utility of tb has been severely circumscribed for many years. A recent published correction of the large sample standard error promises to increase its use. This paper describes a Fortran Extended computer program which computes tb, with column variable dependent, and its asymmetrical counterpart ta, with row variable dependent. The program also provides three sets of confidence limits for each coefficient under both full multinomial and proportional stratified sampling.
Developing a Forced-Choice Measure of Conflict-Handling Behavior: The "Mode" Instrument
Authors: Kilmann Ralph H. , Thomas Kenneth W.
Published: March 2007

This paper describes the rationale and development of a new measure of five interpersonal conflict-handling modes (competing, collaborating, compromising, avoiding, and accommodating), which attempts to control for the social desirability response bias. The instrument is entitled: "Management-of-Differences Exercise," or the MODE instrument. The results of this study indicate that the new instrument significantly reduces the social desirability bias for overall population tendencies in comparison to three other conflict behavior instruments, although all four instruments may still be susceptible to some individual tendencies in this response bias. This study also investigated other aspects of substantive validity and structural validity. Lastly, this paper presented emerging evidence on external validity, which, while encouraging, suggests the need for continuing research efforts to investigate this aspect of validity for the new MODE instrument.
Item Homogeneity, Scale Reliability, and the Self-Concept Hypothesis
Authors: Taylor James B.
Published: March 2007

Traditionally, scale reliability and item homogeneity are viewed as intrinsic properties of particular scales and items, and not as intrinsic to the content domain being measured. This paper shows that the reliability and item homogeneity of personality scales is in part dependent on the content domain being sampled, and that this "characteristic reliability" cannot be explained as a function of item ambiguity or scale length. Elsewhere we have suggested that responses to personality items are mediated by more abstract perceptions of the self (the "self-concept hypothesis"). We here suggest that the clarity or ambiguity of different self-perceptions may be a major determinant of item homogeneity and scale reliability. Arguing that self-perception is a special case of person-perception, we show that level of ambiguity in person perception (using different content dimensions of social judgment) is closely related to the level of scale reliability characterizing the same content domains. These results support the importance of self-concept processes in understanding what personality scales measure, and suggest the need for more commerce between self-theory and the technical concerns of personality psychometrics.
Correlates of the Just World Factor of Rotter's I-E Scale
Authors: Zuckerman Miron , Gerbasi Kathleen C. , Marion Suzanne P.
Published: March 2007

The 23 forced-choice items of Rotter's I-E Scale were converted into 46 Likert agree-disagree items. Intercorrelations of the 46 I-E items were subjected to a principal factor analysis. A varimax rotation yielded four subscales: Belief in a difficult world, a just world, a politically responsive world, and a predictable world. Most items with high loadings on the just world factor had low loadings on the first principal factor. Further, a correlational study showed that the just world factor scores were negatively related to authoritarianism, dogmatism, intolerance of ambiguity, and attribution of blame to women for their inferior state (internals scored higher on all four measures). Except for one positive correlation between the difficult world factor scores and dogmatism, (internals scored lower on dogmatism), the three other I-E factors were not related to any of the four measures. Contrary to predictions, just world factor scores were not related to a low level of political activity. The correlational study suggests that the I-E just world items are unrelated to, and perhaps inconsistent with the remaining I-E items and should be omitted from the I-E scale.
Development of the Student Opinion Survey
Authors: Doyle Kenneth O.
Published: March 2007

Development of the Student Opinion Survey is described in terms of construction of the initial item pool, sampling of items, formation of general and specific scales, and evaluation of psychometric properties. Internal consistency reliabilities, scale intercorrelations, and specific variances are reported, along with correlations with student characteristics and findings concerning convergent and divergent internal validity. From these data, and from data separately reported, it appears that the Student Opinion Survey is sufficiently reliable and valid for use in instructional diagnosis and, with due caution and supplementary information, in faculty personnel decisions.
Using Item Test-Retest Stability (ITRS) as a Criterion for Item Selection: an Empirical Study
Authors: Nevo Barukh
Published: March 2007

This paper proposes another criterion for empirical item-selection, namely, item test-retest stability (ITRS). Four tests were used in this research. Two of them were ability power tests and the other two were objective personality scales. These tests were administered twice to 100 students with a time interval of eight months in between. For each item in each test a phi correlation between the first and second administrations was calculated and then used as an ITRS index. For each test an abbreviated version was created, by selecting the items with the highest ITRS scores. The retest stability coefficients of the abbreviated and original tests were assessed with a new sample, consisting of another 100 students, and the abbreviated tests were found to be not lower than the respective coefficients of the original, longer tests. The ITRS and the more popular IIC (Item internal consistency) criterion were compared to each other in terms of their effects upon retest stability and internal consistency, and conclusions were drawn.
The Significant Dimensions of Teaching Behavior and their Relative Importance for Instructor Evaluations
Authors: Umble M. Michael , Whitten Betty J.
Published: March 2007

Currently, student evaluations appear to have a large impact on academia. In order to understand better student attitudes concerning teaching performance, factor analysis is used in this paper to identify significant dimensions of student attitude toward instructors. A representative sample of 212 college of business students at the University of Georgia was selected for this purpose. Six interpretable dimensions of teaching behavior were identified. A second sample of 205 University of Georgia college of business students was used to investigate the relative importance of each of the six identified dimensions.
Contrast: a Computer Program for Evaluating Item Bias
Authors: Pine Steven M. , Wattawa Scott
Published: March 2007

Described is a program for a comparative evaluation of the extent of item bias between two subgroups in a test population. The program calculates an index of bias based on Angoff's elliptical distance measure as well as provides statistics for determining the similarity of intergroup item parameters. Also available are options for rejecting items on the basis of parameter tolerances and for labelling program output with a variable length of text.
Interactive Confidence Test Scoring and Interpretation
Authors: Rippey Robert M. , Donato Joy
Published: March 2007

Confidence scored tests allow subjects to respond to the options on a multiple choice test by assigning probabilities to each of the item options. Reproducing scoring functions applied to the set of response probabilities produces scores which are maximized in the long run, if and only if, probabilities assigned to correct answers are equal to the proportion of times those probabilities are assigned to correct answers. This maximizing property makes it possible to separate evidence of knowledge from confidence in knowledge. Such separation has the potential for providing more reliable and valid measures of learning as well as information about the tendency to overvalue or undervalue one's information. This paper describes an interactive computer program for administering, scoring, and interpreting the results of confidence tests.
Dyad: a Computer Program for the Analysis of Interpersonal Communication
Authors: Fogel Daniel S.
Published: March 2007

DYAD generates descriptions of conversational patterns of dyads based on sound- silence data. Input consists of sequential talk/notalk designations which are summarized according to a number of user supplied parameters. Output consists of descriptive matrices, including histograms and summary measures, stochastic matrices, and individual talk parameters. Related programs for collecting analogue data are also available.
Creativity Measurement Through Use of Judgment Criteria in Physics
Authors: Eichenberger Rudolph J.
Published: March 2007

The problem of study reported in this paper is the construction and validation of a set of judging criteria for use in evaluating creativity in the physics classroom. An eighteen item judging criterion instrument was developed to assess the relative creativity of paper-and-pencil products produced by thirty-three college general physics students on six assignments. The instrument, called the Judging Criteria Instrument (JCI), was studied for validity by a multiple method of correlating results found from the instrument with results obtained with the Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking and with judgments of thirty teachers evaluating products indpendently. The JCI and teacher judgment scores were shown to be reliable through using the split-halves technique. All correlations were calculated in terms of the Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient. The JCI was shown to be valid. The study also indicated that an average of four peer scores employing the JCI does provide a better measurement of creativity than does self-evaluation from using the same instrument.
Personality Growth among Counselor Trainees as Measured by the Personal Orientation Dimensions
Authors: Bonk Edward C. , Knapp Robert R. , Michael Willian B.
Published: March 2007

This study was designed to examine changes in level of actualizing among counselor trainees at the Master's degree level as measured by the Personality Orientation Dimensions (POD), following the next-to-the-last course in Counseling and Student Personnel Services. Differences between pretest and posttest raw scores were significant for 4 of 13 POD scales. All changes were in the direction of hypothesized greater actualizing. It was concluded that the POD was sensitive to changes following the present counselor training program and that the changes suggest a greater adherence to actualizing concepts following such a program—an outcome that could be interpreted as reflecting some degree of support for its potential construct validity.
On the Utility of the E-Correlation Coefficient Concept in Psychological Research
Authors: Vegelius Jan
Published: March 2007

The term correlation coefficient has been defined in various ways. In this article the E-(correlation) coefficient concept is considered. Six characteristics of an E-coefficient are mentioned. For 23 similarity measures of interval, ordinal, dichotomous, and nominal data is considered whether they are E-coefficients or not. Finally, the importance of the concept is discussed.
Suppressor Variables and the Semipartial Correlation Coefficient
Authors: Velicer Wayne F.
Published: March 2007

Since Horst (1941) initially introduced the concept, a number of investigators have suggested alternative definitions that both include a broader class of situations and are more precise. Following a conceptual framework suggested by Conger (1974), the present paper discusses a definition based on the relation of the semipartial correlation to the zero order correlation. This definition possesses a number of advantages, including the fact that it can be easily extended from the two predictor case to the general p-predictor case.
An Alternative Interpretation of Three Stability Models
Authors: Wilcox Rand R.
Published: March 2007

Wilcox (1977) describes three probability models which characterize a single test item in terms of a population of examinees. The purpose of this note is to indicate that similar models can be derived which characterize a single examinee in terms of an item domain. A numerical illustration is given which shows how our models might be used to adjust observed scores when comparing examinees.
A Two-Stage Procedure for Selecting the Best of Several Binomial Populations
Authors: Wilcox Rand R.
Published: March 2007

In many situations in education and psychology it is desired to select from k binomial populations the one having the largest probability of success. For example, if a pass/fail type of test is administered at the end of an instructional program and if we have several methods of instruction from which to choose, it is desirable to choose the one which maximizes the probability of passing the test. This paper describes a two-stage procedure for accomplishing this goal. The solution is conservative in the sense that it is possible to determine the number of observations required so that the best population is chosen with probability at least P*, 2- k < P* < 1.
Differential Predictability in a Selection Model for Graduate Students: Implications for Validity Testing
Authors: Messmer Donald J. , Solomon Robert J.
Published: March 2007

The purpose of the paper was to present a method for testing differential predictability in a selection model. The method was illustrated on data from 227 graduate students. Regression models for males and females were developed based upon 103 male and 24 female graduates. The models were then tested for equivalence of variance, intercept, and slope. Since the models were not homogeneous in the variance, a method for adjusting for heterogeneity was presented. It was concluded that differential predictability was not present. The resulting common regression model was subsequently cross validated to the remaining 100 subjects.
The Prediction of Graduate School Success by the Canonical Correlation
Authors: Pristo L.J.
Published: March 2007

A study was undertaken to determine whether the canonical correlation could exhibit predictive efficiency regarding success in a graduate program. Two criteria and 8 predictors were established as the two variable sets to be correlated. A single significant coefficient of .624 between the two variates indicated that 38.9% of the variance of one set was common to the other variate. However, when subjected to cross-validation, the canonical correlation shrank to a non-significant value. Thus a lack of predictive utility in a population other than the standardization group was indicated.
The Relationship of Clustered Interest Measures and Declared College Major: Concurrent Validity of the Copsystem Interest Inventory
Authors: Knapp Robert R. , Knapp Lila , Michael William B.
Published: March 2007

The present study was undertaken to determine the relationship between declared major of entering college freshmen and measured interests in terms of clustered occupational activities. The sample consisted of 336 entering college freshmen who took the COPSystem Interest Inventory as part of a college orientation program and who had declared their major. The cluster representing declared major and the peak measured interest clusters were determined for each student.

A test of goodness of fit of the observed to expected frequencies for these clusters gave chi-squares which were significant at the .01 level in all cases. When the three highest interest groups were examined, 71% of the students would have had a correct prediction of the cluster containing their declared major. Ninety-two percent had interest scores greater than those of 50% of the norm population in the cluster determined by their declared major. Analyses of data in the present study demonstrate that declared college major upon entry to college is meaningfully related to and thus predictive of measured occupational interest clusters. The declared major of students is more likely to be classified within one of their three highest interest clusters as measured by the COPSystem Interest Inventory than within any other cluster. Results of the present study support the use of the instrument as a tool to help entering college students select an appropriate major.
A K-Means Cluster Analysis Computer Program With Cross-Tabulations and Next-Nearest-Neighbor Analysis
Authors: Lee Howard B. , Macqueen James B.
Published: March 2007

A cluster analysis computer program is presented which uses the K-Means algorithm to obtain partitions of multivariate data which have low within-class variance. The program provides a somewhat novel form of a next-nearest neighbor analysis, convenient cross tabulations for variables other than the ones used in the clustering, an efficient form of variable clustering, and approximate randomization tests for a variety of relationships.
Some Evidence Concerning the Factorial Validity of the Screening Test of Academic Readiness
Authors: Klein Alice E.
Published: March 2007

The Screening Test of Academic Readiness (STAR) consists of eight subtests combined to yield one Total score. As part of the ongoing evaluation of an early childhood education program, the STAR was administered to three samples of kindergarten pupils. It had been previously determined that the STAR was predictive of later academic achievement. A series of factor analyses was performed to determine whether the STAR could be used for individualized diagnosis and remediation. Results showed that two oblique factors emerged which had limited meaning. These results raised questions about which STAR scores might prove most useful to the potential consumer.
Intellective and Non-Intellective Predictors of Academic Achievement At a Filipino University
Authors: Watkins David , Astilla Estela
Published: March 2007

A follow-up study of 1,149 freshmen at a major Filipino university showed that intellective measures (National College Entrance Examination, Otis-Lennon Mental Abilities Test, and high school grade point average) were only moderately successful predictors of college grade point average. However, the nonintellective variables considered were (with the possible exception of level of scholastic expectation) of little value as predictors of college performance.
The Validity of the Nelson-Denny Reading Test as a Predictor of Performance in Introductory Psychology
Authors: Gerow Josh R. , Murphy Daniel P.
Published: March 2007

The objective of this paper was to assess the extent of the relationship between Nelson-Denny Reading Test (NDRT) scores and introductory psychology examination scores. Tests were administered to subjects from selected sections of an introductory psychology course. Measures were taken over a four-semester period. The median correlation between the Nelson-Denny scores and each of the two criterion measures (first unit examination and total number of points earned during the semester—Semester Point Total) was 0.56 (significant at the 0.01 level). When standardized aptitude measures are not available, the NDRT would appear to be a useful predictor of performance in an introductory psychology class.
A Two-Stage Clustering Algorithm with Robust Recovery Characteristics
Authors: Milligan Glenn W. , Sokol Lisa M.
Published: March 2007

Two FORTRAN IV computer programs for a two-stage clustering algorithm with robust recovery characteristics are described. In Stage 1, a group average hierarchical algorithm generates cluster centroids which are used as starting seed points for Stage 2, Jancey's k-means nonhierarchical algorithm. Also available with the hierarchical algorithm is a hypothesis test procedure which can be used to determine whether significant cluster structure exists in the data.
Dependence of the Relative Difficulty of True-False and Grouped True-False Tests On the Ability Levels of the Examinees
Authors: Hsu Louis M.
Published: March 2007

This note demonstrates that the relative difficulty of Separate and Grouped True-False tests may be expected to be dependent on the ability levels of the examinees.
Development and Initial Validation of an Instrument To Measure Political Attitudes
Authors: Hepburn Mary A. , Napier John D.
Published: March 2007

The Opinionnaire on Political Institutions and Participation (OPIP) was designed to measure six dimensions of the overall con struct of political attitude. Three studies were conducted to deter mine the validity and reliability of the instrument. Validation and cross-validation studies indicated that the instrument was construct valid for measuring political attitudes. The reliability study revealed that the overall test-retest correlation was moderately high. Reliabil ity correlations for the six subtests ranged from moderate to moder ately low. Thus the OPIP was found to be a valid and reliable in strument for research and evaluation using multi-subject designs.
The Prediction of Test Performance On Licensure Examinations in Nursing
Authors: Bell John A. , Sanchez Kathryn S.
Published: March 2007

The generalizability of prediction equations was investigated for licensure examinations in nursing. Three sets of regression equations were developed and compared for accuracy of prediction. The re sults indicated that equations for one university could accurately predict test performance at a different university. It was concluded that prediction equations for the State Boards are stable across pop ulations. In addition, evidence was presented to suggest that verbal ability is an underlying construct which is partially responsible for the stable prediction.
Index: An Interactive Computer Program for Item Analysis of Objective Tests
Authors: King Harry A. , Karres Linvel E.
Published: March 2007

INDEX is an interactive program, written in the BASIC language, which operates simply on a microcomputer to perform objective test analysis. The program accommodates the occurrence of tied scores fully and correctly.
A Factor-Analytic Study of the Construct Validity of Holland's Self-Directed Search Test
Authors: Rachman D. , Amernic J. , Aranya N.
Published: March 2007

A random sample of 2626 Canadian professional accountants was mailed a questionnaire containing the Self-Directed Search instrument (SDS) developed by Holland. The 1206 completed questionnaires were used to obtain more evidence about the construct validity of the SDS. A method of common factor analysis was used. In general, it was found that the structure of the SDS instrument as a whole is quite clear and that most of the items which are supposed to measure one personality type form a unidimensional set. The Activity and Ability subtests cannot discriminate between the Enterprising and Social types. Only the Interest subtest can differentiate among all the personality types prescribed by Holland. A confirmatory factor analysis provided support for the result that the SDS measures six factors: Realistic, Investigative, Artistic, Social-Enterprising (combined), Conventional, and a sixth general interest factor. Generally, in each subtest and for the entire test, the psychological relationship among types confirms the hexagon model proposed by Holland and others. Correlations between the scales of personality types based on the self-report and an index of social desirability were quite low. It is concluded that the theoretical structure of the hexagon model appears to be sound, but that the tools of measurement (i.e., the SDS subtests) may require improvement.
The Multivariate Case of the Shine-Bower Single-Subject ANOVA
Authors: Shine Lester C.
Published: March 2007

The Shine-Bower single-subject ANOVA is extended to the multivariate case, i.e., the case of more than one dependent measure or variate. Two cases of between-variate dependencies among within-subject errors are considered. The first case assumes a restricted pattern of between-variate dependencies among within-subject errors. This case allows the use of standard multi-variate ANOVA procedures. The second case assumes no between-variate dependencies among within-subject errors. This case allows the use of simplified multivariate ANOVA procedures.
Validity of the Rokeach Value Survey
Authors: Thompson Bruce , Levitov Justin E. , Miederhoff Patrick A.
Published: March 2007

The study evaluated the construct validity of the Rokeach Value Survey (RVS). Rokeach has presented factor analytic evidence that his instrument has the theorized dimensions. However, his results were based on analysis of ipsative data, and therefore, must be cautiously interpreted. The subjects in this study provided ratings of the values employed on the RVS, or normative data, which may be more suitable for factor analytic investigations. The outcomes suggest that the validity of the RVS is to some extent situation specific. It was concluded that ipsative measurement is useful when information about value choice is desired, but that normative measurement is more appropriate when the research is investigating the nature of value perception.
The Factorial Validity of the Teacher Occupational Stress Factor Questionnaire
Authors: Moracco John , Danford Deborah , D'Arienzo Raymond V.
Published: March 2007

The purpose of this study was to determine the factorial validity of the Teacher Occupational Stress Factor Questionnaire (Clark,1980). Factors interpreted emerged from use of a principal components factor analysis rotated to oblique solutions. The results of this study provided partial support for the construct validity of the instrument. However, item rearrangement resulted in changing the composition of three of the five factors of the original instrument. The new arrangement was thought to provide data for investigating teacher stress. Factors were renamed in light of the findings.
The Construction of a Developmental Scale for Seriation
Authors: Kingma Johannes , Reuvekamp Johan
Published: March 2007

In this study the relationship between seriation tasks and number line comprehension tasks are reported. Subjects were 595 children from kindergarten and primary school grades 1 and 2. Three types of tasks were administered: six seriation tasks derived from Piaget's publications, six seriation tasks provided with irrelevant cues and number line comprehension tasks. With the use of the stochastic Mokken scale analysis, it was shown that a selection of six of the 12 original seriation tasks appeared to form a strong Mokken scale, which was invariant for different samples at the same point in time of test administration. The reliability of the items of the found scale and the predictive value of these items for number line comprehension, were equal to the values found with the original 12 seriation tasks. A strong relationship of r = .80 was found between the items on the constructed scale and the number line comprehension tasks administered three months after the test administration of the seriation tasks.