bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
CHILDREN'S KNOWLEDGE OF ORTHOGRAPHY IN LEARNING TO READ
Authors: FRANCIS HAZEL
Published: May 2011

Summary. Children's knowledge of spelling was defined in terms which allowed similarity between errors and target words to be used to trace its development. In one study 48 children read material from their school reading scheme, arranged both in sentences and in word lists. The samples were collected in the early months of learning to read in school, before phonics instruction was introduced. In the second study samples were collected from time to time from 8 children during their first three years in school, during which time they received phonics instruction. In both studies error‐target similarity, measured in terms of number, order and position of identical letters, was found to increase with reading attainment. A strong first letter effect was noted. This development is interpreted in the light of reading strategies inferred from comparison between the reading of sentences and lists, and from observations of reading behaviour. It is concluded that, whilst reading aloud, considerable knowledge of spelling developed independently of the explicit use of phonics. The findings are discussed in relation to the literature on errors in initial reading and on visual and phonological paths to word recognition. It is suggested that the development of direct lexical access is a more systematic and complex matter than has perhaps been recognised, entailing considerable unconscious, automatic and interactive processing, and that first letter recognition is an important cue for initial readers, both for direct access and in the establishment of a phonological route.
COGNITIVE ORIENTATION AND CHANGING THE IMPULSIVITY OF CHILDREN
Authors: ZAKAY D. , BAR‐EL ZIPORA , KREITLER SHULAMITH
Published: May 2011

Summary. The purpose of the study was to demonstrate that impulsive behaviours and the resulting faulty social problem‐solving may be changed by altering clusters of beliefs orienting to these behaviours. The theoretical rationale was provided by the cognitive orientation theory. The hypotheses were that the belief clusters would change through experimental training and that the behaviours would change if the belief clusters change. The subjects were 74 children, about 10 years old of both genders, defined as impulsive by their class tutors. They were tested before and after experimental treatments on the Pre‐School Inter‐personal Problem‐Solving Test, Matching of Familiar Figures and beliefs concerning reflectiveness. In addition, pre‐ and post‐measures on Behavioural Measures of Adjustment and behavioural observations of impulsivity were obtained. The experimental treatment of eight meetings consisted of training the relevant beliefs, or behavioural plans, or both. Control subjects had either eight meetings devoted to games or no meetings. The findings showed that the beliefs were changed as expected, and that in nine of the ten behavioural measures there were changes, provided the beliefs changed. The discussion focused on the implications for the cognitive orientation theory, impulsiveness, and changing of other behaviours.
MODIFYING ‘CREATIVE WRITING’ IN THE CLASSROOM
Authors: HARROP A. , McCANN CHRIS
Published: May 2011

Summary. The investigation was carried out in a comprehensive school from November to June of a school year with a class of 26 third‐year pupils of average ability. Behaviour modification techniques were used in an attempt to raise the pupils' performance in creative writing, using the variables fluency, elaboration and flexibility. Following a baseline phase in which the pupils' scores on the variables were neither rising nor falling, a procedure was implemented which involved points, appropriate levels of teacher comment and the promise of a letter to parents. The results showed considerable increases in the pupils' essay scores on the three variables. Six secondary school teachers of English judged a sample of the essays and the results of these judgments strongly suggest that the increased scores obtained do reflect increases in the pupils'performance in creative writing.
TOWARD A TYPOLOGY OF LECTURING STYLES
Authors: BROWN G. A. , BAKHTAR M. , YOUNGMAN M. B.
Published: May 2011

Summary. This paper describes some recent findings on style of lecturing derived from a study of 258 lecturers in two English universities. Factor analysis yielded six scales for identifying approaches to lecturing. Subsequent cluster analysis yielded five distinctive types of lecturers' styles. The styles were associated significantly with subject area, marginally with status but not with years of experience.
THE FACTOR STRUCTURE OF THE COMPREHENSIVE ABILITY BATTERY
Authors: Kline P. , Cooper C.
Published: May 2011

Summary. The Comprehensive Ability Battery (CAB) was administered to a sample of British students and the test scores were subjected to an oblique factor analysis. Six factors were extracted which fitted closely those described by Cattell and colleagues. This supports their claims concerning the structure of abilities and the utility of the CAB in Great Britain.
WHEN IS A SILENT LETTER SILENT?
Authors: Downing J. , Timko H. , LaRocque Linda
Published: May 2011

Summary. The ambiguity of the term “silent letter” may cause logical errors in reading research. A critical analysis of Conrad's theoretical use of data from Corcoran's experiments on silent e cancellation and in proof reading indicates that neither of these authors recognised that a so‐called “silent” letter may or may not be associated with pronunciation. This calls into question evidence that has been advanced to support Conrad's theory that silent speech occurs in silent reading. Therefore, an experiment was conducted to establish an operational definition of “silent letter”. Forty‐one adults were asked to read aloud 60 three‐ and four‐letter nonsense syllables. When the letter E was added to each of the 20 stem trigrams, subjects usually pronounced the matched syllables differently; when the letter B or K was added, subjects generally pronounced the matched syllables identically. These results suggest that a “silent letter” is one that, when added to a graphic syllable, makes no difference to its pronunciation. Since so‐called “silent e's” did make a difference in pronunciation, failure to detect them in Corcoran's letter cancellation experiments cannot have been due to their not being a part of the “silent speech” that, according to Conrad's theory, is an accompaniment of silent reading.
A HIERARCHY OF INTELLECTUAL DEVELOPMENT IN SCIENCE
Authors: HACKER R. G.
Published: May 2011

Summary. Three schools of thought on the intellectual development of science pupils were examined and it was concluded that theories which take account of the characteristics of both the subject‐matter and the learner have the best prognosis. Strengths and weaknesses of popular methodologies for eliciting information about cognitive development were explored and it was suggested that pupils' classroom behaviours can provide a useful data‐base for the cognitive theorist. These points were illustrated by combining a logical analysis of a scheme of generic categories of scientific behaviours with a study of the incidences of these behaviours in science lessons across twelve consecutive years of primary and secondary schooling. Behaviours of 3,751 pupils in 864 lessons taught by 144 science teachers were cluster‐analysed and a three‐tier, hierarchical model of intellectual development in science was postulated. The preferred instructional strategies of the science teaching population studied were described.
THE DEVELOPMENT OF EXPRESSIVITY IN DRAWING
Authors: IVES S. W.
Published: May 2011

Summary. To trace the development of expressivity in children's drawings, 128 children, 16 each at the mean ages of 4, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 16, 20 were asked to create a series of drawings depicting expressive qualities (e.g., happy, sad) in both trees and lines. Drawings were first scored in terms of the accuracy of both expression and representation (trees, lines). Successful expressive drawings were then scored in terms of strategy utilised: literal representation (e.g., crying face for sad), abstract expression (e.g., drooping lines for sad), and content expression (e.g., a barren tree for sad). Finally, drawings scored as abstract expression were rated as to the types of abstract contrasts used (e.g., angle/curve, big/little, upward/downward). The results document a developmental trend from an initial ability to produce abstract expression based, in part, on amodal similarities (e.g., big for loud) toward the production of more complex multi‐dimensional types of abstract expression, and increasing integration of representational ability and expressive ability in the form of content expression.
USE OF ABBREVIATED COGNITIVE TESTS IN THE ASSESSMENT OF CHILDREN'S SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS
Authors: PHILLIPS C. J.
Published: May 2011

Summary. The responsibilities of educational psychologists for the assessment of children's special needs have been extended by recent legislation. In seeking ways to meet the extra demands on limited resources, school psychological services may consider more economical ways of obtaining information on the abilities of individuals. For the assessment of cognitive functioning, usually part of diagnosis, shortened forms of intelligence scales, such as Wechsler's, are often favoured. IQs from the full WISC and pro‐rated IQs from four subtests are examined for two samples of 10‐year‐olds. It is shown that the regression on the short‐form is significantly different for the ‘clinic’ population, from the parameters of the general normative population. Abbreviated scales of this kind cannot be recommended for the assessment of special educational needs.
CONSISTENCY OF CAUSAL ATTRIBUTIONS FOR EXPECTED AND ACTUAL EXAMINATION OUTCOME: A STUDY OF THE EXPECTANCY CONFIRMATION AND EGOTISM MODELS
Authors: CHAPMAN J. W. , LAWES MERYL M.
Published: May 2011

Summary. The expectancy confirmation and egotism models of causal attributions for success and failure were investigated with 400 fifth form students taking the New Zealand School Certificate English examination. Attributions for expected exam outcome and actual exam outcome were assessed with a scale containing 33 items categorised into the attribution dimensions of stability and locus of causality. The results suggested that exam outcome attributions are a function of both expectancy confirmation and valence of actual outcome, with the effects being due primarily to subjects whose expectations for passing were disconfirmed by actual failure. Compared to pre‐exam attributions based on expected outcome, these disconfirmed failure subjects reduced post‐exam attributions to internal (stable and unstable) and external stable causes, but increased their attributions to external unstable causes. Where expectations were confirmed (pass or fail) attributions from pre‐ to post‐exam were generally consistent; however, the confirmed pass subjects tended to see internal factors as more important than the other subjects, and external unstable factors as least important. The findings are discussed in terms of the implications for future achievement situations.
THE INFLUENCE OF CHRISTIAN NAME STEREOTYPES ON THE MARKING OF CHILDREN'S ESSAYS
Authors: ERWIN P. G. , CALEV A.
Published: May 2011

Summary. It is argued that previous name stereotype research has been one‐sided in focusing solely on stimulus characteristics. This study attempted to improve this situation by taking into account the christian name stereotype of both the subject and stimulus figure. Subjects marked six essays each supposedly written by a different stimulus figure. A 2 × 2 × 2 × 3 ANOVA (male vs. female subjects × attractively named vs. unattractively named subjects × male vs. female stimulus figures × attractively named vs. unattractively named vs. unnamed stimulus figures) showed only two significant effects, for attractiveness of the subject's name (P = 0.031) and for attractiveness of the name of the stimulus figure (P = 0.005). This latter effect showed a significant linear trend (P < 0.005) with unattractively named stimulus figures receiving lower marks than unnamed stimulus figures who in turn received lower marks than attractively named stimulus figures. The results were related to the general literature on social relationships and the need for further integrative research was stressed.
BIGGS' SPQ: A BRITISH STUDY OF ITS INTERNAL STRUCTURE
Authors: O'NEIL M. J. , CHILD D.
Published: May 2011

Summary. An investigation of the study processes of British higher education students using Biggs' Study Process Questionnaire (SPQ) is reported. There is partial confirmation of Biggs' findings that the study process complex, as operationalised by the SPQ, comprises the three orthogonal factor dimensions of utilising, internalising and achieving, where each dimension is made up of a motivational and a strategy subscale. The least satisfactory dimension is “utilising” which appears to be the most unstable scale with few consistent items from study to study. Our research yields evidence to support Biggs' congruence hypothesis that students with particular motivational predispositions tend to adopt a corresponding, linked strategy.
THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN LOCUS OF CONTROL AND TEACHER BURNOUT
Authors: McINTYRE T. C.
Published: May 2011

Summary. The purpose of this research was to investigate the relationship between locus of control, as measured by the Nowicki‐Strickland Adult Scale, and burnout as measured by the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI). A survey form containing these instruments was mailed to all special education teachers in 28 school districts in the north‐eastern United States. Of the initial 684 mailings, 469 were returned (69 per cent). An analysis of the data using Pearson product‐moment correlations revealed significant correlations between increasingly external locus of control orientation and increased perceptions of burnout on four of the six subscales of the MBI. Findings are discussed and a suggestion for future research presented.
NUMBER UNDERSTANDING IN PRESCHOOL CHILDREN
Authors: MICHIE SUSAN
Published: May 2011

Summary. Judgments of relative number made by 4‐year‐old children were assessed by asking them to count and compare two collections of counters under various conditions. Counters were presented either in heaps, to be counted one at a time into opaque boxes, or to be placed on top of dots in rows. In the experimental series a visual display of the number sequence was provided, and the appropriate number marked after each collection had been counted. To control for the length cues in the visual display, a further test was carried out using a visual display with no numbers on it. A condition with no visual display was also used. Performance was significantly more accurate when numbers and numerical dot patterns were visible and when the counters were counted into boxes rather than being arranged into rows. This suggests that children's poor performance on relative number judgment tasks may be due not to a poor understanding of number but rather to memory factors and to over‐reliance on perceptual cues. Aiding their memory of the number sequence and the numbers counted, and removing perceptual cues, enabled them to use their counting skills effectively.
THE MATHEMATICAL ACHIEVEMENTS OF DEAF CHILDREN FROM DIFFERENT EDUCATIONAL ENVIRONMENTS
Authors: WOOD HEATHER A. , WOOD DAVID J. , KINGSMILL MARIAN C. , FRENCH JACK R. W. , HOWARTH S. PATRICIA
Published: May 2011

Summary. The performances of 465 hearing and 540 hearing‐impaired school‐leavers on the Vernon‐Miller Graded Arithmetic‐Mathematics test are reported. A previous study revealed that hearing‐impaired children in special schools and partially hearing units scored approximately three years below their hearing peers. Somewhat paradoxically, however, degree of hearing loss was not a major determinant of performance in the hearing‐impaired sample. One possible explanation for these findings is that children in special education follow a different and less demanding curriculum than hearing children. To explore this possibility, 135 hearing‐impaired children attending ordinary schools were tested. Multiple regression analysis reveals that while this ‘mainstreamed’ sample performed better than those in special education, educational placement per se is not an important determinant of achievement. No sex differences emerge for any hearing‐impaired group and hearing loss remains a significant (r = ×0.26, P < 0.001) but weak predictor of performance.
THE EFFECT OF PICTURES ON THE ACQUISITION OF A SMALL VOCABULARY OF SIMILAR SIGHT‐WORDS
Authors: SAUNDERS ROBYN J. , SOLMAN ROBERT T.
Published: May 2011

Summary. Two experiments were carried out to investigate the effects of pictures on learning to read a set of isolated, similar, common nouns. Five groups of kindergarten children took part in the first study. The children in four of the groups learnt each word using a picture of the thing represented by the word, and in two of these four pictorial groups the children had their attention drawn to the fact that the word and the picture represented the same thing. No mention was made of this relationship to the children in the other two groups, and within each of these association conditions one group of children was presented with the word 1 second prior to the presentation of the picture, and the other group received these inputs simultaneously. The fifth group of children acted as a control by learning the words in the absence of pictures. The results indicated that both the instructions to associate the word and the picture and the viewing of the word prior to the presentation of the picture failed to improve performance. Of more importance, however, was the observation that those children who learnt the words in the absence of pictorial information recognised more words on the critical post‐learning trial than the children in the pictorial groups.

Four groups of kindergarten children took part in the second study. The children in two of the groups learnt the words with the aid of pictures, with one group seeing the picture 1 second prior to the word (the primed group) and the other group seeing the picture 1 second after the word (the non‐primed group). The children in the remaining two groups were used as controls, with one group viewing a blank card 1 second prior to the word and the other group viewing the same card 1 second after the word. The results showed no difference in performance between the primed and non‐primed conditions, but, consistent with the first study, the children who did not view pictures out‐performed those who did. It was recommended that when teaching children to recognise visually presented words teachers abandon the general practice of using pictures as aids.
THE TRANSFERABILITY OF TWO PICTORIAL SCIENTIFIC TASKS BETWEEN DIFFERENT SPATIAL DIMENSIONS
Authors: SEDDON G. M. , TARIQ RIAZ H. , VEIGA J. DOS SANTOS
Published: May 2011

Summary. Students in Cape Verde and Pakistan worked through different versions of two instructional programmes intended to teach the visualisation of reflection or rotation respectively in diagrams of three‐dimensional structures. The three versions of the Reflections Programme were concerned respectively with reflections across a different Cartesian plane; the three versions of the Rotations Programme were concerned respectively with rotations about a different Cartesian axis. The results on a post‐test indicated that all six programmes were successful on teaching the particular task in connection with the Cartesian plane or axis in which it had specialised. However, none of the programmes was successful in bringing about any learning to reflect across a different plane, or to rotate about a different axis.
ACADEMIC SELF‐CONCEPT: SOME DEVELOPMENTAL AND EMOTIONAL CORRELATES IN NINE‐YEAR‐OLD CHILDREN
Authors: CHAPMAN JAMES W. , SILVA PHIL A. , WILLIAMS SHEILA M.
Published: May 2011

Summary. Eight hundred 9‐year‐old children being studied by the Dunedin Multidisciplinary Health and Development Research Unit were assessed in terms of academic self‐concept, intelligence, and school performance. A short form of the Student's Perception of Ability Scale (SPAS) was used to estimate academic self‐concept. Intelligence was assessed by the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children‐Revised (WISC‐R), reading by the Burt Word Reading Test, spelling by a short form of the Dunedin Spelling Test, comprehension and expression by the respective subscales in the Illinois Test of Psycholinguistic Abilities (ITPA), and school achievement by parents' perceptions of current attainment levels. The results indicate that the SPAS Short Form yields means, standard deviations, and internal reliability estimates that are consistent with other studies. In addition, sex differences were noted, with girls reporting slightly higher self‐perceptions of ability than boys. In terms of correlations between academic self‐concept and school‐related ability and performance, it was found that SPAS subject‐specific subscale scores correlated moderately with corresponding subject area performance, but weakly or negligibly with WISC‐R and ITPA Comprehension and Expression scores. Perceptions of ability, therefore, appear to be relatively independent of intelligence, and more related to success levels in school. It was also found that children identified as reading retarded had significantly lower self‐perceptions of ability than normal readers. Similarly, depressed children indicated relatively negative self‐concepts compared to past depressed and non‐depressed children.
IDENTIFYING DIMENSIONS OF SCHOOL MOTIVATION IN BRITAIN AND HUNGARY
Authors: KOZÉKI B. , ENTWISTLE N. J.
Published: May 2011

Summary. Previous research in Britain and USA has indicated that motivation in education has several dimensions. Besides academic achievement motivation (hope for success), there are also dimensions reflecting fear of failure, extrinsic motivation related to external rewards, and intrinsic motivation out of personal interest in the subject matter itself.

In Hungary extensive interview studies have led to the development of an integrated description of school motivation involving nine distinguishable motives in affective, cognitive, and moral domains. An inventory was developed to measure these nine hypothesised motives within the school context, and six separable factors were identified in Hungary.

The present study involves a comparison of the factor structure of the Hungarian inventory with an English‐language version. Eight hundred Hungarian and 365 British 12–13‐year‐olds completed the inventory, and the main analysis extracted eight factors for boys and girls in each country. These factors described dimensions similar to the hypothesised motives, which were identifiable in a comparable form in both samples. Subsidiary analyses examined sex and school differences in mean scores within the two countries. Examination of individual items also produced interesting indications of possible differences between the reactions of British and Hungarian children to their experiences of school.
A FACTOR ANALYTIC STUDY OF THE MCCARTHY SCALES OF CHILDREN'S ABILITIES
Authors: TRUEMAN M. , LYNCH A. , BRANTHWAITE A.
Published: May 2011

Summary. The anglicised version of the McCarthy Scales of Children's Abilities (MSCA) was administered to 89 4¼‐year‐old children in Stoke‐on‐Trent. Factor analysis gave some support for the construct validity of McCarthy's General Cognitive, Perceptual‐Performance, Verbal and Motor Indexes. However, no support was found for Memory or Quantitative Indexes. These results are considered in the light of previous studies of the construct validity of the MSCA, and it is suggested that results from the Quantitative Scale, in particular, should be interpreted cautiously with children under the age of 5 years.
COGNITIVE SLIPPAGE, TEST ANXIETY, AND RESPONSES IN A GROUP TESTING SITUATION
Authors: YATES GREGORY C. R. , HANNELL GLYNIS , LIPPETT R. MARK
Published: May 2011

Summary. In this investigation 72 female tertiary students completed questionnaires of their experienced cognitive interference, mind‐wandering, enjoyment, and task difficulty following the administration of Set I, and again following Set II, of the Advanced Progressive Matrices. Subjects were informed that Set I was a practice test. The Cognitive Failures Questionnaire (Broadbent et al., 1982) predicted levels of cognitive interference and mind‐wandering on Set II. The Test Anxiety Scale (Sarason, 1978) predicted cognitive interference, as well as actual test performance, on Set II. The results were interpreted in line with the view that the CFQ and TAS predict different aspects of the manner in which individuals react in stressful testing situations.
TEACHER STRESS AND PSYCHONEUROTIC SYMPTOMS
Authors: KYRIACOU C. , PRATT J.
Published: May 2011

Summary. One hundred and twenty‐seven schoolteachers completed the Teacher‐Event Stress Inventory (TESI) (a measure of self‐reported teacher stress) and the Middlesex Hospital Questionnaire (MHQ) (which provides scores on six scales measuring aspects of clinically recognised psychoneurotic status: anxiety, phobic, obsessional, somatic, depressive and hysterical). The correlations between TESI scores and each of the MHQ scale scores were presented separately for male and female teachers. Eleven of the 12 correlations were positive and significant. These indicated an association between self‐reported teacher stress and psychoneurotic symptoms which appeared to be greatest in the areas of anxiety, somatic and depressive symptoms.
FURTHER VALIDATION OF THE BEHAVIOUR IN SCHOOL INVENTORY
Authors: YOUNGMAN M. B. , SZADAY C. S. B.
Published: May 2011

Summary. Youngman's (1979) Behaviour in School Inventory is used as part of a counselling and guidance programme in an Australian secondary school. The sample comprises the complete year 7 intake (12‐ to 13‐year‐olds) of 96 boys and 37 girls. The results demonstrate good convergent and discriminant validity with correlations in the range 0.42 to 0.63 with the objective behavioural adjustment criterion, times sent out of class. It is argued that the BSI self‐rating is particularly effective for girls, and generally superior to teacher ratings of adjustment.
TAKING CONTROL OF STRESS IN TEACHING
Authors: WOODHOUSE D. A. , HALL E. , WOOSTER A. D.
Published: May 2011

Summary. An evaluation of two 6‐day in‐service courses in human relations for teachers, using a structured diary before, during and after the course, and a follow‐up interview, produced data on teacher stress which was qualitatively different from earlier research using questionnaires. The courses were experiential and were perceived as stressful. In the follow‐up diaries and interviews there was evidence that training in human relations produced changes in behaviour and a reduction in stress.
RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN SCHOOL MOTIVATION, APPROACHES TO STUDYING, AND ATTAINMENT, AMONG BRITISH AND HUNGARIAN ADOLESCENTS
Authors: ENTWISTLExzy N. J. , KOZÉKI B.
Published: May 2011

Summary. Samples of 614 British and 579 Hungarian pupils aged 13–17 completed an inventory covering 20 sub‐scales of school motivation and approaches to studying. Indices of attainment in arts and science were also obtained. The factor structure of the inventory proved to be remarkably stable across nationality and sex, with school motivation accounting for two factors (the emotional and moral domains, and the cognitive domain) and approaches to studying dividing into three (meaning, reproducing, and organising/strategic). Correlations of the scales with attainment were obtained, along with multiple regression analyses. The overall inventory provides valuable information to teachers in the form of not just a single index of school motivation but also a profile of scores indicating different types of motive and ways of tackling school work.
THE TRANSCENDENTAL MEDITATION TECHNIQUE AND POSTGRADUATE ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE
Authors: KEMBER PAUL
Published: May 2011

Summary. Twenty students taking the first year of an MSc course at Cranfield Institute of Technology were randomly allocated to a Transcendental Meditation or control group. There was some evidence that six months' practice of Transcendental Meditation produced an improvement in postgraduate academic performance.
THE ROLE OF METALEARNING IN STUDY PROCESSES
Authors: BIGGS J. B.
Published: May 2011

Summary. Effective learning under institutional conditions requires, first, that students are aware of task demands and of their intentions of how, or even whether, to meet those demands, and, second, that they assess realistically, and exert control over, their own cognitive resources. The fulfilment of such conditions involves a sophisticated kind of metacognition, here called metalearning. The present paper describes a series of studies that collectively explicate the development and role of metalearning in the learning and study processes of secondary and tertiary students. Ability patterns, locus of control, variety and quality of certain non‐school experiences, and extent and kind of motivation all seem to be involved in the development of metalearning capability. A model of student learning is then described, in which personal and situational factors are linked to performance by three main approaches to learning: deep, achieving, and surface. These approaches involve varying degrees of metalearning and lead to qualitatively different learning outcomes. An intervention study on improving student learning is described that tests important aspects of the model, and further implications for teaching and research are suggested.
THE RELATIONSHIP OF GRADE, SEX, ABILITY AND SOCIO‐ECONOMIC STATUS TO PARENT, PEER AND SCHOOL AFFILIATION
Authors: RICHMOND P. G.
Published: May 2011

Summary. A measure of affiliation to parents, peers and school was administered to a sample of 1379 subjects of both sexes, aged between 11 and 17 years. A principal component analysis of the scores on the inventory produced three clearly separated components, one for each reference group. The scores derived from a rotated solution were analysed using grade, sex, ability, and socio‐economic status as independent variables. The main findings were: (i) Home and school affiliation scores declined with age while peer affiliation scores increased, (ii) Female students were more positive about peer and school affiliation than were male students, while male students were more positive about home affiliation, (iii) The high ability students were more positive about their schools than were the low ability students, and (iv) Socio‐economic level was not related to reference group affiliation.
PAIRED READING VERSUS RELAXED READING: A COMPARISON
Authors: LINDSAY GEOFF , EVANS ALISON , JONES BEN
Published: May 2011

Summary. This study compared the effectiveness of two methods of parental involvement in the development of their children's reading. Each method was adopted with a group of 10 children who were sub‐divided with respect to whether their progress during the 6‐week project was monitored by home visit or telephone. The results suggest that both methods can lead to substantial improvement in reading ability. The failure to find a significant difference between methods suggests that the simpler and more cost‐effective approach, Relaxed Reading, is to be preferred.
THE USE OF LONGITUDINAL DATA IN A STUDY OF CHILDREN'S SCHOOL MOBILITY AND ATTAINMENT
Authors: BLANE D. C. , PILLING DORIA , FOGELMAN K.
Published: May 2011

Summary. Longitudinal data contained in the National Child Development Study (NCDS) cohort was used in a Department of Education and Science (DES) funded investigation of whether changes of school adversely affect children's attainment and behaviour. There have been a number of studies which have investigated these effects but the results have been conflicting and confusing. Recently a series of major studies has shown that it may be especially dangerous to draw conclusions based on ex post facto data in this field. This research note discusses some aspects of the research methodology adopted in this study to overcome the deficiences of some of the earlier mobility projects. The findings, based on a series of multivariate analyses, support the view that differences in the academic attainment of children who change school generally existed prior to the move.
INTELLIGENCE, FACT OR ARTEFACT: ALTERNATIVE STRUCTURES FOR COGNITIVE ABILITIES
Authors: BYNNER J. M. , ROMNEY D. M.
Published: May 2011

Summary. A major source of empirical support for the generally accepted common factor structure of intelligence is (exploratory) factor analysis. This excludes the possibility of many alternative models which can only be evaluated through the confirmatory methods of structural modelling. Using this approach in the analysis of Richmond Basic Skills Test data, we demonstrate that a different kind of model where one type of ability leads to and influences another (a simplex) not only fits the data, but is also consistent with theory in developmental psychology. An elaboration of the simplex, termed for convenience a ‘split simplex’, enables all the tests (verbal and mathematical) to be incorporated in one model. We conclude that the simplex and its variant should be considered as plausible alternatives to the classical model.
THE STABILITY AND CLASSIFICATION OF SPECIFIC READING RETARDATION: A LONGITUDINAL STUDY FROM AGE 7 TO 11
Authors: SHARE DAVID L. , SILVA1 PHIL A.
Published: May 2011

Summary. The concept of specific reading retardation assumes that there exists a stable group of under‐achieving children whose classification is not simply age‐ or test‐specific. This assumption was investigated longitudinally in a large sample of New Zealand children who were followed from age 7 to age 11. Substantial overlap was found between groups classified as specific reading retarded at ages 7, 9, and 11 on the basis of Burt reading and WISC‐R Performance IQ scores. At age 11, there was also substantial agreement between classifications based on three separate measures of reading achievement, although there was evidence of test‐specific factors unique to comprehension‐ versus word recognition‐based classifications. Agreement between classifications at age 11 based on WISC‐R Performance IQ and Fullscale IQ was high. The data indicated the existence of a fairly stable group of children characterised by enduring under‐achievement in reading throughout the primary years of schooling.
THE ROLE OF GENERALISED EXPECTANCIES IN DETERMINING CAUSAL ATTRIBUTIONS FOR SUCCESS AND FAILURE IN TWO SOCIAL CLASSES
Authors: BUTLER RUTH
Published: May 2011

Summary. The sources of discrepancies in causal attributions for success and failure and for self and other attributions of outcome may become clearer when specific research attention is paid to the role of generalised expectancies in the attributional process. The present study hypothesised that when information about task and outcome is standardised, the attributions of both actors and observers will tend to reflect generalised expectancies, evoked in this study by two levels of SES in both actor and observer conditions, more than they will self‐serving biases. 230 sixth grade Jewish Israeli pupils of two SES levels were assigned to one of three experimental conditions. All pupils received eight anagrams, four soluble by all and four insoluble. Those in the self‐attribution condition attributed their own outcomes to various causes, while those in the similar and different other conditions attributed the same outcomes for pupils of apparently similar or different social class, after having first completed the anagrams themselves. The results indicated that while pupils of high SES tended to attribute both their own and others' outcomes in ways consistent with high generalised expectancy for success, pupils of low SES attributed their own outcomes more to external, unstable factors, and differentiated consistently in their attributions for the self, for similar and for different others. It was argued that these differences reflect undifferentiated, global perceptions of causality among high SES pupils, whose patterns of attribution are consistent both with teacher values and their own experience. Low SES pupils have more differentiated perceptions of causality since uncertainty as to the real causes of their learning outcomes motivates them to greater, but not always adaptive, attributional activity.
CORRELATIONS AMONG ELEMENTARY COGNITIVE TASKS
Authors: KLINE PAUL , MAY JON , COOPER COLIN
Published: May 2011

Summary. Eight elementary cognitive tasks were selected because of their potential application to the study of flexible thinking. The intercorrelations between these tasks were computed to investigate whether individual differences in performance could be found. These correlations are discussed in terms of the cognitive processes underlying the tasks, and it is concluded that seven of the eight tasks hold promise for future evaluation.
SPATIAL REPRESENTATIONS IN MATHEMATICALLY AND IN ARTISTICALLY GIFTED CHILDREN
Authors: HERMELIN B. , O'CONNOR N.
Published: May 2011

Summary. Mathematically and artistically gifted children and two IQ‐matched control groups were compared for their abilities to carry out several types of visual‐spatial tasks. One type of task was verbally presented and required a verbally formulated answer, while another was presented visually and the answer involved a choice of one of several visually presented alternatives. Two other types of problem were investigated, and these were respectively concerned with short‐term memory for non‐verbalisable shapes, and with the capacity to name objects or animals on the basis of minimal visual cues. Mathematically gifted children were better than all the other groups in solving the verbal‐spatial problems. On the other hand, artistically gifted children were particularly able at constructive imagination on the basis of minimal perceptual cues. Despite being of different IQ levels, both mathematically and artistically gifted children were equally good and were superior to IQ‐matched controls in visual recognition memory. The results justify the inference that level of performance on some of the tasks tested here is to some degree IQ‐independent, but is related to specific artistic or mathematical talent.
THE BOEHM TEST OF BASIC CONCEPTS: AN ENGLISH STANDARDISATION
Authors: SMITH EILEEN F.
Published: May 2011

Summary. The Boehm Test of Basic Concepts (Form A) was standardised on 1,928 children in England. The test directions were modified for British use. Raw scores were converted to standard scores by age level in half‐years from 3:6 to 7:6. An equivalence study found the two alternate forms (Forms A and B) to yield roughly equivalent scores. Relationships were found between BTBC scores and both social class and type of domiciliary area.
A COMPARISON OF THE PREDICTIVE VALIDITY OF THE REYNELL DEVELOPMENTAL LANGUAGE SCALES, THE PEABODY PICTURE VOCABULARY TEST AND THE STANFORD‐BINET INTELLIGENCE SCALE
Authors: SILVA PHIL A.
Published: May 2011

Summary. Studies of the predictive validity of psychological tests are relatively rare in comparison with studies of other types of test validity. This is not surprising as studies of most types of test validity (e.g., concurrent, construct) require the collection of data at only one point in time while studies of predictive validity can only be done within the context of longitudinal research. There have, however, been relatively few such studies and only a few of these have studied the predictive validity of tests. The paucity of longitudinal studies is, no doubt, a result of the many problems involved in the establishment and maintenance of such long term research (Mednick, 1981). This paper reports data on the predictive validity of three tests, the Reynell Developmental Language Scales, the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test, and the Stanford‐Binet Intelligence Scale.
MATHEMATICAL LOW ATTAINERS CHECKLIST
Authors: HAYLOCK DEREK W.
Published: May 2011

Summary. To assess the frequency of 24 statements often associated with low attainers in mathematics, a checklist was devised and completed for each of 215 mathematical low attainers aged 9–10 years. Differences between the frequencies of association of the statements with mathematical low attaining boys and girls were tested for significance.
THE EXPERIMENTAL USE OF PERSONAL CONSTRUCTS IN EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH: THE CRITICAL TRIAD PROCEDURE
Authors: POSTLETHWAITE KEITH , JASPARS JOS
Published: May 2011

Summary. The paper discusses a modification of the triadic elicitation procedure which is commonly used to reveal subjects' personal constructs. The modification enables personal construct methodology to be used in the experimental, rather than descriptive or diagnostic exploration of research problems. The paper discusses one application of this modified procedure which relates to teachers' assessment of pupils' potential in physics. On the basis of the new elicitation procedure hypotheses were formed about the relationship between teachers' ratings of pupils on individual constructs, and teachers' overall assessments of pupils' potential. These hypotheses were tested using repertory grid data and results consistent with favourite and disqualifying cue models of person perception were obtained.
RECALL FROM SINGLE VERSUS DUAL THEME TEXTS
Authors: BILL J. M.
Published: May 2011

Summary. The capacity of 10‐year‐olds in coping with a mixed (double theme) text was examined. In a “distributed” version of the mixed text a story theme was used to carry an additional load of historical information which was evenly distributed throughout the narrative. In a second “consolidated” version of the mixed text the history material occurred en bloc midway through the story. Performance on the mixed texts was compared with that in a “separated” condition where the story and history information were presented in two separate texts. Recall of the history material was substantially better in the separated text condition than in either of the other two and recall of the story was poorer in the consolidated than in either of the other two conditions. The findings are interpreted in terms of the effects of attentional set and the extra processing demands incurred in disentangling two different themes in a mixed type text.
INSPECTION TIME AND PRIMARY ABILITIES
Authors: COOPER COLIN , KLINE PAUL , MACLAURIN‐JONES LISA
Published: May 2011

Summary. A measure of inspection time and measures of primary abilities drawn from the Comprehensive Ability Battery (Hakstian and Cattell, 1976) were administered to 20 subjects, mostly undergraduates. Inspection time was shown to be related more to factors of perceptual speed and visualisation than to the primaries most associated with fluid or crystallised ability.
STUDENTS‘ APPROACHES TO LEARNING IN AN INNOVATIVE MEDICAL SCHOOL: A CROSS‐SECTIONAL STUDY
Authors: CLARKE RUFUS M.
Published: May 2011

Summary. A slightly modified version of Entwistle and Ramsden's Approaches to Studying Inventory was administered to first‐, third‐ and final‐year students in an innovative medical school (response rate 84 per cent), to see whether the Inventory's constructs also apply to medical students, to see whether they might constitute a helpful framework for counselling students in academic difficulty, and to see whether the students' responses reflected the educational philosophy of the school.

The psychometric robustness of the instrument was confirmed, and its applicability to these groups of medical students was established. The instrument was not highly predictive of academic success, but seemed to offer a useful framework for student counselling. Student responses to the inventory were consistent with the school's educational philosophy.
ABILITY AND ENVIRONMENT CORRELATES OF ATTITUDES AND ASPIRATIONS: PERSONALITY GROUP DIFFERENCES
Authors: MARJORIBANKS KEVIN
Published: May 2011

Summary. The study examined the proposition that for children of different personalities there will be variations in relationships between ability, school environment, and measures of school attitudes and aspirations. Data were collected from 500 12‐year‐old Australian children. In the analysis the children were classified into four personality groups that were labelled as extravert‐anxious, extravert‐adjusted, introvert‐anxious, and introvert‐adjusted. Within each group regression surfaces were constructed from models that included terms to account for possible linear, interaction, and curvilinear associations among the variables. The results indicated that: (a) there were strong personality‐group variations in children's attitudes to school and their perceptions of school environments, moderate group differences in educational aspirations, and small group variations in ability; (b) relations between ability, school environment, and measures of attitudes and aspirations varied for children of different personality types; (c) ability and environment had differential linear and curvilinear associations with attitudes and aspirations, for children from different personality groups.
THE VALIDITY OF THE BOEHM TEST OF BASIC CONCEPTS
Authors: SMITH EILEEN F.
Published: May 2011

Summary. Content, predictive and construct validity of the BTBC are assessed. Most of the 50 BTBC concepts are found to be seminal to the infant school curriculum. Predictive validity evidence shows relationships between BTBC scores and later achievements in language, mathematics and reading as assessed by teachers. The BTBC appears to be a multi‐dimensional test of general cognitive development as well as being a guide to concept acquisition. Diversity is shown in the efficacy of test items: non‐linguistic information, children's conceptual preferences and limitations in item design, as well as semantic, syntactic and conceptual knowledge, influence responses.
A METHOD OF ITEM‐ANALYSIS AND ITEM‐SELECTION FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF CRITERION‐REFERENCED TESTS
Authors: SEDDON G. M.
Published: May 2011

Summary. The optimum composition of criterion‐referenced tests in terms of the statistical parameters of the items is determined theoretically. A practical procedure for pre‐testing and selecting items to achieve this optimum composition is discussed. The paper then describes an empirical investigation to determine the usefulness of this procedure. The results showed that a test constructed by this procedure was more effective than 93 out of 100 tests constructed by selecting items at random from a domain.
A DISCRIMINATION INDEX FOR CRITERION‐REFERENCED TEST ITEMS
Authors: BLACK THOMAS R.
Published: May 2011

Summary. A new index for criterion referenced test items is proposed that takes into account disparity in size of above and below criterion groups (i.e., the score distribution shape). Derivations are presented based upon possible discriminations as well as a probability model. This index is contrasted with Brennan's index which ignores group sizes. A comparison of resulting values for the indices for a set of items showed a high level of disagreement in interpretation, the new index apparently being the better indicator.
SOME APPLICATIONS OF THE HENDERSON REVISION OF THE TEST OF MOTOR IMPAIRMENT
Authors: LAM YIN YUK (J.) , HENDERSON SHEILA E.
Published: May 2011

Summary. This paper reports a two‐part study of motor impairment in boys with moderate learning difficulties. In the first part, the performance of a group of intellectually retarded boys from a special school was compared to that of a group of boys of the same age from ordinary schools on the Test of Motor Impairment. Significant differences between the groups were obtained, indicating that the boys with learning difficulties were less well co‐ordinated. The second part of the paper reports the relationship between the retarded boys scores on the TOMI and their scores on two other measures of motor performance. A strong relationship was demonstrated.