A CROSS-NATIONAL COMPARISON OF ACADEMIC AND AFFECTIVE CHARACTERISTICS OF PROSPECTIVE SECONDARY SCHOOL TEACHERS

This research report deals with the measurement of nine groups of prospective secondary teachers; five from the British Isles and four from the United States. The sample of 839 final year, teacher education students was measured on academic achievement, professional education achievement, and affective measures. A multivariate analysis of variance was used to analyze differences between the groups. The analysis resulted in six statistically significant canonical variates. There was a clear country separation on only the first canonical variate, which indicated the British groups high on achievement in English composition and fine arts, and United States groups high on achievement in guidance and measurement. The canonical variates are described in the context of the real variables, as well as the separation of the groups on the canonical variates.     

Comparing creative thinking abilities and reasoning ability of deaf and hearing children

This study focuses on comparing the creative thinking and reasoning abilities of deaf and hearing children. Two groups of deaf (N = 210) and hearing children (N = 200) were chosen based on specific criteria. Two instruments were used in the study: theTorrance Tests of Creative Thinking‐Figural, Form A and Matrix Analogous Test. Canonical Correlation analysis and multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) were used to analyze the data. The canonical correlation analyses revealed one significant dimension in both deaf and hearing children. The multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) revealed that there are some similarities and differences between the deaf and hearing samples regarding creative thinking abilities.     

The Value of Certain Factors for Direct and Differential Prediction of Academic Success

Are some students advantaged when changing multiple-choice answers? The authors of this investigation assessed the importance of an examinee's cognitive style in the answer-changing process. Two separate studies were conducted using undergraduates (n = 125 and n = 84). One set of variables consisted of a measure of field dependence/field independence, a measure of impulsivity/reflectivity, and an introductory psychology unit examination made up of multiple-choice items. A second set of variables was formed by gathering two answer-changing scores for each subject using the scannable forms from the unit examination—one reflecting the effect of answer changes and the other representing the number of changes. Canonical correlation analysis was used to describe the relationship between the two sets of variables. Only the first canonical correlation coefficient was statistically significant in each study. The structure coefficients indicated that the cognitive-style variables had little impact on the canonical solution and that a combination of the effect of answer changes, the number of changes, and unit examination scores were the most influential components of the first canonical variates.     

Generalizing the Wherry-Doolittle Battery Reduction Procedure to Canonical Correlation and Manova

The Wherry-Doolittle proceedure has been used for over 30 years to reduce the number of variables in a multiple correlation. This paper describes techniques for obtaining the same kind of reduction of number of variables in the cases of canonical correlation discriminant analysis and multivariate analysis of variance. Statistical tests comparable to those used in the Wherry-Doolittle procedure are cited.     

Intelligence and academic achievement in a clinical adolescent population

Three canonical variate analyses were carried out on the CAT, WRAT, and WISC/WAIS scores obtained from a sample of 182 emotionally disturbed adolescents. A large general variate emerged in all three analyses. Two additional variates tentatively identified as attentional and symbolization factors also appeared in the analyses of the WRAT-WISC/WAIS and the WRAT-CAT.     

Continuity of individual differences in the mother-infant relationship from six to thirteen months

The current study searched for continuities in mother-infant interaction observed at home, maternally perceived infant difficultness, and infant developmental competency. Also assessed were the possible moderator variables of maternal report of satisfaction with adjustment to the infant and background characteristics, for example, SES, presence of other young children, and infant gender. 128 dyads were assessed at ages 6 and 13 months. Many of the variables used to evaluate continuity were composites based on factor analysis. Bivariate correlations between 6- and 13-month variables produced a complex picture. In broad overview, as predicted by the prior literature, they indicated some degree of stability for mother variables and markedly less for the infant variables. Canonical correlation analysis yielded 3 significant canonical variates, producing a more integrated picture. The dimensions of continuity revealed by these variates were (1) Affectionate, Intellectually Stimulating Mothering, which had modest-to-moderate links to the indexes of infant competence; (2) Infant Temperamental Difficultness, which was determined mainly by consistency in mother report on 2 age-adjusted versions of the Infant Characteristics Questionnaire but which also contained loadings for objectively observed infant fussing, crying, and social demandingness; and (3) an unnamed dimension which resembles a pattern of intense involvement, both positive and negative, seen in older, clinically referred families.     

Multivariate alternatives to regression analysis in the evaluation of salary equity-parity

The analysis of salary equity-parity in institutions of higher education typically involves the use of multiple regression analysis to determine predicted salary and the residual differences between predicted and actual salary. Multiple regression analysis forces the variable weights throughout the salary structure to be uniform, permits only one criterion or dependent variable to be examined at a time, restricts the coordinates to those provided by the variables as measured, and as customarily used, treats qualitative or discrete variables as if they were continuous, assuming ordinality of the numbers used. Two multivariate alternatives to regression analysis are presented, canonical analysis and multiple discriminant analysis, both of which define new coordinate systems for evaluation of dimensions underlying salary decisions.Presented at the 23rd Annual Forum of the Association for Institutional Research, Toronto, May 1983.     

Learning Styles Relevant to Identified Personality Types of Secondary Level Students

This study investigated the inter-relationships between learning styles as measured by Kolb's Learning Style Inventory 1985 (LSI) and personality types as measured by Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI). The two instruments were administered to tenth grade students in Singapore. The canonical correlation analysis revealed two significant canonical correlation coefficients, indicating moderate relationships between the variables of the LSI and MBTI. The canonical variates represented abstract thinking and reflective thinking, factors associated by the students with academic achievement. The LSI types and the MBTI learning profiles of the sample were also examined.     

A Study of the Relationship between the Diets and the Health of 25 Negro Families in Scotland Ville,Louisiana

Using a hypothetical data set, the authors provide concrete examples to illustrate that canonical correlation analysis is a general linear model, subsuming other parametric procedures as special cases. Specific statistical techniques included in the analysis are t tests, Pearson correlation, multiple regression, ANOVA, MANOVA, and discriminant analysis. The discussion is aided by an initial explanation of the logic of canonical analysis. Further, similarities between the canonical technique and other univariate and multivariate procedures are highlighted. The treatment is intended to reiterate a framework in which statistical concepts can be presented to students.     

Stimulating positive emotional experiences in mathematics learning: influence of situational and personal factors

The study aims to assess the relative importance of a large number of variables for predicting students’ positive-activating emotions during mathematics learning. Participants were 668 first-year upper secondary school students from 33 schools of different sizes and locations. Two questionnaires were distributed, one assessing students’ perceptions and beliefs about their learning situation in mathematics in general, and the other assessing the characteristics of a particular mathematics lesson and the students’ emotional experiences during this lesson. Single-construct and multivariate models for predicting students’ emotions were computed. The results show that the multivariate models were the most efficient, predicting as much as 59 % of the variance in students’ emotional experiences. The two most important constructs were students’ type of motivation and perceived degree of learning, which together predicted 48 % of the students’ emotions. Single-construct models predicted, at most, 36 %. The relative and absolute predictive ability of different motivational constructs are reported. The relationships between constructs and their implications for teaching are discussed.     

How writers integrate information in written text production: a developmental study

The aim of this work is to study the acquisition and development of the ability to co-ordinate information in a written text. Fourth, 6th and 8th graders and undergraduates were assigned two conditions: they were presented with either two prose passages, describing two different peoples, or only one passage giving out the same information in a single text. The subjects read the passages and had to produce a text containing the comparison between the two peoples. The analysis of the texts produced by the subjects evidenced six different information integration levels. Two dependent variables were used:

1. the highest level present in each protocol
2. the percentage of level presence in each protocol.

For both variables, data show a developmental trend: older subjects tend to use more complex levels. In the older subjects the highest and the most frequent levels coincide in most cases; in the other age groups a differentiation between these two variables is observed. The two conditions produce different results: subjects perform better when presented with the single text. Moreover the use of the levels in the two conditions depends on and interacts with age. The younger subjects are more sensitive to the difficulty degree of the task and, as age increases, the two tasks give rise to performances more similar to one another.     

On the Generality of Univariate Eta

Eikeland, H. M. (1971). On the Generality of Univariate Eta. Scand. J. educ. Res. 15, 149‐167. The correlation ratio, or eta, is conceived of as a generic concept, covering varying complexities of data analysis designs, from a simple point‐biserial design to general multiclassification designs, orthogonal as well as nonorthogonal ones. When independent variables are categorical and the dependent variable metric, one can define a multiple eta as the correlation among observed and predicted scores, the prediction being based on two or more classification variables conjointly. Multiple eta is compared to multiple correlation. Worked examples of multiple eta are shown for both the orthogonal and the nonorthogonal case, illustrating the use of analysis of variance as a correlational technique. Only univariate eta is considered, but its two cases, bivariate and multiple eta, are related to the multivariate case.     

多层线性建模在CSCL研究中的应用

CSCL研究中常需要处理小组变量和学习者个体变量两种数据,而个体嵌套在小组中,形成两层结构数据。传统的方差分析或线性回归模型仅能针对单层数据,处理多层数据时,易出现标准误差偏移,影响分析的可信度。多层线性建模尽管受CSCL领域样本数的限制,在组层次可能产生偏移量,但能处理稀疏数据,能比较、评估不同层次变异对总变异的贡献度,确定不同层次变量对因变量的影响程度,反映因变量测量随时间变化的发展轨迹,是CSCL领域比较合适的研究方法。     

A causal model of students' achievement in a college physics course

To explain students' achievement in the mechanics segment of a college physics course, a causal model is proposed whose variables are the three constructs: Newtonian physics, math ability, and science experience. Each variable specifies several variates, whose numerical values were measured and intercorrelations computed. The Factorial Modeling (FaM) procedure is applied to the data to estimate the coefficients of the proposed model's structural equations. The FaM results indicate that the model is plausible and that its first two variables account for approximately 34% of the variance in the criterion variate, students' mechanics achievement. The implications of the findings for physics instruction are discussed.     

Peer group interaction of physically abused children

The aim of this research study was to test the assumption that physically abused children differ significantly from their non-abused peers along dimensions which characterize abusing adults and other social deviants. Nineteen 5-10 year-old physically abused children and 38 non-abused peers were assessed by video-taped behavioral observations during free-flowing social interaction in a playroom. The dimensions tapped were: aggression, warmth, fear, pleasure, concentration, imagination and social participation. The dimension social participation was split into three variables: total social participation, negative participation and positive participation. The data from these nine dimensions was subject to a Pearson's correlation. Given the high correlation amongst these variables the data was subject to a principal components analysis with varimax rotation. From this analysis two components emerged which explained 76.9% of the total variance. These components were designated "social interaction" (component 1) and "hostility" (component 2) and were then subject to analyses of variance. A significant difference was found between the two groups on the "social interaction" component. The implications of these findings were explored and treatment possibilities examined.     

School-based family socialization and reading achievement in the inner city

Reading comprehension test scores of 826 black, inner-city children in 41 classes, grades one through six, were regressed on scores on comparable tests taken one year earlier, on several other control variables, and on the amount of exposure to a program intended to help parents create conditions in the home to stimulate academic achievement. Two variables (prior reading-comprehension scores and program intensity), accounted for nearly all the reliable variance in the posttest scores in analyses carried out with individuals and class medians as the units. Students and classroom groups intensively exposed to the program gained .5 to .6 grade equivalents more than those less intensively exposed during the year.     

Exploring relationships among four science teaching-learning affective attributes of sixth grade students

The intent of this study was to investigate possible relationships among the constructs of attitudes toward science, interest in science, science curiosity, and self-concept of science ability. Data were collected from 228 sixth-grade students by way of four Likert-type instruments, each of which measured a given attribute. Statistical procedures included univariate and multivariate analysis of variance, product-moment correlations, canonical correlations, multiple regression analysis, and factor analysis. The results indicated that attitudes toward science, interest in science, and science curiosity are highly related. Implications for classroom science teaching and suggestions for future research have also been discussed.     

A causal analysis relating previous achievement,attitudes, discourse,and intervention to achievement in biology and chemistry

This study described the relationship of 38 variates to achievement in high school biology and chemistry classes. Forty-four teachers prepared audio tape recordings of discussions throughout a nine-month period. Equal-sized groups received treatment consisting of wait time feedback and/or supportive intervention, a form of peer coaching. Other variables were initial measures, which included the variates of class size and previous science grade, pre- and posttest scores on student attitudes and perceptions, and prediscourse and discourse analyses, which included the variates of wait times, actions, and response durations. While previous research has shown that wait time feedback and supportive intervention are effective means of changing teacher behavior, the results of the present study revealed that previous student achievement and the attitudes of students accounted for 70% of the variation in the final examination scores (New York State Regents) on the basis of only the first three weeks of data collection on the variables assessed. Generally, little emphasis on higher-level thinking, wait time, or problem solving was found at the beginning of the school year, and only minimal changes resulted from the application of the treatment variables. Pressures for content coverage and preparation for externally imposed statewide examinations that emphasize memory-level learning augured against the changes that the independent variables were designed to produce.     

Story Time and Narrative Time-On the Time in When We Two Parted

As narratives are composed of the content encoded and the medium giving concrete shape to them,narratives are inseparably intertwined with temporalities,those of story time and narrative time.In the poem When We Two Parted,there is the co-existence of story time and narrative time.The story time covers three sections depicting separately the past events,the present and the future.They are boiled down into the poem in thirty two lines in total,which gives rise to the variance between duration of story time and duration of narrative time.The durations endow the poem with distinguishable narrative effects.     

Reading,metacognition and motivation: A follow-up study of German students in Grades 7 and 8

This follow-up study to van Kraayenoord and Schneider (1999) examined the performance in reading, metacognition and motivation related to reading of students in Grades 7 and 8. Results showed significant correlations between all of the variables. A multivariate analysis of variance showed that “good” and “poor” readers differed in reading self-concept and metacognitive measures related to reading and memory. A stepwise regression analysis suggested that the metacognitive variables were the best predictors of reading. Furthermore, a comparison of the results of the previous study with those of the current investigation revealed that the findings were stable over time. Since the period between the two studies is the time during which students make important decisions related to enrolment in one of three distinct school-types in Germany, we examined the results of various groups of students: those in “Gymnasium” (high educational track), “Realschule” (middle educational track), and “Hauptschule” (low educational track). Students in the Gymnasium scored significantly better than students in the other two groups on almost all variables related to reading. A re-analysis of the data from our first investigation found that the results of the Gymnasium students in the second study could be predicted from their results obtained during elementary school.