Comparison of the slosson intelligence test,revised norms,and WISC-R for children with learning problems and for gifted children

The Slosson Intelligence Test (revised norms) (SIT) and the WISC-R were compared in two samples of children. In the first sample, there were 34 black and 27 white rural Southeastern Alabama children being considered for special education classes. In the second sample, there were 4 black and 81 white suburban Alabama children being considered for classes for the talented and gifted. In both samples, correlations between the SIT IQ and WISC-R Full Scale IQ were significant (rs of .70 and .48, respectively). However, in the special education sample, SIT IQs were significantly higher than WISC-R Full Scale IQs by about 7 points. The results from both samples provide a moderate degree of support for the concurrent validity of the revised SIT norms, using the WISC-R as the criterion. However, the IQs on the two tests may not be interchangeable.     

An interpretive study of doctoral mentoring in literacy

This research focused on one mentor and her advisee and how they characterized the mentoring process and their roles in it. The mentor, a seasoned veteran, was independent, self‐motivated, and passionate about her work. The doctoral student, on the other hand, sought the expertise of a more knowledgeable person to help her deal with, and reduce, her stress. Clearly, both individuals saw reciprocity in their relationship. The faculty mentor perceived the doctoral student as someone who could lend another set of eyes to her work; the student viewed herself in the role of expanding the mentor's research interests. The faculty member saw mentoring as a concrete, sequential process, ultimately leading to independence as a scholar. The doctoral student expressed a combination of anxiety and eventual comfort, viewing the range of research experiences as an opportunity to explore options.     

The concurrent validity of a new intelligence test: The kahn intelligence test (KIT)

The concurrent validity of the KIT was evaluated by correlating it with other tests of intellectual, perceptual, social, linguistic and psycholinguistic functioning, using a sample of 106 retardates. Positive correlations between the KIT and these other measures attest to its potential usefulness as a measure of intelligence.     

Parenting in the context of historical childhood trauma: An interpretive meta-synthesis

BackgroundParents with childhood trauma histories are more likely to experience difficulties with child-rearing. The literature often pathologizes the parenting behaviours of parents with abuse histories, meaning strengths sometimes are neglectedObjectiveThis article presents a meta-synthesis of qualitative studies into the parenting experiences of survivors of childhood abuse. This analysis was undertaken to develop awareness of the experiences of this population, with the hope findings would be of use to policy-makers and professionals supporting parents and their children.MethodFollowing a systematic search and process of quality appraisal, 11 papers were subjected to an interpretive meta-synthesis, utilising a meta-ethnographic method.ResultsThree themes were generated. Forming a Parental Identity Through the Lens of Trauma related to how parents and authors of the primary studies tended to interpret all parenting experiences, especially challenges, in terms of the effects of childhood abuse. Protecting Against Cycles of Abuse related to many parents fearing they would be unable to protect children from harm. The Need for Safe Support was concerned with how parents often felt they needed support but experienced this as unsafe.ConclusionsResults pointed to how ambivalence towards professional input should typically be regarded as understandable in the context of lived-experience of abused parents. Professionals should seek to avoid pathologizing parental difficulties and support parents by normalising and making sense of difficult emotional reactions in order to support engagement and promote containing parent-child interactions. Trauma-informed approaches to therapy could usefully be employed by services and agencies working with parents to support children.     

An interpretive examination of high school chemistry teachers' analogical explanations

This article reports an interpretive examination of four teachers' use of analogies to teach chemistry. The study describes why the teachers chose to use analogies, how the characteristics of the analogies employed varied from teacher to teacher, and from where the teachers derived their analogies. These teachers used analogies spontaneously, as well as on a planned basis, to explain abstract chemistry concepts both on a whole-class basis and for individual students who indicated a lack of understanding. The teachers appeared able to ascertain that the students required an alternative representation without overtly seeking evidence to this effect. The presented analogies, especially those that were of the simple-comparison type, appeared to have a motivational impact on the students. Several analogies were extended to map selected attributes, and these were believed by the teachers to be powerful explanatory devices. Pictorial analogies were frequently used to enhance analog familiarity, and further analog explanation was not uncommon, although the frequency with which the teachers stated the presence of analogical limitations was low. The article concludes by suggesting how science teacher education can be informed by case studies of teaching in context, in this instance of analogy-inclusive teaching by four experienced chemistry teachers.     

Modeling effects on the intelligence test performance of test-anxious children

To evaluate the efficacy of modeling techniques for enhancing the performance of test-anxious children, 96 low-, middle-, and high-test-anxious children were assigned to one of three modeling conditions varying in degree of task structure and information provided about a testing session. Children either viewed a modeling film depicting an anxious peer overcoming test anxiety during a test session (Observation condition); viewed a similar film in which the examiner instructed the anxious child in coping techniques (Coping condition); or saw an unrelated film (Control condition). Contrary to expectations, no film nor anxiety effect nor any interactions were significant. Failure to replicate previous studies was attributed to control of examiner bias, superior statistical and experimental controls, and to differences in subject characteristics. The efficacy of modeling films in enhancing rapport during the test situation has not been conclusively demonstrated.     

Practised intelligence testing based on a modern test conceptualization and its reference to the common intelligence theories

The question is to what extent intelligence test-batteries prove any kind of empirical reference to common intelligence theories. Of particular interest are conceptualized tests that are of a high psychometric standard – those that fit the Rasch model – and hence are not exposed to fundamental critique. As individualized testing, i.e., a psychologist and a testee face to face, is often preferred by many practitioners, a Wechsler-like test-battery will be dealt with here: The Adaptive Intelligence Diagnosticum (AID 2; [Kubinger, K. D. &, Wurst, E. (2000). Adaptives Intelligenz Diagnostikum—Version 2.1(AID 2). [Adaptive intelligence diagnosticum 2.] Weinheim: Beltz.]). Using the standardization sample, confirmatory factor analyses were performed with respect to intelligence theories and models, respectively, as concerns Spearman, Wechsler, Thurstone, Cattell, Jäger, and Carroll. Additionally, a confirmatory factor analysis was performed with respect to a simplified neuropsychological model of specific learning disorders, which proved to fit the data best, even better than the (exploratory) four factor solution as given in the AID 2-manual. This model is based on the three interdependent factors “perception”, “retrieval”, and “utilization”. The answer is that if modern test conceptualizations attempt to fulfill pragmatic purposes they hardly have any relation to pertinent intelligence theories, but rather create their own kind of informal, heuristic model of “intelligence”.     

Statistics for the enhancement of profile analysis on the test of language development-primary

The Test of Language Development-Primary is a recently published, comprehensive measure of young children's general language development. The manual provides much information on test development and standardization of the scale relevant to traditional normative interpretation, but says little about the statistical basis for profile analysis of the various subtest scaled scores. The present paper provides the necessary information for determining statistically reliable strengths and weaknesses in the performance of a single individual on each subtest, as compared to the mean level of performance across all subtests. Provided at each of five age levels are the standard errors of the difference between each score and the mean of all scores and the differences required for statistical significance at .05 and .01 significance levels.     

Successful university-school partnerships: An interpretive framework to inform partnership practice

This paper presents an Interpretive Framework stemming from a longitudinal and iterative multiple case study of five Australian universities examining the cogent and unique practices underpinning their established and successful school-based science teacher education programs. Results from interviews with teacher educators, school staff and pre-service teachers, show four components that guide the successful and sustainable use of university-school partnerships. These components: Guiding Pedagogical Principles; Growing University-School Partnerships; Representations of Partnership; and Growth Model provide a scaffold for initiating, growing and sustaining partnerships that maximise the benefits for all. The essential role of both university and school staff is also highlighted.     

Construct validity of the universal nonverbal intelligence test (UNIT)

Data from 104 public school children were analyzed to determine the psychometric and conceptual soundness of a new model-based measure of intellectual functioning: the Universal Nonverbal Intelligence Test (UNIT; Bracken & McCallum, in press). The UNIT was designed to assess the construct of intelligence for at-risk children who are limited English language proficient. The UNIT and subtests from the Woodcock-Johnson-Revised Tests of Cognitive Ability (WJ-R; Woodcock & Johnson, 1989) were administered in counterbalanced order using standardized procedures. Spearman-Brown reliability coefficients provided evidence of the UNIT'S reliability: Global score coefficients ranged from .86 (Reasoning Quotient) to .93 (Symbolic Quotient). Confirmatory factor analyses of the UNIT provided evidence for a two-factor structure. Exploratory factor analyses of the UNIT with the WJ-R yielded support for the UNIT'S measurement of memory and reasoning constructs, although the many subconstructs assessed by the WJ-R and the UNIT preclude a simple interpretation. Correlations among UNIT global scores with age and with composite scores of the WJ-R provide additional evidence of the UNIT'S construct validity.     

Concurrent validity of the test of nonverbal intelligence with learning disabled children

Results of the TONI, WISC-R, and WRAT were compared for a sample of 66 learning disabled children: 51 males (32 white, 19 black) and 15 females (9 white, 6 black) whose mean age was 9–5 (SD = 1–10). The mean score of the TONI was significantly different from the Performance IQ. Nonsignificant differences were found between the TONI and Full Scale IQ and between the TONI and Verbal IQ. Correlation coefficients between the TONI and WISC-R ranged from a low of .35 for the Verbal IQ to .44 for both the Full Scale and Performance IQs. The correlation coefficients between the TONI and standard scores of the WRAT were .38, .27, and .23, for Reading, Spelling, and Arithmetic, respectively. Implications of these findings are discussed.     

The influence of examiners' ethnic attributes on intelligence test scores

The study investigated the effect of examiners' ethnicity on the intelligence test performance of Anglo and Mexican-American subjects. Two verbal subtests of the WISC and the Raven Progressive Matrices, a nonverbal intelligence test, were administered by two Anglo and two Mexican-American examiners. All subjects (N=96) were given half the items of each test by an Anglo and half by a Mexican-American examiner. On two of the three tests, the subjects' performance was unaffected by examiner's ethnic attributes. On the WISC Vocabulary, however, Mexican-American subjects scored significantly higher when the test was administered by Mexican-American examiners. The generalizability of these results and their implications for learning in schools are discussed.