The revised test of visual-motor integration: Its relation to the test of visual-motor integration and bender visual-motor gestalt test for regular education students

Comparisons were made among three tests of visual-motor integration: The Revised Test of Visual-Motor Integration (VMI-R), the Test of Visual-Motor Integration (VMI), and the Bender Visual-Motor Gestalt Test (BG). BG age equivalent scores were significantly higher than those obtained for either the VMI-R or VMI. Although the BG age scores were greater than the respective chronological age, such was not the case when CA was compared to either the VMI-R or VMI. The VMI-R yielded higher scores than did the VMI. Highly significant correlations were found among all variables.     

Factor structure evidence for developmental levels of perceptual processing on the developmental test of visual-motor integration

Beery's Developmental Test of Visual-Motor Integration was individually administered to 193 school-age children. Test protocols were factor analyzed by a principal component solution. Four factors were obtained, indicating that the test does not measure a unitary dimension of perceptual-motor development, but rather four distinct levels or stages for the age range of children investigated. The structural features of the designs that make up the test were used to define the factors. It is argued that a more useful interpretation of performance on this test would be one that designates visualmotor processing in terms of levels, not age equivalents.     

Interrater reliability of the original and a revised scoring system for the developmental test of visual-motor integration

This study investigated the interrater reliability of teachers' and school psychology ex-terns' scoring of protocols for the Developmental Test of Visual-Motor Integration (VMI). Previous studies suggest that the scoring criteria of the VMI are ambiguous, which when coupled with raters' lack of scoring experience, as well as limited knowledge of testing issues, contributes to low rater reliability. The original manual scoring system was used by four trained teachers with no VMI experience and by four experienced raters. A VMI scoring system, revised to eliminate ambiguous scoring criteria, was used by an additional four teachers inexperienced with the VMI and by four experienced raters. High reliability coefficients (>.90) were found for all raters, regardless of the scoring system employed. The influence on interrater reliability of factors such as training, nature of the training setting, characteristics of the raters, and ambiguity of scoring criteria is discussed.     

Effects of race and social class on preschool performance on the developmental test of visual-motor integration

The visual-motor integration of preschool children who varied in terms of race, sex, and socioeconomic status was assessed using the Beery-Buktenica Test of Visual-Motor Integration (VMI). An analysis of covariance revealed that there were significant main effects for race, sex, and socioeconomic status. Since, at the three- and four-year level, the VMI was normed only on white suburban children, the results of this study seemed to indicate the need for norms for black children at the preschool level. Thus, the second part of this paper reports normative data for black preschool children on the VMI.     

The quick test as a screening device for gifted students

This study investigated the utility of the Quick Test in screening for gifted students; 57 identified gifted students were administered forms of the Ammons Quick Test. This screening instrument was unable to identify 60% of the sample tested as gifted.     

The use of protocol materials as an evaluation instrument

In this article a recent development in the field of teacher education in the U.S.A. is discussed and a proposal is made for the development of an evaluation‐instrument which is based on the insights gained from this development. It concerns the “Protocol Materials Program,” a comprehensive project in which materials are developed to facilitate the integration of theory and practice in teacher education. Student teachers are confronted with a series of video‐episodes. These episodes are arranged in such a way as to form an illustration of relevant theoretical concepts the student teacher has mastered. An example of protocol materials is given, the relevance of this project for teacher education is discussed and a review is given of the research on the effects of these materials up to now. The authors make a plea for the development of student evaluation instruments, based on the principles of the protocol movement: if the student teacher, after having studied a piece of educational theory, is confronted with a number of specially arranged classroom situations on video, he can be asked to relate these situations to the theory he has studied. This procedure can also help the teacher educator to diagnose what his theoretical instruction really “means” to the student teachers, i.e. whether their interpretative abilities are really increased by it.     

The kindergarten auditory screening test as a predictor of reading disability

Correlation coefficients were obtained between the Kindergarten Auditory Screening Test (KAST), the Metropolitan Readiness Test (MRT), and the Gates MacGinitie Reading Tests, Primary Form (GMRT). The KAST and MRT were given to kindergartners near the end of the spring semester and the GMRT to these same children in first grade during February of the following year. Neither the coefficients obtained nor an examination of extreme groups indicated that the KAST was an effective predictor of reading disability.     

The effects of the use of a school self-evaluation instrument

School quality care has become important in many Western countries. A number of self-evaluation instruments have been developed in response. The goal of these instruments is improving the quality of education. One such system, ZEBO, was developed for performing quality assessment in Dutch primary schools. The use of this self-evaluation instrument was studied in 79 primary schools in The Netherlands over a period of 5 years. The results of the multilevel analyses with repeated measures show that the use of the self-evaluation results had no effect on pupil achievement scores (so far). However, it did have other effects, for example, an impact on the professional development of teachers.     

Focus group dialogues as a method for identifying a school's developmental needs

In this article a study is presented in which teachers describe the working situation at their school. The aim of the study was to find out in what respects the school needed to be developed. The study was a case study and the method for collecting data was focus group dialogues. All teacher teams at a Swedish secondary school participated. The teacher teams focused on structural problems for the school. When analysing the activity in the team dialogues, problems on the group level also appeared. The necessity of teacher dialogue when initiating school development is observed and the functioning of the group is recognised as important.     

A comparative analysis of the Bender-Gestalt and beery/buktenica tests of visual-motor integration as a function of grade level for regular education students

One hundred twenty-five randomly selected regular education students in grades kindergarten through three were administered the Bender-Gestalt and Beery/Buktenica tests of visual-motor integration. Significant differences between the mean Bender and Beery age equivalent scores at each grade level were found. Correlation coefficients ranged from.21 at the kindergarten level to.71 for the total group and were significant at the first and second grade, as well as for the total group. Implications for their utilization in assessing fine motor readiness development, particularly as they apply to the identification of learning disabilities, are discussed.     

The screening test of academic readiness (STAR) as a predictor of third-grade achievement

Twenty-eight third graders were administered the Peabody Individual Achievement Test (PIAT) during the middle third of their third-grade year. Their scores on all subtests of the PIAT were correlated with their Total scores obtained on the Screening Test of Academic Readiness (STAR), which had been administered to them prior to their kindergarten year of school. Results show that the STAR is a useful instrument for predicting third-grade achievement.     

Development and evaluation of a screening instrument for cooperating teachers

Abstract

In order to recruit, retain, and train quality cooperating teachers, a 35‐item instrument was devised to screen for attitudes toward systematic supervisory behavior, perceptions of factors that impact supervision, and beliefs about preferences for and styles of supervision. After pilot testing, the instrument was completed by 76 physical education cooperating teachers who supervised various field‐practicum students for a large southwestern university. Employing MANOVA followed by ANOVA, differences between groups of cooperating teachers were noted for one subscale: cooperating teachers who coached, taught at the high school level, or did not possess a postgraduate degree had less favorable attitudes toward systematic supervisory behavior. Gender and experience supervising did not differentiate subscale responses. Explanations for noted differences are presented as functions of teacher/coach role conflict, exposure to supervisory training, and the status of secondary physical education. Suggestions for refining the measurement instrument and using it to screen potential cooperating teachers are offered.     

基于专业群背景下的课程整合与建设

从课程结构、课程内容、组织模式等方面论述了专业群背景下的课程建设与学科背景下课程建设的区别,并以石家庄职业技术学院化学品生产专业群为例,介绍了专业群背景下课程整合的方法和途径,即课程整合与建设要打破专业建设、根据岗位技能要求、结合区域经济发展趋势来进行．     

Expanded Koppitz scoring system of the bender gestalt visual-motor test for adolescents: A pilot study

The current research represented a pilot study to assess the use of the Bender Gestalt Visual-Motor Test with school-age adolescents over 11 years of age. Research regarding the accuracy of the hypothesis that visual-motor integration functioning is normally intact by age 11 was presented. In addition, initial data to extend the Koppitz scoring system of the Bender for ages 11 years, 6 months through 15 years, 11 months was proposed. Mean error scores from the pilot study suggested that visual-motor development is not maturationally complete by age 11 years, 11 months. Additional research focusing on extending the normative sample or developing a new scoring system for adolescents is suggested.     

Gifted children and visual-motor development: A comparison of Bender-Gestalt and VMI test performance

A sample of 63 gifted elementary-school students was administered the Bender Visual-Motor Gestalt Test and the Developmental Test of Visual-Motor Integration for comparative purposes and to test Koppitz hypothesis that gifted students have advanced visual-motor development. Group results revealed no significant differences between the two tests, that they did correlate significantly, and that younger students in particular had advanced visual-motor development when tested using these two tools.