Effects of network treatments on perceptions of a political campaign film: Can rhetorical criticism make a difference?

Presented here are the findings from a quasi‐experimental comparison of three network treatments of “A New Beginning,” a campaign film that aroused considerable controversy when the Republicans substituted it for a speech at the 1984 Republican National Convention as a way of getting the networks to air it. Of paramount interest in the study were the effects on viewers of one network's critical preview of the film. Of the three major networks, only NBC elected to air the entire film, but they preceded its showing with a commentary on the film that was far more critical than those by CBS and ABC. Surprisingly, Ss predisposed toward Ronald Reagan did not derogate the NBC treatment of the film, but neither did NBC's criticisms adversely affect perceptions of the film. To the contrary, ratings of the film and network treatments of the film were highest for NBC viewers. The findings are discussed with a view toward assessing the uses and limitations of rhetorical criticism in television coverage of political campaigns.     

Modelling Social Segregation

This paper proposes a multilevel modelling approach to the analysis of social segregation in schools. Using data on free school meal eligibility it shows that the underlying variation between schools for the period 1994-1999 has increased. It also shows that the change is greater for selective than non-selective local education authorities (LEAs). It is suggested that the approach of this paper can be applied generally to the modelling of social segregation at institution level.     

PERCEIVED CHOICE OF PROSE MATERIALS BY YOUNG AND ELDERLY ADULTS

Three experiments evaluated the effects of perceived choice upon comprehension and memory of prose reading passages. Participants in the choice conditions selected the titles of the passages they read, while the rest of the volunteers were not given the opportunity to choose. Experiment 1 compared choice and no choice conditions with young (x = 28.3 years) and elderly (x ‐ 68.9 years) adults of various vocabulary levels. Experiments 2 and 3 tested only elderly groups to evaluate a wider range of vocabulary levels and to compare the effects of starting the reading task either immediately after choosing the titles or after a delay of 2 to 3 weeks. The results indicated both age‐ and vocabulary‐related deficits. However, perceived choice conditions did not produce any consistent improvement in performance.     

An Investigation into Sex Differences in Certain Aspects of Science Practical Work with First‐year Secondary School Pupils in Single Sex and Mixed Teaching Groups

In this study we attempt to evaluate two models of instruction, one based on the assumptions of the constructivist or conceptual change model, and one based on an expositive‐deductive model. We applied the two approaches to the teaching of geometric optics at different levels of instruction: elementary school and university. In each case the same teacher taught the same scientific topic to both the control and experimental groups, and all students carried out the same classroom activities. The study was carried out in such a way as to replicate as closely as possible the actual conditions of each classroom environment. The results of instruction failed to show significant differences in learning attributable to the method of instruction used, although different trends were evident in the two samples. Our commentary on the findings concludes with suggestions for further research in this field.     

How teacher education students cope with practicum concerns

Abstract

Student teacher stress during practicum experiences has generated interest across teacher education programs. However, there is very little research on the sources of support students draw on to help them cope with practicum stresses. This study sought data directly from the students to represent the student perspective. Students ranked their five most important sources of support for coping, and they noted the strategies they used to cope with practicum stresses. Students consistently reported that seeking support from the teacher was their primary coping strategy. This finding suggests that an effective student‐supervising teacher relationship is critical for student practicum success. Differences emerged between the most and least stressed students in terms of their reported use of coping strategies. Implications of the findings for teacher education programs are addressed.     

A Technique for Determining the Relative Difficulty of Word Meanings among Elementary School Children

Numerous studies have documented the robustness of t and F to heterogeneous variances under the restricted condition of equal n’s. Likewise, the distortion of α in the presence of unequal n’s and variances has been demonstrated in both mathematical and empirical studies. Several investigations, however, have shown the Welch technique to be robust to this disturbing situation in the two group case. The present study was addressed to the k group AOV situation. Monte Carlo methods were employed to contrast several procedures with respect to a.) control over Type I errors and b.) power. Results indicate that the generalized Welch technique may be substituted for the AOV when variances are heterogeneous and n’s are unequal.