Grade repetition and psychological referrals in relation to child behavior checklist scores for students in elementary school

A sample of 738 students from grades 1 to 5 who were exhibiting behavior problems were nominated by teachers and subsequently assessed for behavioral disturbance using the Teacher's Report Form (TRF) of the Child Behavior Checklist. The data were analyzed to assess the accuracy of the TRF in discriminating disturbed and nondisturbed students, the internal consistency of the instrument, and its validity against measures of school functioning in terms of grade repetition and referral for special services support.     

Outputs and Outcomes of Vocational Education Programs^ Measures In Australia

This paper discusses some key issues involved in the evaluation of outcomes from vocational education and training in Australia where a number of vocational education and training policies have been introduced at both federal and state levels. These policies have been a response to Australia's relatively poor economic performance over the last decade in an attempt to overcome the perceived (and actual) deficiencies in the labor market and the skills of the work force. The paper focuses in particular on the vocational education sector in Victoria where the agency responsible for the provision of vocational education (The State Training Board) has instituted a number of plans without clear specification of its objectives or establishment of program evaluation processes. Finally, the paper proposes a research strategy to evaluate progress rates, outputs, and outcome measures.     

Value creation in the engineering enterprise: an educational perspective

ABSTRACT

This position paper sets out to examine value creation in the engineering enterprise, a process that has mostly been associated with innovation and entrepreneurs. An analysis of the literature on engineering value creation in business studies, engineering and engineering education publications shows that there has been surprisingly little empirical study and thus the means by which most engineers contribute value is unclear in the literature. Analysis of published data and data from studies by the authors in engineering workplaces in Australia, South East Asia and Portugal suggests that the work performed by most engineers has little to do with innovation. Based on these data the authors identify 14 ways in which engineers create value. An important finding is that routine engineering performances by a majority of engineers, not associated with innovation or entrepreneurial activities, not only can be shown to create value, but also to protect accumulated value from inadvertent destruction. The paper outlines the educational implications of these findings and proposes measures that engineering educators can adopt to improve the understanding of engineering graduates about engineering value creation.     

A modified incremental shuttle run test for the determination of peak shuttle running speed and the prediction of maximal oxygen uptake.

The aim of this study was to determine the incidence of subject drop-out on a multi-stage shuttle run test and a modified incremental shuttle run test in which speed was increased by 0.014 m x s(-1) every 20-m shuttle to avoid the need for verbal speed cues. Analysis of the multi-stage shuttle run test with 208 elite female netball players and 381 elite male lacrosse players found that 13 (+/-3) players stopped after the first shuttle of each new level, in comparison with 5 (+/-2) players on any other shuttle. No obvious drop-out pattern was observed on the incremental shuttle run test with 273 male and 79 female undergraduate students. The mean difference between a test-retest condition (n = 20) for peak shuttle running speed (-0.03+/-0.01 m x s(-1)) and maximal heart rate (0.4+/-0.1 beats x min(-1)) on the incremental test showed no bias (P > 0.05). The 95% absolute confidence limits of agreement were+/-0.11 m x s(-1) for peak shuttle running speed and+/-5 beats min(-1) for maximal heart rate. The relationship (n = 27) between peak shuttle running speed on the incremental shuttle run test (4.22+/-0.14 m x s(-1)) and VO2max (59.0+/-1.7 ml kg(-1) x min(-1)) was r= 0.91 (P< 0.01), with a standard error of prediction of +/-2.6 ml x kg(-1) x min(-1). These results suggest verbal cues during the multi-stage shuttle run test may influence subject drop-out. The incremental shuttle run test shows no obvious drop-out patten and provides a valid estimate of VO2max.