Science Content Courses: Workshop in Food Chemistry for 4th Grade School Teachers

ABSTRACT: A science content course in food chemistry was offered as a 4-day summer workshop from 1999 to 2001 to 4th grade school teachers in the Seattle School District. The objectives of the workshop were to increase the teachers' knowledge of food science, to perform simple experiments that could be used in the 4th grade classroom, and to help the teachers become more familiar with the scientific method. The workshop is described, and challenges associated with running the workshop from the instructors' perspective are discussed. Protocol for hands-on experiments used in the workshop, discussion questions/answers, and comments about each experiment are included in Appendices. The use of hands-on experiments that were easily adaptable to the 4th grade classroom and the comfortable atmosphere for discussion appear to have contributed the most to a successful workshop.     

Correlates of Counselor Self-Actualization and Client-Perceived Facilitativeness

Client ratings of the abilities of 33 school counselors to communicate the core facilitative conditions of empathy, regard, congruence, and trust were compared to the counselors' scores on a measure of self-actualization. The results supported the contention that there exists a strong relationship between self-actualization and counselor effectiveness as perceived by clients. The potential usefulness of the Personal Orientation Inventory (POl) in the screening and selection of counselor candidates is indicated.     

Epistemological correctness in English 101

He is the author of a comprehensive analysis of undergraduate curricula in Michigan's state university system, prepared for the Mackinac Center for Public Policy, Midland, Michigan, to which he serves as an advisor on higher education issues. Please address correspondence toAcademic Questions     

EFFECTS OF INCORPORATING HUMOR IN TEST ITEMS

Two matched forms of a 50 item multiple-choice grammar test were developed. Twenty items designed to be humorous were included in one form. Test forms were randomly assigned to 126 eighth graders who received the test plus alternate forms of a questionnaire. Inclusion of humorous items did not affect grammar scores on matched humorous/nonhumorous items nor on common post-treatment items, nor did inclusion affect results of anxiety measures. Students favored inclusion of humor on tests, judged effects of humor positively, and estimated humorous items to be easier. Humor did not lower performance but was sought by the students. Potential for more valid and humane measurement is discussed.     

EVIDENCE ON THE QUALITY OF SEVERAL APPROXIMATIONS FOR COMMONLY USED MEASUREMENT STATISTICS1

What is the extent of error likely with each of several approximations for the standard deviation, internal consistency reliability, and the standard error of measurement? To help answer this question, approximations were compared with exact statistics obtained on 85 different classroom tests constructed and administered by professors in a variety of fields; means and standard deviations of the resulting differences supported the use of approximations in practical situations. Results of this analysis (1) suggest a greater number of alternative formulas that might be employed, and (2) provide additional information concerning the accuracy of approximations with non-normal distributions.     

The effect of financial education on pupils’ financial knowledge and skills: Evidence from a Solomon four-group design

Abstract

The present study used a Solomon four-group quasi-experimental design to examine the short-term effect of a large-scale national financial education program on children’s knowledge and skills in responsible spending and performing transactions effectively. Our study included a representative sample of Dutch pupils in the fifth grade of primary school (N?=?2,650). Controlling for different children-specific characteristics, results showed that the program increased pupils’ knowledge and skills scores in performing transactions effectively, but not in responsible spending. The insights gained from the present study show how financial education programs that enable children to immediately apply what they learn in practice can improve children’s knowledge and skills regarding certain financial competencies.     

Toward a Developmental Counseling Curriculum

Extensive attention has been given by ACES and AACD to the unique role of the counseling profession. It is suggested that the definition of the profession lies in the association name: American Association for Counseling and Development. Counselors must integrate developmental theory systematically into the practice of counseling. Several alternative developmental models are summarized in this article, along with their implications for the future. Special attention is given to the soul of counseling, which is defined as a professional commitment to development. Counseling is not psychology, it is a specialized profession with a unique role in society.     

A reading level match study of nonword reading skills in poor readers with varying IQ.

This study evaluated the hypothesis that poor readers are characterized by poor nonword reading skills, but that a specific deficit, as opposed to a developmental lag, in nonword reading will be found only in subjects whose reading is discrepant from intellectual ability. To test this hypothesis, we measured nonword reading skills in 93 (64 male, 29 female) third-grade poor readers and 54 (37 male, 17 female) fifth-grade poor readers (with and without reading/IQ discrepancies) who were matched to 147 (81 male, 66 female) nondisabled first graders on word identification skills. Results showed third- and fifth-grade poor readers to be significantly more impaired than word-identification level match first graders on all measures on nonword reading. These findings were not related to the verbal IQ level within the poor reader groups and, thus, provide strong evidence for a deficit in nonword reading skills that is not explained by verbal intelligence.