What about classroom Communicators?

Conclusion Note that the comparisons presented in this paper serve only as a springboard in pointing out some of the advantages and limitations of the Classroom Communicator. Like the bicycle and the automobile, each serving a useful purpose under certain conditions, different types of teaching aids and teaching machines will find their use. Not many individuals will want to argue whether the bicycle or the automobile is better. One would hope that an out-of-context decision on the Classroom Communicator versus this or that teaching machine is not made. It is thought, however, that some empirical or logical decision might be made with respect to the use of the Classroom Communicator in the near future. This article is adapted from a paper given by the author as part of a symposium on “Automated Instruction and Programed Learning,” Southeastern Psychological Association, Louisville, Kentucky. The opinions expressed are those of Herbert P. Froehlich, who from 1959 to 1962 was a research officer on the staff of the Chief of Naval Air Technical Training, Memphis, Tennessee, and are not necessarily shared by the Department of the Navy.     

In the bunkers of Binghamton

In addition to being editor ofAcademic Questions and chairman of the National Association of Scholars     

Exploring sex differences in science enrolment intentions: An application of the General Model of Academic Choice

In many countries there remain substantial sex differences in enrolments in elective science courses, despite concerted efforts in recent years to alleviate them. This paper explores the reasons for these differences by comparing models of male and female enrolment intentions in elective courses in biology, chemistry and physics. The models are based on responses from approximately 450 students from 5 Australian high schools. First, a theoretical model, the Science Enrolment Model, was derived from Eccles and colleagues’ General Model of Academic Choice. Students’ responses were then used to develop empirical models of enrolment intentions in the three elective courses. Analyses for the models were conducted using the LISREL “mean structures” extension. Sex differences in the dependent variables in the models were then attributed to the relevant sets of independent variables. Substantial sex differences were identified in measures of perceived career value, interest and performance expectations in all three models which explained between 70% and 82% of the sex differences in enrolment intentions.     

Analyzing the OECD Indicators Model

The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has identified an elaborate set of indicators by which to judge aspects of education systems. This paper provides a comparative analysis of the education-related features of 28 high-income countries in terms of three blocks of indicators relating respectively to the contexts, processes and results of each system. Factor analyses showed that several aspects of the OECD model are more complicated than previously thought. For this reason, the OECD faces a choice of enriching the range of indicators or pruning some components to gain parsimony and greater country participation in data collection. The article demonstrates that to the extent that the OECD model holds, education context variables appear to influence costs, resources and school processes. In turn, processes appear to influence results including achievement though in some cases weakly and in other cases surprisingly. Although further changes in the OECD model deserve consideration the article also shows how it has grown substantially in scope, methodological rigor and country participation during the past decade.     

The effects of professional development on science teaching practices and classroom culture

The current science education reform movement emphasizes the importance of professional development as a means of improving student science achievement. Reformers have developed a vision for professional development based upon intensive and sustained training around concrete tasks that is focused on subject‐matter knowledge, connected to specific standards for student performance, and embedded in a systemic context. Using data from a National Science Foundation Teacher Enhancement program called the Local Systemic Change initiative, this study employs hierarchical linear modeling to examine the relationship between professional development and the reformers' vision of teaching practice. The findings indicate that the quantity of professional development in which teachers participate is strongly linked with both inquiry‐based teaching practice and investigative classroom culture. At the individual level, teachers' content preparation also has a powerful influence on teaching practice and classroom culture. At the school level, school socioeconomic status was found to influence practice more substantially than either principal supportiveness or available resources. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 37: 963–980, 2000     

Kinematic differences of elite and high-performance tennis players in the cross court and down the line forehand

This study identified and compared the full body kinematics of different skill levels in the forehand groundstroke when balls were hit cross court and down the line. Forty-three three-dimensional retroreflective marker trajectories of six elite and seven high-performance players were recorded using an eight-camera 400 Hz, Vicon motion analysis system. The six highest horizontal velocity forehands with reliable kinematics of all participants were analysed for each specific situation (a total of 156 analysed shots). Significant differences (p < 0.01) and large effect sizes were observed between elite and high-performance players in linear velocity of the shoulder (2.0 vs. 1.2 m/s), angular velocity of the pelvis (295 vs. 168 degrees/s), and angular velocity of the upper trunk (453 vs. 292 degrees/s) at impact. The elite group showed a tendency towards higher racquet velocities at impact (p < 0.05). No significant differences were found in angular displacement of the racquet, hip alignment, or shoulder alignment at the completion of the backswing; nor did angular displacement vary significantly at impact. Irrespective of the group, different shoulder, hip, and racquet angles were found at impact, depending on the situation. The results should assist coaches when striving to improve their players' forehand.     

Cox broadcasting corporation: A group‐ownership case study

One of the oldest and largest of the group owners in radio and television is historically traced in this article, taken from the author's dissertation on group ownership in television, written under the direction of past BEA‐President Rod Right‐mire at Ohio University. The author is on the broadcasting faculty at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.