Bikkar S. Randhawa

Role of Mathematics Self-Efficacy in the Structural Model of Mathematics Achievement.

A structural model of mathematics achievement was tested with 117 male and 108 female high school seniors. Two attitude measures, 3 mathematics self-efficacy scales, and a mathematics achievement test were administered in the same order to all the subjects. Teacher-assigned marks in a selected mathematics course the subjects were taking were also obtained. The covariance matrices of boys and girls were analyzed with a 2-group LISREL procedure. The LISREL model specified mathematics self-efficacy as a mediator between mathematics attitude and achievement. The postulated model for similarly specified parameters was a good fit to the data for both boys and girls

TEACHERS' EFFICACY AND TEACHING BEHAVIORS

This two-part study examined the factor structure of the Teacher Efficacy Scale and correlations of this scale with the teaching behaviors of 435 student-teacher interns. The two resulting factors accounted for about 18% of the variance, and only three significant but small correlations were observed between the Personal Teacher Efficacy factor and lesson presenting, questioning, and classroom management behaviors.

Learning Environment in Rural and Urban Classrooms

The present study was an attempt to examine the learning environment and the intellectual variables of grades 8 and 11 classes from rural and urban settings representing mathematics, science, social studies, and English courses. Ninety-six classrooms provided the data. Significant multivariate main effects were obtained on locale (rural and urban) and grade (8 and 11). Significant multivariate main effects and interactions are discussed in relation to the previous research and theory. Specific educational implications of the results of the present study are pointed out.

Self-Efficacy in Mathematics, Attitudes, and Achievement of Boys and Girls from Restricted Samples in Two Countries

A Saskatchewan sample of 191 (99 boys and 92 girls) and a Western Australian sample of 134 (49 boys and 85 girls) Grade 12 students were administered the Mathematics Achievement Test, Mathematics Self-efficacy Scale, and Mathematics Attitude Inventory. Total scores on two derived parallel forms of the Mathematics Achievement Test, three subscales of the Mathematics Self-efficacy Scale (daily, problems, and courses), and two derived attitude measures of the Mathematics Attitude Inventory, analyzed in a 2 × 2 multivariate analysis of variance design with gender and locale as the fixed factors, as expected, showed effects for gender, locale, and their interaction were significant. These results are related to the previous reports on these variables; instructional and theoretical implications are discussed.

The Development of Vocational Education in Canada

Our article considers the roots of prejudice against vocational education, surveys its history, and examines constitutional dilemmas that have inhibited its develop- ment. We emphasize that as technological advances draw the world more closely together, vocational preparedness becomes increasingly important. In an era of international cartels and free trade associations, “muddling through” no longer works. Since Canada cannot expect immigration to solve its labour problems, it requires a national system of vocational training, a systemic solution that ensures young people see vocational education as challenging and worthwhile. L’article suivant cherche a identifier les sources des prejuges contre l’enseigne- ment professionel, rappelle l’histoire de cet enseignement et fait le point sur les dilemmes constitutionnels qui ont entrave son developpement. Les auteurs sou- lignent l’importance grandissante de la preparation a la vie professionnelle au fur et a mesure que le monde devient, en raison des progres de la technologie, un village planetaire. Dans une ere de cartels internationaux et d’accords de libre echange, il n’est plus question de seulement “se tirer d’affaire.” Comme le Canada ne peut pas compter sur l’immigration pour resoudre ses problemes de main-d’oeuvre, il faut un systeme national de formation professionnelle, une solution systemique qui permettra aux jeunes de voir l’education professionnelle comme quelque chose de stimulant et qui en vaut vraiment la peine.

Cross-National Gender Differences in Mathematics Achievement, Attitude, and Self-Efficacy within a Common Intrinsic Structure

Because of a marked increase in the Canadian immigrant and refugee population in recent years, school psychologists today are frequently called upon to make recommendations concerning the learning needs of students from many diverse backgrounds and cultures. The purpose of this study was to examine possible gender as well as cultural differences in mathematics attitude, achievement, and self-efficacy between Canadian high school students and English-speaking high school students from a northern city in India. Although the participants, tested in their home countries, were administered the same battery of measures, the findings revealed, among other things, significant multivariate and corresponding univariate country, gender, and country x gender interaction effects. The importance of these findings for the practice of school psychology is discussed.

Relationship Between and Among Cognitive Variables and Achievement in Computational Science

an attempt was made to ascertain the relationship between and among the cognitive variables thought necessary to ensure success in the course and the actual achievement in the course. Method-Procedure. Early in the Fall of the 1971-1972 academic year, the instructors of the computational science class met with the researchers. They were asked to identify some of the cognitive abilities they felt were involved in order to handle, successfully, the requirements of the class. As a result of this meet-

Computers and Computer Literacy in Contemporary Psychological, Socio-Economic and Educational Context

AbstractThis paper deals with the concept of computer literacy in three contexts: psychological, socio-economic, and educational. It is argued that the development of computer literacy and the use of computers in education should be considered in the light of fundamental principles of these contexts. Furthermore, it is argued that educational institutions cannot afford to ignore the tremendous impact of computers on our society and that in order to use computers for administrative and instructional purposes, systematic research, development, and evaluation must become an integral part of such applications.

Sex and Rural-Urban Differences in Standardized Achievement Scores and Mathematical Subskills.

A mental ability test and an achievement battery were administered to a large sample (N = 4918) of Grades 4, 7, and lo students from a mid-Western province in Canada. Rural-urban, as well as male-female differences in achievement, particularly in mathematics, were examined. When ability differences were controlled statistically, it was found that, in general, there was a rural superiority in achievement in a majority of subtests with no sex and jurisdiction interactions. Also, the results supported the general notion that females score better than males in verbal tests, while males score better than females in quantitative tests. The mathematics item clusters were investigated in greater detail by an examination of the mathematical subskills involved. The results are discussed in terms of previous findings and related to various theoretical postulations about gender differences in mathematical achievement.

Basic Skills and Macro- and Micro-Analysis of Mathematics Achievement of Grade Ten Students as a Function of Gender and Locale.

Abstract A large and representative 10% sample of classrooms consisting of 1587 students from a mid‐western province in Canada was administered a standardised achievement test battery. This battery consists of four tests, reading, mathematics, written expression, and using sources of information. Gender and rural‐urban differences in achievement and macro‐ and micro‐skills in mathematics were examined. Females, as expected, were superior to males in all except the mathematics test, in which males were better than females. Though Manova results suggested rural‐urban differences in achievement, the corresponding Anovas for the four tests confirmed the null hypothesis. An analysis of the mathematics items when grouped into three mental‐process or macro‐skill categories showed that males were better than females on only the problem solving component. However, males and females from rural classrooms were similar on computation but in the urban classrooms males were better than females. Students from rural clas...