Bruce W. Hall

Initial construct validation of the Teaching Autonomy Scale

Abstract The purpose of these two studies was to develop and initially validate an instrument for measuring perceptions of teaching autonomy. In the first study, pilot data were collected from 74 practicing teachers who represented all grade levels on the initial 35-item scale. Twenty refined items were then administered to 370 practicing teachers in the second study. The results yielded two factors that were internally consistent: general autonomy and curricular autonomy. No significant differences in autonomy score were found by gender or highest degree held, nor did total autonomy score correlate with age and years of teaching experience. Significant differences on autonomy were found by grade level most often taught. This study provides solid evidence of the teaching autonomy construct.

Teachers' Long-Range Teaching Plans: A Discriminant Analysis

Abstract The purpose of this study was to compare teachers who were contemplating quitting the teaching profession with teachers whose long-range plans were to continue in teaching. Two groups of teachers from a large urban school district were compared in terms of their work-related attitudes and perceptions and then- reactions to conditions in then- work environment. Eleven variables, implicated in earlier investigations of teacher persistence, were used in a stepwise discriminant function to maximize discrimination between the two groups of teachers. The results suggest that teachers who plan to quit teaching and those who plan to stay can be reliably distinguished by the pattern of their work-related attitudes, perceptions, and reactions. The results support Chapman and Hutcheson (1982) and Super and Hall (1978) in highlighting the role that perceptual variables play in teacher retention.

Evaluation of Published Educational Research: A National Survey

This study is an evaluation of educational research articles published during 1971. It replicates a study conducted in 1962 by a committee of AERA. As in the earlier study, it was found that most published research is of mediocre quality. Articles published in journals of “related professions” were rated higher than those published in education journals. However, the discrepancy between the classes of journals was not as great as in 1962. The most frequently cited shortcomings of re search articles were in the areas of “procedures,” “data analysis,” and “summary and conclusions.”

Published Educational Research: An Empirical Study of Its Quality.

AbstractThis study is an evaluation of the quality of educational research articles published during 1983. It replicates a study conducted in 1971 by Ward, Hall, and Schramm (1975). A total of 58% of the 1983 research articles were found to be acceptable as is for publication or after only minor revisions and 42% were found to be either unacceptable for publication or in need of major revisions to make them acceptable. Articles published in journals of related professions (primarily psychology) were judged not significantly different in overall quality from articles published in education journals. However, related-professions articles did receive higher ratings on specific characteristics deemed desirable as aspects of quality. Overall, the most frequently cited shortcomings of the sample of research articles were in the area of procedures.

Analysis of Demographic, Perceptual, and Work-Related Factors in Teacher Moonlighting

Abstract The purpose of this study was to compare teachers who work part-time after regular school hours (moonlight) with teachers who do not work additional part-time jobs (nonmoonlighters). Two groups of teachers from a large urban school district were compared in terms of several demographic variables, their work-related attitudes and perceptions, and their reactions to conditions in their work environment. Fourteen variables, cited in an earlier investigation of teacher moonlighting (Carroll, Hall, & Pearson 1991), were used in a stepwise discriminant function to maximize discrimination between the two groups of teachers. The results indicate that teachers who moonlight and those who do not moonlight can be reliably distinguished by the pattern of their demographic characteristics and, to some degree, by their work-related perceptions. The results suggest that the act of moonlighting is not an expression of dissatisfaction with the teaching profession so much as it is an attempt to raise living standards.

Comparison of the Glass and Hunter-Schmidt Meta-Analytic Techniques.

Abstract The purpose of this study was to compare the results of the Hunter-Schmidt meta-analytic technique with the results of the Glass meta-analytic technique on three meta-analytic data sets chosen from the education literature. The hypothesis investigated was that the Hunter-Schmidt mean effect size would be significantly larger than the Glass mean effect size because of the correction for measurement error. In two out of three data sets, the Hunter-Schmidt mean effect size was significantly larger than the Glass mean effect size (p < .05). These results suggest that the correction for unreliability in the measures did have an impact on the effect sizes.

Does Teacher Oral Reading of Test Items Affect the Performance of Students of Varying Reading Ability

AbstractWith the national move toward competency testing, publishers and educators have become increasingly concerned about test validity, item construction, and item readability. While a major effort is usually made by test developers to control the readability level of the test items, there is currently no validated measure of individual item readability.It is commonly assumed that oral reading of test items by the teacher would ameliorate the readability problem for poor readers. Over 4,000 fifth-grade students were involved in this study aimed at determining the effect of teacher oral reading of test items to good and poor readers. The findings suggested that having teachers read test items aloud during the administration of standardized examinations yielded, overall, higher scores than having students read the items for themselves. However, this intervention did not benefit poor readers more than good readers. Both of these groups reflected similar gains under the influence of this intervention.

Validity, Reliability, and Norms of Popular versus Less Popular Published Educational Achievement Tests

AbstractThe purpose of this study was to compare popular published educational achievement tests with those that are less popular in terms of selected technical information most pertinent to test selection and test use: content validity, criterion-related validity, reliability, and norms. The population comprised the published achievement tests listed in Tests in Print III.The results show a clear pattern-consistently larger percentages of the more popular achievement tests provide the test consumer with technical data in the critical areas examined, as compared to less popular achievement tests. The results also reveal certain deficiencies in the completeness of the information offered, even among the more popular tests.

Randomized Controlled Evaluation of the "Too Good for Drugs" Prevention Program: Impact on Adolescents at Different Risk Levels for Drug Use.

Sixth graders participating in the Too Good for Drugs (TGFD) prevention program in comparison to 6th graders not participating show different results by student risk level. Sixth graders from 20 middle schools were randomly assigned to receive the intervention and those from 20 paired middle schools assigned to serve as controls (N = 10,762). Participants were identified as low, moderate, or high risk for drug usage based on their rates of behaviors reported prior to the start of the study. Student behavior outcomes (smoking, alcohol consumption, binge drinking, and marijuana usage) as well as risk and protective (R&P) outcomes were surveyed at three points in time (before, after, and 6 months following treatment). Results show the TGFD to have a suppressive effect on reported drug use behavior and a strengthening effect on R&P outcomes among high risk students following treatment and 6 months later. Some effects were also found for low and moderate risk students. A favorable treatment effect was found on mathematics achievement.