David M. Byrd

A Study of Engaged Student Behavior within Classroom Activities during Mathematics Class.

AbstractThe purpose of this study was to examine student engaged and non-engaged behaviors in mathematics class within various instructional activities. Students in the third, fifth and seventh grades were observed by trained observers once each minute throughout the course of a mathematics class on five different occasions. Data indicated that third and fifth grade teachers utilized seat work a majority of the time whereas the seventh grade employed a majority of teacher-led activities. In addition, as grade level increased, student engagement decreased.

Computerized Testing: The Hidden Figures Test

The adaptation of paper-and-pencil tests to computers may be confounded by differences between the medium of paper-and-pencil and computers. The purpose of this study was to adapt the Hidden Figures Test for use on PLATO and determine the alternate-form reliability of the computerized version as compared to the paper-and-pencil version. The HFT is one of the most commonly used tests to measure the cognitive style known as field independence-field dependence. The results showed that the test could be adapted with some modifications and that a significant relationship was found between scores on the two versions of the test, though the total amount of variance explained between the tests was low. The results suggest that the computerized version may be measuring computer anxiety, perception of computer generated figures, and previous experience with a keyboard, as well as the construct under study.

Cooperative Research: Answering Questions for Teachers of the Gifted.

Cooperative research is recommended as a process for teachers to use when attempting to answer questions about instructing their gifted students. After defining cooperative research and identifying possible obstacles, the authors describe how they and a school district coped with those obstacles when conducting a cooperative time‐on‐task study. Also described are two studies conducted by teachers of the gifted who worked with university researchers.