Harriet Talmage

The Influence of Cooperative Learning Strategies on Teacher Practices, Student Perceptions of the Learning Environment, and Academic Achievement

This study describes the results of a 3-year evaluative investigation of teachers’ involvement in a cooperative goal structuring project. A specific focus is the efficacy of the project to enhance teacher use of cooperative goal structuring strategies with resultant changes in the classroom learning environment and achievement gains in reading and language arts. The results suggest that cooperative goal structuring strategies can be learned by teachers through longterm, in-service programs. Further, with prior achievement, grade level and initial cooperative environment perceptions held constant, length of teacher experience with cooperative grouping is significantly associated with both end-of-year reading achievement and student perceptions of the degree of cooperation in their learning environment. This does not hold for language arts achievement or for the hypothesis that degree of cooperation in the learning environment would directly influence student achievement.

Validity and reliability issues in measurement instrumentation

Abstract This article provides a brief overview of validity and reliability as concepts related to the overall quality of test instruments. We describe the nature and interpretation of content, face, criterion, and construct validity and identify several approaches for measurement and improvement of reliability. We urge that test developers, users, and interpreters recognize the characteristics of good instruments as well as the limitations of measurement instrumentation.

The Role of Evaluation Research in Nutrition Education.

Summary Studies in nutrition education in the past tended to be limited by the constrictions inherent in experimental research design. As a consequence, the vast domain of nutrition education falling under the heading of applied research with policy decision implications has been viewed as lacking the rigors associated with scientific studies. A case is made for evaluation research as a method of simulating scientific research in a naturalistic setting. A concrete example of the use of evaluation research is provided.

The Promise and Politics of Accountability

Because of lack of research and too much political gamesmanship, accountabilitys great promise may never be realized, say the authors.

Evaluating the Curriculum: What, Why, and How.

What are the essential questions that touch on educational evalu ation? Several are raised here along with some thoughts to con sider prior to undertaking an evaluation.

On the process and product of accountability

As patriotism, motherhood, and the family are being dislodged from their lofty perch, educational trend setters have raised a number of new idols as possible replacements. Accountability is one of these. Like motherhood, it is hard to take a stand against accountability; and like patriotism, accountability takes on a multitude of meanings determined by the contextual setting and the role assigned to the actors. As parents, we want the school personnel accountable for delivering an educational program suitable to our childs needs. As taxpayers, we want quality education at minimum cost. As educators, we want financial support, cooperation, and understanding of classroom problems. As learners, we want direction without the usual straitjacket. As policy makers, we want the schools to rein their problems to ensure our continued tenure. For each actor, accountability is saying something important, although often quite different. A review of the literature on accountability presents an array of definitions: many with social and political implications which alter intraand inter-institutional power relationships. Thus accountability, by definitional shifts, is made amenable to the political left, center, and right, to groups espousing community control and participation, as well as to groups demanding cost-effectiveness programs. As we have noted elsewhere: