Julia A. Hickman

Teacher Efficacy in Classroom Management and Discipline

A scale for measuring teacher efficacy in classroom management and discipline is presented, along with results from a factor analysis of intercorrelations of items from the scale and items from two other teacher efficacy scales. Data sources included 119 preservice teacher education students and 42 student teachers. Results are presented indicating that classroom management/discipline efficacy is distinct from other types of teacher efficacy, and that the subscales have acceptable internal consistency and test-retest reliability. The data also indicate that efficacy beliefs predict preferences for certain strategies to deal with problems presented in vignettes; however, no relationships were found between self efficacy scores of student teachers and ratings of teaching performance made by university supervisors.

A Survey of Tests Used for Adult Assessment

A survey of test usage for adult assessment was responded to by 402 professionals. Based on the responses of 313 individuals who assess adults, the following instruments were the most popular in each domain: WAIS-R or WAIS (intelligence), WRAT-R or WRAT (achievement), MMPI (personality), Vineland (adaptive behavior), and Strong-Campbell (vocational interest). There was a tendency for the most popular instruments to be seen as providing the information of greatest importance, although Draw-A-Person was a clear exception to that finding. Other questions in the survey explored the respondents! perceptions of the strong and weak aspects of intelligence tests, the purposes for which intelligence tests are used, and the domains that are in greatest need of new instruments.

Are Race Differences in Mental Test Scores an Artifact of Psychometric Methods? a Test of Harrington's Experimental Model:

This study examines Harringtons hypothesis that blacks obtain lower mean scores on mental tests as a result of their small representation in the test development population. Two new intelligence test forms—a black form and a white form—were constructed using maximally unequal numbers of blacks and whites. Results indicated that blacks did not perform significantly better on the test form developed solely on their own item statistics. Bias in predictive validity was also investigated and noted to occur on the intercepts of some of the regression lines. These findings indicate that using equal or unequal numbers of blacks and whites in test development samples results in the same findings of little or no differential construct and predictive validity of intelligence tests across racial groups as reported in studies with tests developed using population proportionate sampling procedures. Differences in special education placement rates of black children, though related to black-white differences in mean IQs, are not due to the phenomenon described by Harrington.