Jacob G. Beard
Florida State University

Ronald L. Fishbein
Florida State University

Abstract: The Florida State-Wide Eighth Grade Testing Program (8GTP) includes a section entitled “Your Plans and Goals.” This section consists of four brief scales which provide the examinee with the opportunity to report on his educational and occupational aspirations and expectations. Stability of test results is reported.

Citation: Beard, J. G., & Fishbein, R. L. (1974). The stability of eighth-grade students’ educational and occupational plans and goals. Florida Journal of Educational Research, 16(1), 74-76.

Download:  Beard.161.pdf (1329 downloads )

Wilson H. Guertin
University of Florida

Abstract: Development of a forced-choice instrument, the Multidimensional Assessment of Philosophy of Education is described briefly. Validity correlations for the various item choices with subscale scores are presented to explicate the six dimensions.

Citation: Guertin, W. H. (1974). Some empirically derived dimensions of educational philosophy. Florida Journal of Educational Research, 16(1), 50-54.

Download:  Guertin.161.pdf (1315 downloads )

Tom D. Freijo, Ph.D.
University of South Florida

Abstract: This study investigates the relationship between certain background variables often used to select foreign students for study in the U. S. and two criterion variables – GPA and ratings of on-the-job success upon returning to their home country. It represents an effort to determine whether GPA is a reasonable substitute for ratings of on-the-job as a criterion variable. The relationship between six background variables and the two criterion variables was studied in a group of Honduran educators who studied in Florida during 1969-1970. The study indicated that some variables which were good predictors of GPA were poor predictors of ratings of on-the-job success, and that most variables were more highly correlated with GPA than with ratings.

Citation: Freijo, T. D. (1974). Selecting foreign students – are GPA and ratings interchangeable as criterion variables?. Florida Journal of Educational Research, 16(1), 16-27.

Download:  Freijo.161.pdf (1282 downloads )

John Follman
University of South Florida

Abstract: Three studies dealing with the effect of sorting essays into piles on the reliability and level of grades awarded are reported. In the first study, 40 S’s were randomly assigned to one of four experimental conditions; in the second study, 30 S’s were randomly assigned to one of six conditions; and in the third, 32 S’s were assigned to one of eight conditions.The conditions involved combinations of piles or no piles and different grading systems. In each study, the S’s graded 12 typical high school senior and/or college freshman themes. It was concluded that the use of piles neither increases group grading reliability estimates nor greatly influences the level of grades awarded.

Citation: Follman, J. (1974). Piles, and number and kind of categories, in theme grading. Florida Journal of Educational Research, 16(1), 67-73.

Download:  Follman.161.pdf (1376 downloads )

Edward Boddy
University of South Florida

Thomas S. Tocco
Pinellas County Schools (Fla.)

Abstract: The study attempted to survey the level of economic understanding of high school seniors in Southwest Florida and the contributions made to the development of this understanding by the social studies curriculum. Senior classes were drawn from randomly selected high schools in ten Southwestern Florida counties yielding an N of 455 students. The Test of Economic Understanding was administered to the subjects. The summary results suggest that students in Southwestern Florida are significantly below both the standard set by the National Task Force on Economic Education and the mean reported for the group used to norm the TEU. The number of social studies courses taken by seniors was found, in general, not to affect the student’s level of economic understanding. One exception was the existence of a significant difference between those students who had taken no more than two social studies courses and all others. To test the possibility of selection factors in operation in the social studies design, secondary analyses on academic and personological differences were conducted. As noted by Kerlinger (1966), the internal validity of ex-post facto research is enhanced by secondary analyses such as these since they can serve to eliminate viable alternative explanations of the results. The results of these analyses indicated no systematic differences on identified educationally important variables among the classifications used in this study.

Citation: Boddy, E., & Tocco, T. S. (1974). The development of economic understanding in southwest Florida high school seniors. Florida Journal of Educational Research, 16(1), 28-34.

Download:  Boddy.161.pdf (1338 downloads )