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This research project aims to establish the predictive validity of a set of aptitude tests for the first year Biosciences programme at a merging South African University. The study aims to address the problem of selection and placement to higher education and also to suggest how the results of aptitude tests might be used to inform curriculum development at first year level. The Differential Aptitude Test (DAT-L) was conducted on the 2004 Biosciences student cohort (228 students). The instructions that were given to the students followed the instructions laid out in Owen and Vosloo (1999). Normally there are ten tests in this battery of tests, however only eight of the tests were given to the students. The tests included; Vocabulary, Verbal reasoning, Non-Verbal reasoning: Figures, Calculations, Reading Comprehension, Comparisons, Price Controlling and Memory. Exam results of the participating students were collected. These included; Final Biosciences101 mark, Class mark (Biosciences101), Practical exam mark (Biosciences101) and Theory exam mark (Biosciences101). The final marks for Physics (mixed modules), Mathematics (mixed modules) Computer Sciences (CSCI 103) and Chemistry (CHEM131) were also collected. The indicator for the concept of academic potential in the Biosciences was taken as the marks achieved during the course of the first semester. Biographical information from the Student Management System (SMS) was also recorded this included; Race, Gender, Home language and Matric points. These various categories were compared against the students' performance in DAT-L tests. The average for the stanine points for a student of university "quality' is seven, according to Owen et al. (2000), while the average of this cohort of students is 5.16. The correlation for the different DAT tests when compared with the final result for Biosciences shows that the best correlation is with test 1 at r = .47292 (Vocabulary) while the worst correlation is with test 6 at r=.24722 (Comparison). The sequence of correlation is from Vocabulary through Reading Comprehension, Verbal Reasoning, Calculation, Memory, Price Controlling, Non-Verbal Reasoning: Figures, and finally Comparisons. The correlation of the average of all tests and the final result is a reasonable r = .50396. The best correlation with DAT and other subjects is Computer Science with r = .41165, with a declining correlation between Physics and the mark of r = .34085 followed by extremely poor correlations for Chemistry and Mathematics of r = .20313 and r = .08700 respectively. The best correlation that was obtained during this research was with the correlation between matric points and the average of all the DAT tests. While the correlation with DAT and the Final mark for Biosciences is r = .50396 that for the matric points is r = .57150. Females attained a significantly higher average on the DAT tests but the difference between female and male on their final results in Biosciences is not significant. White students perform significantly better than the other race designations when it comes to the final result. Within the categories African, Indian and Coloured there is no significant difference. When it comes to the different DAT tests, Africans perform significantly worse than the other three groupings and the Indian grouping did significantly worse when compared to Whites. If we were to use the DAT as a means of selecting students it would be fairly effective for biology but not for the other basic science subjects. The fact that the test would have to be administered to all applicants applying to do first year in the Science and Agriculture Faculty makes the choice of this set of tests questionable. Should the Faculty require a means of determining election into biological subjects then the tests show great promise. The pursuit of greater fairness, validity and reliability in selection is an ongoing quest. / Thesis (M.Ed.) - University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2004.

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The purpose of this study was to devise a simple mechanical power formula for both peak and average power using a countermovement jump and reach test for both college male and female athletes. Forty-nine female and 69 male athletes were measured for height, weight, thigh circumference, thigh skinfold, upper leg length, and lower leg length. The athletes performed a countermovement jump and reach test off of a force platform. A Vertec jumping apparatus was used to measure vertical jump height and the force platform was used to acquire force/time data to determine actual peak and average power output. Eight anthropometric measurements, vertical jump height, and gender were the variables presented to develop the equations. A stepwise multiple regression statistical procedure was used to develop the prediction equations. Vertical jump height, mass, and body height were the significant (p<.05) variables loaded into both peak and average mechanical power prediction equations. Gender was not significant (p>.05) and, therefore, not loaded into either equation. Predicted peak power and actual peak power values were 4,707 t 1,511 and 4,687 ± 1,612 watts, respectively. Predicted averagepower and actual average power values were 2,547 ± 760 and 2,463 ± 753 watts, respectively. The following best model regression-derived equations produced R2 values of .91 for peak power and .82 for average power:Peak Power (W) = 78.47 • VJ (cm) + 60.57 • Mass (kg) - 15.31 • Ht (cm) - 1,308 Average Power (W) = 41.41 • VJ (cm) + 31.18 • Mass (kg) - 13.86 • Ht (cm) + 431 Results of this study conclude that the two regression equations are good predictors of peak and average mechanical power output. / School of Physical Education

This thesis has explored the problems of non-native speakers of English in listening and reading comprehension. Through analysis o f tests designed around particular features of the language which were thought to cause comprehension problems, the investigator was able to substantiate several factors of difficulty. These factors areA. knowing the meaning of vocabulary items,B. noting markers that; show relationships,C. ability to handle difficult sentence structures, D. answering questions where the answer is indirectly stated,E. drawing conclusions.The investigator also found that two additional factors strongly affected comprehension:F. answering questions where the wording is different from that of the original passage,G. finding answers when there is intervening material that interrupts the idea..The thesis has discussed formulation of the test questions, explaining what was expected from each question. It has also discussed results of the test questions in detail, suggesting possible problems that were working in each question.

The pupose of this study was to examine the validity of the Differential Abilities Scale with a gifted sample. Subjects consisted of 111 students identified as gifted by Indiana S-4. They were in grades 1 thru 6 and ranged in age from 6-8 to 12-11 with a mean age of 9-8. There were 60 females and 51 males who participated. Approximately, 1% of the population was minority which closely resembled the school population. Data from previously administered WISC-III and WIAT (The Psychological Corporation, 1992) were available for 21 of the 111 students.The first aspect of this study was to assess the construct validity of the DAS through investigation of the internal structure. Several different models were proposed. These analyses revealed that the proposed models were not good explanations of the relationships among obtained scores because convergence could not be obtained. A respecified two factor model was obtained where loadings on a Verbal Factor were constrained as recommended by Maxwell (1977). For this sample of gifted students a two-factor model with the first factor being primarily composed of Word Definitions was found to be a tenable one for the DAS.The second aspect of this study was to examine the convergent and predictive validity of the DAS by comparing these scores with the WISC-III and WIAT scores. Verbal factors for the two intelligence tests were the most highly correlated. Although there is overlap between the two intelligence measures, each test measures something unique. While one might expect these two instruments would not correlate perfectly, this correlation is lower than predicted.The DAS cognitive portion was more highly related to the other ability measure, the WISC-III, than it was to achievement as measured by the WIAT. In addition, achievement portions of both instruments were more highly related than they were to the ability measures. / Department of Educational Psychology

The purpose of the present study was to determine the achievement levels and expressed attitudes and feelings, five years later in 1972, of a group of students who learned to read in grade one in 1966-1967, using i.t.a. in comparison to a group who learned to read using T.O.Four areas of achievement, namely Reading Vocabulary, Reading Comprehension, Spelling, and Mathematics were tested by use of selected sub-sections of the California Achievement Test. A questionnaire was developed to determine the attitudes and feelings of students toward first grade reading experiences and their present attitudes and feelings toward reading in 1972.A Lorge-Thorndike Intelligence Test administered during the first grade was used as the entry level for the analysis of co-variance. Analysis of variance and covariance were the statistical techniques used to determine the differences between the groups that might be attributed to sex, method, or sex by method interaction.The student sample for the study consisted of 143 pupils from the Marion Community Schools, located in Marion, Indiana. The method of instruction of 67 of the pupils hadbeen i.t.a. in first grade while 76 pupils in the same schools had instruction with T.U. materials. The students have been exposed to various materials in the five years since their initial learning experiences, with random grouping of those who were initially presented i.t.a. or T.O.Data were analyzed to test the null hypotheses:There are no differences in levels of achievement of pupils who learned to read using i.t.a. and those using T.O. on either of the four dependent measures attributable to the following,1. sex2. method3. sex by method. interactionThe computed F ratios were not significant between sexes, methods, or sex by method interaction for reading vocabulary, reading comprehension, spelling, and mathematics, therefore the null hypotheses could not be rejected, for these areas of achievement.There are no differences in levels of achievement of pupils who learned to read using i.t.a. and those using T.O. on either of the four dependent measures with the entry level as a co-variant attributable to the following,1. sex2. method3. sex by method interactionThe computed F ratios were not significant between methods or sex by method interaction for reading vocabulary, reading comprehension, spelling, and mathematics when the entry level was used as a co-variant. The computed F ratios were not significant between sexes for reading vocabulary, reading comprehension, and mathematics when the entry level was used as a co-variant. The computed F ratio was significant between sex for spelling when the entry level was used as a co-variant. The co-variant, entry level, was significant. The null hypotheses could not be rejected for differences between methods or sex by method interaction for reading vocabulary, reading comprehension, spelling, and mathematics when the entry level was used as a co-variant. The null hypotheses could not be rejected for differences between sexes for reading vocabulary, reading comprehension, and mathematics with the entry level as a co-variant. The null hypotheses for differences between sexes must be rejected for spelling with the entry level as a co-variant because significant differences were found.Data were analyzed to test the null hypotheses:There is no difference in attitude toward beginning reading learning as revealed by a questionnaire between pupils in the group who learned to read using i.t.a. and those using T.O. for,1. the total group2. the boys3. the girlsOnly slight differences were found in the responses to the part of the questionnaire concerning reading attitudes and feelings about learning to read. Therefore the null hypotheses could not be rejected.Data were analyzed to test the null hypotheses: There is no difference in attitude toward reading as revealed by a questionnaire between pupils in the group who learned to read using i.t.a. and those using T.O. for, 1. the total group2. the boys3. the girlsNo consistent differences in attitudes and feelings were revealed in answers to the part of the questionnaire concerning attitudes and feelings about reading at the present time (1972). Therefore the null hypotheses could not be rejected.For the pupils in this study it seems tenable to conclude that little difference exists in the achievement levels of reading, spelling, and mathematics between the group of students who learned to read using i.t.a. and the group who learned to read using T.O. after five years of study beyond the initial reading learning experiences.Likewise, little difference exists in the expressed attitudes and feelings of these groups.Spelling achievement levels were significantly different between sexes with the entry level as a co-variant. Girls then scored higher than boys regardless of the method.The entry level, a first grade intelligence test score, was significant for each area of achievement. Therefore it seems tenable to conclude that intelligence, as measured by this instrument, played an important part in the achievement of both groups. Students scoring higher on the intellectual measure also scored higher on achievement tests regardless of the method and students scoring poorer on the intellectual measure also scored poorer on the achievement test regardless of the method.

Little is known about post-secondary band students' growth in musical independence, nor have the relationships between ensemble placement, year in school, gender, and instrument family been documented. Little research is available regarding the effects of instrument family (on which the student performs) or gender on the development of musical independence among music majors. Additionally, previous studies have identified a drop in music achievement test scores for college music majors as they progress from their freshman to sophomore or sophomore to junior years. This study attempts to address and evaluate these issues.The introduction presents a brief overview of the purpose and importance of the study. The review of related literature explores musical independence and the assessment of musical independence, as well as relationships between musical independence, ensemble placement, related listening skills, gender, and instrument family.Richard Colwell's Music Achievement Test 3 and Music Achievement Test 4 were administered to 354 band students at Ball State University, Florida State University, and Wichita State University. Test scores and demographic data including school, student identification number (usually a social security number), top ensemble in which the student participated (1st, 2nd, or 3rd), college major (music major or non-music major), year in school (freshman through graduate student), gender (male or female), and instrument family (woodwind, brass, or percussion) were collected. Data was entered into Statview II, a statistical analysis program for the Macintosh computer. Data was analyzed using ANOVA, Scheffe, and permutation analysis. Conclusions were drawn and recommendations for additional research were made. / School of Music

Tests of sensory and motor function are widely used by clinicians and researchers in neurology, psychiatry, and neuropsychology. Less than perfect performance on many of these tests may be considered pathognomonic of central nervous system dysfunction. Unfortunately, differences across practitioners in specific test selection, administration procedures, and scoring criteria have resulted in inconsistencies which confound attempts to study the incidence and patterns of deficits (Adams & Victor, 1993; Glick, 1993). Although as a group psychologists favor standardized, quantitative instruments, the field has lacked a comprehensive, standardized sensory and motor battery. That psychologists have not developed such a battery may reflect the notion that pathognomonic signs are ambiguous and unstable (Buchanan & Heinrichs, 1989) and the fact that some traditional test development procedures are often inappropriate.For the Dean-Woodcock Sensory and Motor Battery, Dean and Woodcock (1994) selected measures representative of those included in the traditional neurological examination.Measures of subcortical function, unavailable in the major neuropsychological batteries, were included to allow differentiation with right hemisphere impairment.Using standard procedures for administration and scoring, this study gathered preliminary data regarding the incidence of pathognomonic signs in a normal adult population, identified items with difficulty levels likely to result in overidentification of abnormality, and estimated the interrater agreement and interrater reliability for items and tests most vulnerable to subjective interpretation. Data analysis reflected consideration of Franzen's (1989) argument that reliability can be better understood through use of multiple estimation strategies and Cicchetti's argument that data needs to be considered at "finer levels of molecular analysis" (p.621). In addition to investigating interrater agreement, this study applied generalizability theory which allows for simultaneous estimation of the relative proportion of variance contributed by multiple sources and their interactions.Results suggested adequate to excellent rater agreement and reliability (i.e., generalizability). Also, with minor modification of specific items, generalizability of items may be expected to increase. Future studies should sample from a more heterogenous general population and specific clinical populations. / Department of Educational Leadership