A 12-week classwide peer tutoring program in multiplication based on the “tutor huddle” procedure was compared with a conventional teacher-directed procedure. Two sixth-grade classes (n=52) were divided into higher and lower achievers on the basis of an initial multiplication pretest. The higher-achieving members (n=26) were then randomly assigned to be either tutor huddle tutors or teacher-directed tutors. The remaining class members (n=26) were randomly assigned to be either tutor huddle tutees or teacher-directed tutees. Results indicated that the tutor huddle tutors made significantly greater gains in multiplication skills than the teacher-directed tutors. There was no significant difference in the gains made by the two tutee groups. Benefits of the tutor huddle procedure for tutors and practical implications for its use in classroom settings were discussed.

A small group of Year 4 students, selected from a regular primary school to which a support unit for physically disabled children was attached, were trained to work as peer tutors with three of the unit children. Their attitudes towards disabled children in general and their interactions with specific disabled children were measured at three different times during the school year; prior to the peer-tutoring intervention, immediately on termination of the intervention and three months after the intervention had ceased. In addition, all non-disabled Year 4 children from the same regular school who had experienced different levels of academic, social and physical exposure to the unit children were assessed on the same attitudinal measures. Results were compared with a control group of Year 4 students from a neighbouring school of similar socio-economic status, with no support unit on site, to see whether general attitudes towards disability were affected by exposure to disabled students. This indicated that, while the measured attitudes of peer tutors did not appear to change over the three occasions, observations of interactions suggested both a trend for increased positie socialisation immediately after the intervention and a corresponding decrease three months after termination, which was not exhibited by other Year 4 students. There were no differences in general attitude measures among the four different Year 4 classes, suggesting that measured attitudes towards disability do not appear to change as a result of differential exposure to disabled students. However, as there was some evidence that changes in interactions by a small group of target students were not paralleled by corresponding changes in measured attitudes towards disability, it is suggested that both procedures should be used to gauge the effectiveness of integration programs.

A sample of 44 fifth-grade children exhibiting common fears were assigned to receive treatment using emotive imagery during a seven week period. One control group received attention-placebo treatment and another no treatment. There were no significant differences between the groups on post-intervention measures of fear and depression. Methodological limitations of the study are discussed.

The attitudes of 144 11-and 12-year-old primary school children to contemporary health issues were measured by a specially designed questionnaire. Levels of agreement and disagreement to the health-related statements indicated that the children held positive attitudes to health and fitness, were anti-smoking and anti-drinking and generally were prepared to accept responsibility for their health. The importance of monitoring children’s attitudes and changes to them as a result of educational and media campaigns discussed.

Six hundred and seventy four high school students from an Australian tourist region responded to a range of employment choices involving the tourist/hospitality industry. Many students evinced a readiness to consider employment in this industry and over one-half of the sample would consider further studies in order to obtain a better job within the same context. Formal qualifications and practical experience were thought to be the more important factors in the attainment of tourist/hospitality jobs. It was also found that males were more likely than females to demonstrate no interest in this type of employment and less likely than females to indicate a readiness to undertake further studies. Finally, it was found that students demonstrating an internal locus of control were more likely to believe in a variety of factors as a method of attainment of tourist/hospitality industry jobs, including performance and presentation, whereas externals believed more in formal qualifications. The implications of these findings for the later employment of students and for educational psychologists working in this context were examined.

Personal construct theory and the repertory grid technique were used to investigate the self-concepts of 30 dyslexic and 30 non-dyslexic children aged between 9 and 16 years. It was predicted that he self-concepts of the dyslexic students would be more negative than the self-concepts of the non-dyslexic students and that there would be a greater discrepancy between the self-constructions and the ideal self-constructions of he dyslexic group than of the non-dyslexic group. Results indicated hat the dyslexic students ranked themselves as significantly worse at reading and significantly less important than did the non-dyslexic students. The dyslexic children also exhibited significantly greater discrepancy between their ideal self and actualself. A cluster analysis of the grid data indicated that the dyslexic students perceived the constructs ‘Hardworking’, ‘Clever’ and ‘Good at Reading’ as similar, while no such connection was made by the non-dyslexic group.