relationship of grade-level, socioeconomic status and gender to selected student variables

Students from Indian River Academy and Palm Vista Christian Schools were compared to determine what relationships and interactions existed among attitudes, values, personality traits, critical thinking skills, interests, and demographic characteristics such as grade level, socioeconomic status, and gender. Results of Study of Values, Junior/Senior High School Personality Questionnaire, Kuder General Interest Survey-E, Survey of Study Habits and Attitudes, and the Critical Thinking Appraisal were utilized to assess a sample of two hundred fourteen (214) pupils attending seventh through twelfth grades at Indian River Academy along with a sample of the one hundred twenty-five (125) students enrolled in seventh through twelfth grades at Palm Vista Christian School. A 2 x 2 x 2 ANOVA was employed to examine the differences between groups by age, socioeconomic status, and gender on attitudes, values, personality traits, interests, and critical thinking skills. No significant interaction occurred among socioeconomic status, grade level, and gender in values, attitudes, personality traits, interests, or critical thinking skills. None of the dependent variables proved to be significant when socioeconomic status was considered to be the main effect. Only the Critical Thinking Appraisal and selected subtests from the Survey of Study Habits and Attitudes revealed scores that were significantly different based upon grade level. Differences in study skills and attitudes were clearly evident between middle school and senior high school students with female middle school students dramatically outscoring the male middle school students and middle school students, in general scoring significantly higher than senior high students. Differences in critical thinking skills were also evident between middle school and senior high school students with senior high males and females outscoring those students in middle school classes. Univariate F tests indicated a highly significant difference exists between male and female responses with respect to affective characteristics. Further research should be performed to assess behavioral character and other affective characteristics to identify instructional implications of learner differences.