The purpose of this paper is to address the gap that exists in the knowledge base for understanding the repertoire of images that preservice teachers gain as they engage in action research. Data were collected using a variety of qualitative methods: journals, metaphors, narratives, action research reports, and focus group interviews. Data were…

In this paper, we develop a new chained equipercentile equating procedure for the nonequivalent groups with anchor test (NEAT) design under the assumptions of the classical test theory model. This new equating is named chained true score equipercentile equating. We also apply the kernel equating framework to this equating design, resulting in a…

In many educational assessment programs, the use of multiple test forms developed from the same test specification is very common because requiring different examinees to take different test forms of the same test makes it possible to maintain the security of the test. When multiple test forms are used, it is necessary to make the assessment fair…

An item banking method that does not use Item Response Theory (IRT) is described. This method provides a comparable grading system across schools that would be suitable for low-stakes testing. It uses the Angoff standard-setting method to obtain item ratings that are stored with each item. An example of such a grading system is given, showing how…

Richard Peters pioneered a form of philosophical analysis in relation to educational discourse that was criticised by some at the time and is today somewhat out of fashion. This paper argues that much of the objection to Peters' methodology is based on a misunderstanding of what it does and does not involve, that consequently philosophical…

Differential item functioning (DIF) occurs when an item on a test or questionnaire has different measurement properties for one group of people versus another, irrespective of mean differences on the construct. There are many methods available for DIF assessment. The present article is focused on indices of partial association. A family of average…

Fieldnotes are central to ethnographic practice, yet there is surprisingly little written about how fieldnotes are constructed. This article reports the results of some interviews with four well-known ethnographers of education who were questioned about their practice. It is designed to be a resource for those new (and, maybe not so new) to…

Based on the theory of absorptive capacity, this study examines the following question. In the context of cross-cultural training, can the amount of previously accumulated cultural knowledge affect the ability of a trainee to absorb further learning about a new culture, thus enhancing total knowledge and presumably cross-cultural adjustment?…

Now, more than ever, public and school libraries struggle to main- tain their relevance in the age of instant access, electronic databases, and Google. While print collections continue to grow, many collections are drowning in obsolete, unused, and unwanted materials. And while most libraries keep up with deselection in an intelligent manner, many…

This paper proposes how to select a methodology to target multidimensionally poor households, and how to update that targeting exercise periodically. We present this methodology in the context of discussions regarding the selection of a targeting methodology in India. In 1992, 1997, and 2002 the Indian government identified households that are…

Assessing silent reading fluency in classroom environments is challenging. This article reports on a method of assessing silent reading using underlining, an approach that solves many problems other silent reading fluency assessment measures face. This method computationally monitors readers' silent reading fluency by the speed they underline…

Project-based learning (PBL) is a well-known student-centred methodology for engineering design education. The methodology claims to offer a number of educational benefits. This paper evaluates the student perceptions of the initial and second offering of a first-year design unit at Griffith University in Australia. It builds on an earlier…

A national survey of 1441 literacy teachers in the US was conducted to understand the integration of digital technology into instruction. This paper reports results from open-ended questions in the survey aimed at determining teachers' perceptions about how to improve professional development in the area of technology integration. Data were…

Looking for more active and motivating methodological alternatives from the students' perspective, which promote analysis and investigation abilities that make the student a more participative agent and some learning processes are facilitated, a practical study was conducted in the University of La Sabana (Chia, Colombia), in Computing Engineering…

This study describes the application of a new product concurrent design methodologies in the context in the education of industrial design. The use of the sketch has been utilized many times as a tool of creative expression especially in the conceptual design stage, in an intuitive way and a little out of the context of the reality needs that the…