The "symbol systems approach" to the study of computers in education that is outlined avoids the pitfalls of past media research--particularly research on the effects of television on children's learning and knowledge--and asserts that media can be usefully distinguished in terms of the symbol systems they present and the kinds of…

This examination of the research on computer-based instruction for the major academic subjects in the elementary and secondary grades considers three varieties of empirical data--surveys of computer-using teachers, school district program evaluations, and experimental field studies. A discussion of the findings of two national surveys of…

Research on school reform efforts and reform evaluation and the recognition that individual students are in constant transition and are members of multiple groups whose dynamics differ over the duration of schooling were examined. A conceptual framework for developing design and analysis strategies for investigating educational reform efforts is…

Provided is an examination of the methodology used to study the problems of learning addition and subtraction skills used by developmental researchers. The report has sections on categories of theory and their methodologies, which review: (1) Behaviorist, Neo-Behaviorist and Piagetian Theories; (2) the Behaviorist and Piagetian Paradigms; (3)…

This document contains reports examining research designs for Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC) usage studies at three levels: (1) system operations; (2) subscribers to the services provided; and (3) the ultimate "end-users" of the service. The first level report, which addresses ERIC as an information network, proposes two…

This paper (1) examines some of the problems confronting persons doing research on adult educators; (2) presents a conceptual framework for clarifying researchable relationships among several selected major variables; and (3) suggests directions and approaches that appear promisinq to the authors. The first of three parts contains a brief…

The technique originating from the study of ecological systems for the examination of dynamic educational systems over time is utilized. The technique is based on the theory of energy exchanges in interactions between variables. Using this technique, interactions among variables can be specified and simulated over time using an analog computer.…

"Reversibility" is proposed in place of the term "total habilitation." Reversibility is described in terms of the primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention/intervention paradigm. A formula based on the paradigm is presented, together with examples of the process applied to sociocultural retardation and Down Syndrome. (KM)

Factor analysis is of limited value in investigating the influence of students' implicit theories about teachers' behaviors on student evaluations of teachers. (MH)

Focuses on three questions related to attachment theory: whether it requires distinct patterns of attachment, how taxonomic analysis contributes to understanding individual differences in attachment security, and whether attachment theorists are asking the right questions. Asserts that attachment theory is indifferent to the structure of…

Discusses four questions concerning commentaries on the taxometric analysis of Strange Situation behavior related to: (1) whether the categorical model of attachment facilitates theoretical and empirical innovations; (2) whether and how a continuum of security fits into the two-dimensional model; (3) the role of types and dimensions in…

Presents a comprehensive review of validity that includes an empirical evaluation of the actual and potential consequences of score interpretation and use, how those consequences come about, and what determines them. Six distinguishable aspects of construct validity are highlighted as a means of addressing central issues implicit in the notion of…

Educational administration research is frequently criticized for overlooking issues of learning and teaching in schools. This special issue features four articles suggesting steps to establish a larger research agenda on learning, teaching, and educational administration. Topics include common schooling problems, school-based management,…

Maintains that the controversy concerning the effects of early nonmaternal care on the quality of infant-mother attachment is in part the product of fundamental theoretical differences among researchers. (BB)

Discusses (1) the applicability of cross-cultural research, particularly Kohlberg's model, for Africa; (2) close connections in Africa among religion, morality, and life; (3) the nature of the ethos and worldview that shape Africans' moral beliefs; (4) elements of a model of moral/ethics construction; and (5) limitations of the study. (DSK)