This systematic review of literature on race in rural educational scholarship addresses the research question: How are race and racism typically represented (defined, discussed) in rural education literature? Subquestions: What factors have been explored at length in regard to race and racism? and Where are the predominant gaps in the research…

This article provides a review of the contemporary instructional leadership research base in Malaysia. The core aim of this review is to assess the recent knowledge base on instructional leadership in Malaysia and to evaluate its current contribution to the existing international literature. The article explores a range of published material that…

Researching writing-related dispositions is of critical concern for understanding writing transfer and writing development. However, as a field we need better tools and methods for identifying, tracking, and analyzing dispositions. This article describes a failed attempt to code for five key dispositions (attribution, self-efficacy, persistence,…

Engagement is one of the most widely misused and overgeneralized constructs found in the educational, learning, instructional, and psychological sciences. The articles in this special issue represent a wide range of traditions and highlight several key conceptual, theoretical, methodological, and analytical issues related to defining and measuring…

Argues that the item of first priority in general semantics research is to come up with a coherent framework for the overall organization of general semantics studies, and offers a few thoughts on beginning the search for a solution to this problem. (GT)

Many variations of psychosocial rehabilitation programs and their unclear relationship to the psychosocial rehabilitation construct have increased the probability of threats to construct validity of putative causes, resulting in potential confounding in investigator interpretation. As a minimum, comprehensive and concise operational definitions of…

Treatment integrity (also referred to as "treatment fidelity," "intervention integrity," and "procedural reliability") is an important methodological concerning both research and practice because treatment integrity data are essential to making valid conclusions regarding treatment outcomes. Despite its relationship to validity, treatment…

This special series focused on treatment integrity in the child mental health and education field is timely. The articles do a laudable job of reviewing (a) the current status of treatment integrity research and measurement, (b) existing conceptual models of treatment integrity, and (c) the limitations of prior research. Overall, this thoughtful…

The authors contend that the experimental psychology of mental retardation suffers from methatheoretical and methodological weaknesses, preeminently the failure to consider the ecology of mental retardation. (CL)

Discusses the conceptual status and uses of ethnic groups in developmental psychology. Discusses problems with the primordialist position and the influence of nationalism in defining culture. Argues that culture and ethnicity as shared and located within a bounded population is an increasingly outmoded notion. Maintains that developmental…

Several approaches to the study of play are examined and critiqued, including Matthews and Matthews' (1982) paradigm case approach and Sutton-Smith and Kelly-Byrne's (1984) view of play as a commonly-recognized-as-framed event in which the metacommunicative function always retains primacy. Consideration of the genesis of play in the child leads to…

Three criticisms of family-centered models of early intervention for individuals with disabilities are put forth: the definition of family is indeterminate; early interventionists bring their own conceptions of the meaning of family to their work; and empirical research about family processes and their relationship to individuals' development is…

Presents an overview of the field of comparative librarianship, i.e., systematic analysis of library development, practices, or problems as they occur under different circumstances, most usually in different countries in context of relevant background factors. Highlights include definition, purposes, research methodology, problems, and possible…

Thirteen evaluations of programs to prevent child abuse and neglect are reviewed. The evaluations were characterized by careful attention to methodologic detail but lacked definitions of abuse or neglect. Important topics are omitted, such as the consequences and costs of medical neglect. (Author/JDD)

Briefly reviews the current status of research on mentoring as a form of professional development for school leaders. Presents alternative definitions of mentoring and reviews several recent studies on administrator mentoring. Discusses limitations in research design, methodologies, and findings, and charts possible new research directions. (19…