By distinguishing between a survey and--a newly introduced term--a "probe," we recast the relationship between qualitative and quantitative approaches to social science. The difference turns on the "uniformity" of the phenomenon being examined. Uniformity is a fundamental idea underlying all scientific research but is rarely…

Background: Generalist teachers' confidence, competence and preparedness to teach Physical Education (PE) following Primary School Physical Education Teacher Education (PSPETE) has emerged as a research imperative. Yet little is known of teachers' perceptions of such matters. For teacher educators responding to the deficient delivery of primary…

From 2011 to 2013, I accidentally studied US and Canadian teacher perceptions of standardized testing and its effects in the classroom. I had intended to study the role of equity issues in teacher practice; however, in conversation with teachers during initial semi-structured interviews in the United States, it became clear that understanding the…

As Baby Boomers reach 65 years of age and methods of studying older populations are becoming increasingly varied (e.g., including mixed methods designs, on-line surveys, and video-based environments), there is renewed interest in evaluating methodologies used to collect data with older persons. The goal of this article is to examine…

Residential environmental education centers (REECs) have been criticized for their lack of quality program evaluation. However, the last national study done on the practices of REECs was Chenery and Hammerman's (1985) research. This article presents the results of a national survey of directors of REECs (n = 114) that gives insight into the…

Background/Context: Mixed methods research conveys multiple advantages to the study of complex phenomena and large organizations or systems. The benefits are derived from drawing on the strengths of qualitative methods to answer questions about how and why a phenomenon occurs and those of quantitative methods to examine how often a phenomenon…

Concerted efforts have been made within teacher preparation programs to integrate teaching with technology into the curriculum. Unfortunately, these efforts continue to fall short as teachers' application of educational technology is unsophisticated and not well integrated. The most prevalent approaches to integrating technology tend to ignore…

This study considers how advising ePortfolios are uniquely situated to address a current challenge in the application of educational technologies: using the right tool for the right job for the right reason at the right time. The particular problem identified for investigation lies at the intersection of two central issues: first, in the age of…

The purpose of this study was to determine if there was sufficient emphasis on senior college programming in New Mexico public higher education institutions and if that programming should be formalized. It was suggested that an initiative among New Mexico higher education institutions be undertaken to create a statewide network for senior college…

This substantially revised text provides a comprehensive, highly accessible, and student friendly introduction to the principles, concepts, and methods currently used in educational research. This text provides a balanced combination of quantitative and qualitative methods and enables students to master skills in reading, understanding,…