Examines data analysis at three levels: analysis of data; secondary analysis is the re-analysis of data for the purpose of answering the original research question with better statistical techniques, or answering new questions with old data; and, meta-analysis refers to the statistical analysis of many analysis results from individual studies for…

Over the last decade, policymakers, practitioners, and funders in the youth development field have become increasingly reliant on social indicators as tools to identify areas of need, to target resources, to set and monitor progress toward measurable goals, and to assess policy and program effectiveness. This report to the William T. Grant…

In the study, a part of longitudinal research focused on the emergence of mathematical knowledge structures in a learner's mind is presented. It concentrates on the analysis of introspective data gained from the author's study of a non-standard arithmetic structure in terms of the model of abstraction in context (Hershkowitz, Schwarz and Dreyfus).…

In large-scale assessments, some amount of background material is generally collected. Background questionnaires in the National Assessment of Educational Progress are the subject of this report. Most of the questions in NAEP background questionnaires have asked about course taking patterns and course content, but it is argued that the material…

At the request of a Senate subcommittee, this report describes the value of conducting impact evaluations, describes their current use in evaluating selected early childhood education and care programs, and discusses the value of other types of early childhood education and care studies currently promoted and sponsored by the Departments of Health…

The first of three papers from this symposium, "If We Can't Define HRD in One Country, How Can We Define It in an International Context?" (Gary N. Mc Lean, Laird D. McLean), questions the possibility of defining human resource development (HRD) in a worldwide context. Several factors were found that influence a country's and an individual's…

This book-and-CD package provide a lively, hands-on introduction for teachers and scholars in the humanities and social sciences. New technology is changing the nature of research and teaching in the humanities and social sciences. From specialized online forums to Web-based teaching and distance learning, computers are being used to expand…

This volume provides an overview of the tensions, dilemmas, issues, and possibilities that characterize educational research. The contributions of more than 20 researchers examine the state of educational research, its future directions, and some of the major trends that have affected the field. The contributions are: (1) "An Auspicious Moment for…

Because activity in the classroom is the primary focus of educational research, and because teachers are critical about the dissemination and implementation of research products, developers must take into account the growth and development of instructional personnel. Educational development is a multidimensional, transactional phenomenon and must…

Remarks on four flaws in Dr. Woo-Sam's critique which appears in this issue. (MB)

This article suggests a number of ways to improve field research on interactions among student characteristics and group counseling techniques. A greater variety of research strategies is urged to create and field test specific counseling treatments for particular students. (Author)

Further development of research regarding the effectiveness of parent education programs depends upon a shift in conventional strategies of program evaluation. Current evaluation methods have been dominated by an interest in the outcomes of parent education programs. It is suggested that program evaluations should examine relationships between…

An analysis of research methods textbooks in psychology showed that little coverage is given to control issues in research, such as experimenter expectancies and subject bias. However, space and attention given to research ethics has increased considerably. This is probably due to imposition of controls from the government and the profession. (CS)

Experimental attempts at assessing the social perception skills of learning disabled (LD) children are reviewed, along with methodological concerns relative to these experiments, and possible directions for future social perception research. Ten studies that examined LD children's ability to interpret nonverbal cues indicated they performed more…

Problems with experimental research on mental retardation include: (1) difficulties with defining mental retardation; (2) neglect in demonstrating causal relationships; and (3) reliance on methodology not necessarily appropriate for defining the criteria of retardation. The author advocates abandoning definitions based on intelligence tests and…