This article discusses evidence for functional behavioral assessment (FBA) procedures in terms of the meaning and interpretation of different forms of reliability and validity in FBA. It concludes that additional research needs to be conducted with various target behaviors across different settings to support the continued use of FBA. (Contains…

Presents a concentric research design model based on need for research which transcends individuals' historic or experiential bias concerning choice of study design, tools, and data reduction strategies. Describes the following "rings": theory/knowledge orientation; theory versus applied research; quantitative versus qualitative research…

Analyzes the development of collective interest in children's moral and physical well-being. Proposes alleviation of the dichotomy between "moral progress" and the "discourse of suspicion" which sees reform as the imposition of one social group over another. Discusses and illustrates trends with data from the Children's Aid Society and the New…

To enhance the study of abstract knowledge and to make it a central concern in the study of cognition, and to explore the nature of abstractions and the function of abstraction, the seven chapters in this special issue formulate researchable hypotheses, propose working hypotheses, identify major phenomena, and outline possible educational…

Charges that virtually all existing educational research perspectives are laced with epistemological racism. Discusses five categories of racism and their linkages to research. Concluding comments offer suggestions about what initially needs to be done to address epistemological racism. (GR)

Research on rural mathematics education should adopt a conservative approach to method that accepts the existence of a knowable reality; a liberal approach to content that views rural issues broadly and sidesteps deficit models of rurality; and a radical perspective on application that recognizes that the use of research findings in the policy…

This article discusses a workshop that explored research barriers in early intervention for children with autism in the United Kingdom. Following a summary of presentations, recommendations are made for the research agenda, basic research design, data collection, data analysis, interpretation of tests, improving statistical power, and a research…

A study examined the dynamics of female-female and male-female instructor pairings in challenge-course instructor training workshops. Thank-you notes from 47 participants indicated that women instructors were seen differently from men and were also seen differently when working with each other. Whether this is due to actual differences or…

Presents four challenges faced by libraries and proposes research designs to address each of them. The challenges involve: invisible infrastructure; content and collections; preservation and access; and institutional boundaries. Proposes a mixture of research methods that includes surveys, case studies, documentary analyses, and policy analyses.…

Reviews variables, measures, and studies associated with the child care quality perspectives of researchers and professionals, parents using care, child care staff, and children in care. Argues that given the preponderance of studies conducted from the professional/researcher perspective, more effort should be directed to studying child care…

Calls for carefully executed research that explores the impact of instructional practices on learning outcomes. Discusses considerations relevant to selecting the outcome measures (including types of outcomes, longitudinal effects, and "real world" impact). Urges caution in designing such research to ensure its internal validity and external…

A review of 13 studies on social skills training (SST) and learning disabilities found none of the studies included ethnic minority participants exclusively, there were no significant differences in types of SST programs used in studies with and without ethnic minorities, and findings were not reported by ethnicity. (Contains references.) (CR)

Indepth interviews with two female and two male school leaders, one of each gender who were "closeted" in their sexuality and one of each who were "open." Foucault's sovereign and disciplinary power and normalization conceptually framed the study. Interviewee's fear of disclosure resulted in reproducing heteronormative power.…

Robert J. Sternberg, director of the Center for the Psychology of Abilities, Competencies, and Expertise, reviews current concerns regarding giftedness and reflects on his work. He laments the use of programs whose efficacy has not been shown and stresses the need to identify giftedness in all its forms. (CR)

Describes a study that used citation analysis to identify the government publications cited in international relations journals for 1964, 1974, and 1984. U.S. government, foreign government, and international organization publications and documents are compared by citation rate; implications for collection development in libraries are discussed;…