For the past several years, leaders in middle grades education research have strengthened their call for more methodologically robust quantitative research to address important questions in the field. Recently, two important routes towards addressing this call have emerged: the Middle Grades Longitudinal Study from the National Center for…

To support and promote secondary analyses, the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA) is making the SITES 2006 international database and accompanying User Guide available to researchers, analysts, and public users. The database comprises national contexts and school- and teacher-level data from 23 education…

The authors investigated he National Educational Research and Priorities Board' s (1999, 2000) claim that evidence-based research often lacks relevance for practitioners by investigating the relevance among the Professors' of Curriculum (POC) publications between 1997 and 2003. Findings showed that forty-four (13%) were data-driven and relevant to…

On account of concern about declining achievement levels of high school graduates and proposed state legislation increasing graduation requirements to address this concern, this report analyzes current and proposed high school graduation requirements in Illinois, based on data compiled from local school documents, and compares the data to…

A critical curriculum promoting mathematical literacy can be effective in involving more people of color in mathematics and science fields. A program that conveys the relevance of mathematics and statistical knowledge can be politically and socially empowering. Describes how ethnomathematics challenges the Eurocentric dichotomy between practical…

Analyzes data collected from 132 liberal arts colleges to determine the motivating factors for the presence of gender-oriented courses. Results suggest that highly ranked, nonreligiously affiliated schools are most likely to support these courses. Many also are found in larger economics departments with a high percentage of women students. (MJP)

A study was performed to test the association between the proportion of liberal arts course offerings and institutional transfer rate by merging the data on liberal arts offerings in the community colleges included in the 1991 National Community College Curriculum Study with the transfer rate data for these same colleges obtained from their…

Statistics tend to become interesting to non-methodologists when taught in a research context that is relevant to them. Real data sets supplemented by sufficient background information can provide just such a context. Despite this, many textbook authors and instructors of applied statistics rely on artificial data sets to illustrate statistical…

The current practice of teaching about East Asia in North Dakota schools was surveyed. From a list of 607 North Dakota social studies teachers, ranging from grades 7 to 12 in both public and private schools, a target sample of 266 teachers was administered a questionnaire. All regions of the states, with at least one teacher form each school, were…

Reports preliminary findings of a study which used a modified Admissible Probability Measurement (APM) test scoring system in the design of computer based instructional management systems. The use of APM for curriculum analysis is discussed, as well as its value in enhancing individualized learning. (Author/LRW)

This report presents findings from a 2006 national survey of all Title IV degree-granting 4- year postsecondary institutions on how teacher candidates within teacher education programs for initial licensure are being prepared to use educational technology once they enter the field. The "Educational Technology in Teacher Education Programs…

Recommends using examples from sports and exercise pathology in the undergraduate psychology curriculum. Sports and exercise issues enjoy popularity among many undergraduates and contain many examples applicable to general psychology courses and psychological research. Discusses sports and exercise topics illustrating concepts from developmental…

A random sample of educators (a total of 2,238 responses from teachers of the gifted, classroom teachers, and gifted education program coordinators) were surveyed regarding their views on major research needs in gifted education. The study evaluated these views as well as differences between groups of educators, and differences among respondents…

Describes a study to determine effects of computer-assisted instruction (versus a text mode of programed instruction) and locus of control on preservice elementary teachers' computer literacy achievement. Differences in test scores of externally controlled individuals favored CAI. There were no differences between treatments when internally…

Describes the background, development, and testing of a computer software program designed to teach principles of statistical sampling in social science courses. Compares results of a field test of the program, Introduction to Sampling Error Experiments (ISEE), with traditional instruction. (CFR)