Reviews a new series of articles from the Association for Science Education (ASE) research group and discusses the usefulness of science education research. (CCM)

While traditional literature reviews have functioned to clarify a single field, the interpretive review may contribute to research that challenges the perceptual habits of reviewers and extends the ways in which research questions can be constructed and studied. The interpretive review may bring many disciplines together for a new approach to the…

Criticizes the essay by J. Smith on the "balkanization" of educational research, asserting that the assumption that there is no common ground among current views of educational research is not only false but will lead to the very divisions that Smith fears. (SLD)

The heuristic value of Chilcott's essay lies less in its support for structural functionalism and more in its concern to reexamine theory in the work of earlier educational anthropologists for what earlier theories and practices can add to current research. (SLD)

Responds to Eisner's discussion of the nature of research and the place of qualitative research. Advocates increased emphasis on the true experiment in educational research to provide evidence of the usefulness of educational practices. (SLD)

Explores the nature of educational research, replying to Knapp's comments on the role of qualitative research. Suggests that the "true" experiment is very hard to conduct in educational research and discusses what validity means in the educational research context. (SLD)

Notes that Yang's book provides a combination of Eastern and Western philosophy in defining values, aims, and methods of education, research, and teacher preparation programs. Maintains that the book presents important insights into current educational issues. Asserts that problems such as printing errors and significant flaws in arguments add to…

This book uses concepts familiar to those with a working knowledge of basic statistics and classical test theory to present item response theory models that are currently in wide use in both practical testing and research. The book would serve as a good entry-level graduate text in psychometrics and measurement methods. (SLD)

To the debate between the Rortyan pragmatic model of scientific research advocated by Cleo Cherryholmes and the scientific realism espoused by Ernest R. House is added another model for educational research based on the realism of John Dewey's pragmatism. Constructivist and behaviorist aspects of Dewey's philosophy are explored. (SLD)

Asserts that the reductionistic methodology used by M. Wang, G. Haertel, and H. Walberg in their study does not do justice to the educational phenomena they wish to illuminate. In addition, these authors have too simple a view of the relationship between educational research and educational practice. (SLD)

Asserts that reviews like that of M. Wang, G. Haertel, and H. Walberg are stimulating and useful in thinking about educational research, but they are nearly useless in thinking about educational policy and practice. It is not clear what is meant by "knowledge base," and the finding about proximal and distal variables is simplistic. (SLD)

A set of concerns related to home education that is infrequently studied, namely, the content and direction of research in education, is examined. Issues surrounding home education have not been given adequate attention. A sample of home education researchers was gathered by compiling a list of authors who had published in the "Home School…