Clustered data structures are common in many areas of educational and psychological research (e.g., students clustered in schools, patients clustered by clinician). In the course of conducting research, questions are often administered to obtain scores reflecting latent constructs. Multilevel measurement models (MLMMs) allow for modeling…

Can transformation be the primary goal of autoethnographic research? In this book, the authors present a compelling case that this is indeed possible. Since autoethnography first appeared as a nascent approach to social inquiry, much has been written about it as a useful addition to the field of qualitative research methods. Over the years, its…

Sex and sexuality are complex, multi-faceted topics. Sexuality educators and practitioners often face challenging dilemmas with few ethical decision-making models available. While there are professional codes of ethics for sex educators, there are no practical models to inform an educator's ethical decision-making in professional situations. This…

Practitioners of adult education have a long history of teaching for social change. They may, however, be uncomfortable using quantitative methods to assess the impact of their learning activities, or they might lack access to statistical analysis software. Quantitative methods help the practitioner determine whether behavioral or attitudinal…

Student engagement is one of the most promising concepts in educational research today, as it has been positively correlated to a host of desirable outcomes and negatively correlated to a variety of undesirable outcomes. While there has been tremendous progress in advancing our understanding of student engagement including the developing of…

Families are the most significant communication partners for an individual with complex communication needs. Even though family-centered approaches are recommended to support augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) services for an individual, it is difficult to establish a successful plan that fits each individual's family. A framework…

During the pandemic, instructional designers in higher education were busy helping the faculty members transition to remote teaching within a matter of days. However, urgent instructional design (ID) support was not uncommon before the pandemic, especially when supporting adjunct faculty members. After all, design constraints tend to exist in ID…

In this paper we provide a detailed account of how to implement a peer role model (PRM) program similar to the one that we developed at San Diego State University (SDSU) to broaden participation of college women in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). In particular, we summarize our findings of the PRM program's best practices,…

The purpose of this article is twofold. The first is to provide evaluative information on the recovery of model parameters and their standard errors for the two-parameter item response theory (IRT) model using different estimation methods by Mplus. The second is to provide easily accessible information for practitioners, instructors, and students…

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to highlight challenges regarding methodological approach in studying learning organizations as well as the following content related issues--knowledge harvesting in project work, role of middle managers in creating energized learning environment, structuring individual activities to promote learning, impact…

This landmark book translates positive and asset-based understandings of organizations to develop a powerful model of school leadership that is grounded in both existing research and the complexities of life in schools. The authors--both senior scholars in educational leadership--apply insights from positive psychology to the role and function of…

How might we know whether our schools or system are set up to optimise learning? How can we find out whether we are getting the most from technology? How can we evaluate our innovation or think through whether our change initiative will bring about its desired results? Teachers and educational leaders who grapple with such questions will find this…

Many organisations are experimenting with micro-credentials, while others are emerging to collect, publish and offer credentials. The decision to engage with these new forms of credentials will be influenced by many factors, as described in this guide. Each organisation will need to assess their own level of maturity as new and innovative forms of…

The purpose of this article is to share the insights gleaned from the literature and our on-the-ground realities teaching practitioners to conduct educational research and evaluation. We focus on four areas we have found most important for teaching practitioner-scholars: (a) giving careful attention to andragogy versus pedagogy, (b) engaging the…

To provide the highest quality of education to students, school administrators must adopt new frameworks to meet learners' needs. This allows teaching practices to be optimized to create a meaningful learning environment. "Examining the Potential for Response to Intervention (RTI) Delivery Models in Secondary Education: Emerging Research and…