The last decades have seen an enormous growth in published research and evaluations, which makes it difficult for a researcher to stay up-to-date in their own field, let alone complement their knowledge with insights from other fields. In this paper we give an elaborate overview of a methodology that aims to tackle this task. It builds on the…

The public/private distinction is central to higher education but there is no consensus on "public." In neo-classical economic theory, Samuelson distinguishes non-market goods (public) that cannot be produced for profit, from market-based activity (private). This provides a basis for identifying the minimum necessary public expenditure,…

This article reviews some of the strengths and limitations of the comparative use of meta-analysis findings, using examples from the Sutton Trust-Education Endowment Foundation Teaching and Learning "Toolkit" which summarizes a range of educational approaches to improve pupil attainment in schools. This comparative use of quantitative…

Since the 1960s, there has been growing and sustained interest in small-group learning approaches at the school level and in higher education. A voluminous body of literature in this area addresses theory, research, classroom practice, and faculty development. The approaches most highly represented in the literature are cooperative learning,…

Within the emerging field of research on education for sustainability (EfS), case studies are an important if not the predominant research approach, although often criticised for its lack of internal and external validity and a tendency to draw conclusions with insufficient rigour. While, basic concerns have been expressed and discussed in an…

Purpose: The aim of the paper is to present the findings of a definitional review and comparative study of HRD definitions. It also reports the results of comparing and contrasting a synthesis of the "intended purposes" and "processes" constituting these definitions against various definitions and conceptualisations of…

There has been much research concerning functional assessment over the past 20 years, but several important research considerations have yet to be explained. One is the comparison of different types of functional assessment (e.g., experimental functional analysis and non-experimental functional assessment). The current study aims to compare the…

Explores the nature of meta-analysis by placing it in the context of research synthesis. Methods of meta-analysis are described and compared with other forms of research integration, and findings for several meta-analyses are provided to show advantages of quantitative review methods. (SLD)

Some guidelines are offered for interpreting and evaluating meta-analytic reviews of research. The choice of unit of analysis, the issue of fixed versus random effects, the meaning of heterogeneity, the determination of appropriate contrasts, and the choice of measures of central tendency are discussed. (SLD)

The second of three articles on the ways in which people formulate their observations, this paper begins with a discussion of the assumptions underlying analytical and class-based models of cognition. The analytical approach to the measurement of cognition is found to be inappropriate because human cognition, and consequently language processing…

This article provides a synthesis of research in which parents provided academic instruction to their own children. The effectiveness of parent tutoring in 37 studies was examined across grade level, basic skill area (e.g., reading, math), training feature (e.g., treatment length, availability of consultation), treatment fidelity, type of…

Qualitative evaluation and quantitative evaluation are discussed, examining how the perspective of each can and should create a critical debate that encourages inquiry instead of hostility. To achieve the major goal of linking evaluation information to the organization's culture, the evaluator needs to use multiple methods in a responsive,…

Meta-analysis, as a quantitative approach, requires a determination of a basic comparability between phenomena so that the data can be aggregated for the analysis. This is the crux of the problem with the meta-analysis analogy for a meta-ethnography. It implies an aggregate theory of social explanation, and thus may violate the qualitative,…

The failure to attain a true synthesis of six ethnographic studies of interracial education in desegregated schools is examined. Detailed individual descriptions of desegregation processes were yielded but the failure of summary attempts is attributed to the lack of a theory of social explanation appropriate to interpretive social science, and a…

This paper reports on existing studies and uses meta analysis to compare and synthesize the results of 20 studies from 8 research reports comparing the ability measure equivalence of computer adaptive tests (CAT) and conventional paper and pencil tests. Using the research synthesis techniques developed by Hedges and Olkin (1985), it is possible to…