The purpose of this paper is to analyze the use of the exemplar methodology (ExM) as a method for selecting exemplars in education research. ExM is a systematic approach to selecting outliers that can be used to education researchers who investigate outliers to better understand phenomena among students, teachers, schools, and communities. While…

Educational research enquiries differ based on philosophical beliefs and assumptions regarding researchers' explicitly stated views. This paper critically explores the most dominant philosophical stances in social research sciences, namely positivism, interpretivism and pragmatism. It begins with an overview of the role of the aforementioned…

The scientific rigor of education research has improved dramatically since the year 2000. Much of the credit for this improvement is deserved by Institute of Education Sciences (IES) policies that helped create a demand for rigorous research; increased human capital capacity to carry out such work; provided funding for the work itself; and…

The scientific rigor of education research has improved dramatically since the year 2000. Much of the credit for this improvement is deserved by Institute of Education Sciences (IES) policies that helped create a demand for rigorous research; increased human capital capacity to carry out such work; provided funding for the work itself; and…

The studies in this special section of the "Journal of Educational Psychology" present a variety of social-psychological interventions across large numbers of classrooms and populations. They show notable benefits for many students at risk for low performance. This is the glass half-full interpretation, and we consider the strengths of…

Literature shows that most researchers are unaware of some of the characteristics of reliability. This paper clarifies some misconceptions by describing the procedures, benefits, and limitations of reliability generalization while using it to illustrate the nature of score reliability. Reliability generalization (RG) is a meta-analytic method…

It is argued that time generalizability exists independent of population and situation generalizability, although the three may interact. Problems associated with sampling and randomization efficacy over time are discussed. (Author/GK)

The paper reviews limitations in social skills research with mentally retarded persons, noting problems in conceptual development, validation of social skills objectives, and generalization. The most serious limitation identified is the failure to demonstrate that community integration and adjustment can be enhanced through training. (CL)

Responds to Donald Dean Morley's reply (same issue). Discusses his claims about the use of multiple-message designs, the analysis of multiple-message designs, and generalization on logical grounds. (MS)

Nine types of errors occurring in the process of synthesizing research are described, with examples from a recent synthesis of research on teacher professional growth. Types of errors include excluding relevant literature, wrongly reporting details such as sample size, erroneously attributing findings to studies, and stating unwarranted…

Considers two ways of conducting the search for generalizations about messages: (1) single-message research designs used with meta-analytic summaries; and (2) multiple-message designs treating messages as a random factor in the statistical analysis. Contends that the treatment of messages as a random factor is statistically appropriate. (MS)

Replies to Sally Jackson, Daniel O'Keefe, and Scott Jacobs' article (same issue), maintaining that randomness requirements can not be relaxed for generalizing from message samples, since systematic samples are not truly random. (MS)

Argues that generalizing to message populations by treating messages as a random variable is inappropriate for complex messages, and proposes meta-analytic techniques for investigating biases in message samples and other methodological factors that can limit generalizability of communication research. (MS)

A strategy proposed by T. Cook and D. Campbell (1979) was used to investigate attrition in a community-based literacy program, focusing on 287 Head Start families. Data revealed interactions among intervention program-centered characteristics and person-centered characteristics that have implications for study validity and generalizability.…

Criticized in this response is research published previously in "The Journal of Environmental Education." Considered are the limitations of the project, experimental design, control of variables, and the use of the case study approach. Includes 35 references. (CW)