Tools for evaluating the quality and rigor of single case research designs (SCD) are often used when conducting SCD syntheses. Preferred components include evaluations of design features related to the internal validity of SCD to obtain quality and/or rigor ratings. Three tools for evaluating the quality and rigor of SCD (Council for Exceptional…

Researchers, practitioners, and policy-makers in many countries are grappling with ways to address the persistent problem of inequitable educational outcomes between advantaged and disadvantaged students. This paper reports the results of a unique cross-country, cross-cultural analysis undertaken to provide insights into teaching practices that…

Background: A body of literature has emerged that links inattentive symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) to poor academic achievement. Major variation across studies renders conclusions about this relationship complex. Purpose: This review will provide a qualitative synthesis of these studies that (1) use community samples…

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,…

Problem-based learning (PBL) has been utilized for over 40 years in a variety of different disciplines. Although extensively researched, there is heated debate about the effectiveness of PBL. Several meta-analyses were conducted that provided a synthesis of the effects of PBL in comparison to traditional forms of instruction. This study used a…

Examines existing reading theories and synthesizes them into a comprehensive new theory. (FL)

Describes the goal of this publication as addressing previous research that will be important in future research by publishing revolutionary articles done during the 1990s decade. Gives examples of topics that will be discussed in the articles: meta-study approach, meta method, and meta findings. (Contains 19 references.) (MZ)

Meta analytic procedures recommended by various authorities were the subject of a literature review designed not to discuss the relative merits of contrasting recommendations, but to find what is actually in the literature. The sample reviewed included 89 articles published between 1986 and 1992, from 2 journals and 2 information databases. Meta…

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…

Critical examination of reviews of the literature on computer-assisted instruction (CAI) compares and evaluates three traditional and 13 quantitative reviews. Synthesis of the findings indicates that typical effect of CAI is to raise outcome measures by 0.42 standard deviation units, placing average students at 66th percentile of control group…

Examines the similarities and differences between instructional theory and learning theory. Suggests that a unified theory of both instructional theory and learning theory needs to exist so that all aspects of human behavior within the instructional situation can be placed in perspective. (Author)

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…

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…

Analyses of the results of 23 reports on coaching for the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) indicated that, on the average, coaching can help increase SAT scores. The considerable variability in the results of 48 studies reflected the many factors influencing coaching effectiveness and the wide variety of study designs. (SLD)

The professional literature continues to be an essential resource for scholars and practitioners for filtering and highlighting new advances in research and practice. However, the ongoing challenges associated with too much information, inadequate tools for managing information overload, and too little time for professional development demand that…