This paper focuses on a trend to analyse temporal characteristics of constructs important to learning and instruction. Different researchers have indicated that we should pay more attention to time in our research to enhance explanatory power and increase validity. Constructs formerly viewed as personal traits, such as self-regulated learning and…

As the presence of online and hybrid coursework at institutions of higher education has increased, so too has interest among educators and scholars in understanding personal and contextual factors that predict success in different types of learning environments. The purpose of the present study was to examine the relations among temporally-ordered…

A short description of cross-lagged correlation technique (CLC) in its most common form, a sketch of recent major criticisms of CLC as a test for causality, and a moderate appraisal of CLC as an exploratory technique are offered. (Author/PN)

Several steps are taken to develop methods for analyzing systems that involve probabilistic causation. The basic ideas and distinctions are illustrated for systems with dichotomous variables. It is shown that these basic ideas have analogous counterparts in causal systems with continuous variables. By using a generalized conditional probability…

Makes a distinction in methodological work between building and applying statistical models for the processes that generate data for the social sciences and applying that data to available statistical methods. Agrees with Freeman that researchers need to think more about underlying social processes. (RB)

Discusses linear structural relations, Two Stage Least Squares, and path analysis as statistical procedures that sometimes permit causal inferences from correlational findings. Even though two variables cannot be interpreted causally due to a possible but unknown third variable, these methods are appropriate for handling models with correlated…

Presents a review of path analysis techniques using Hope's (1984) comparative study of schooling and social mobility in Scotland and the United States as a case study. Path analysis has been used in the social sciences to untangle complex cause and effect relationships. The limits of path analysis as a way to analyze complex social phenomena are…

Since computer programs have been available for estimating and testing linear causal models, these models have been used increasingly in the behavioral sciences. This paper discusses the problem that very different causal structures may fit the same set of data equally well. (Author/LMO)

Meta-analysis is a technique for combining the summary statistics from previously conducted research studies to indicate the direction of results and provide an index of the magnitude of effect size. This paper focuses on the effect of the violation of the assumption of independence (that the value of any included statistic is in no way…

THIS REPORT PRESENTS A DISCUSSION OF 2 TECHNIQUES WHICH CAN BE USED TO REPRESENT AND INTERPRET MULTIVARIATE STATISTICAL SYSTEMS WHEN IT IS FELT THAT THERE ARE CAUSAL RELATIONS BETWEEN SOME OF THE VARIABLES. THE BASIC TECHNIQUE IS PATH ANALYSIS AND THE OTHER IS ITS EXTENSION THROUGH THE USE OF RECURSIVE SYSTEMS OF EQUATIONS. THE ANALYSIS IS…

Recent studies have applied causal models to the formation of educational and occupational attitudes. Although some were conceived and conducted for purposes other than the analysis of status attainment processes, a powerful synthesizing perspective would be to treat them as studies of components of incomplete general attainment models. This study…

Detailed methodology used to evaluate a causal model of school environment is presented in this report. The model depicts societal features that influence school district values and organizational characteristics, which in turn influence school operations and personnel attitudes and values. These school variables affect school community members'…

Discusses the major findings of the 1988-89 study that investigated the impact of school library media centers on academic achievement in Colorado public schools. Highlights include research methodology; the effects of staff size, collection variety, funding, and library media specialists' instructional role; and suggestions for further research.…