The frequent practice of overall fit evaluation for latent variable models in educational and behavioral research is reconsidered. It is argued that since overall plausibility does not imply local plausibility and is only necessary for the latter, local misfit should be considered a sufficient condition for model rejection, even in the case of…

Popular measurement invariance testing procedures for latent constructs evaluated by multiple indicators in distinct populations are revisited and discussed. A frequently used test of factor loading invariance is shown to possess serious limitations that in general preclude it from accomplishing its goal of ascertaining this invariance. A process…

Classification procedures are common and useful in behavioral, educational, social, and managerial research. Supervised classification techniques such as discriminant function analysis assume training data are perfectly classified when estimating parameters or classifying. In contrast, unsupervised classification techniques such as finite mixture…

A didactic discussion of a latent variable modeling approach is presented that addresses frequent empirical concerns of social, behavioral, and educational researchers involved in longitudinal studies. The method is suitable when the purpose is to analyze repeated measure data along several interrelated dimensions and to explain some of the…

The purpose of this paper is to discuss the guidelines used in the study to develop "good" problems for young children and to describe the nature of some problems so developed. (Author)

This review of studies comparing early childhood education models focuses on the trends and problems of this kind of research. The 8 "qualitative" studies reviewed, all pertain to aspects of instructional theory centering around teacher-child interaction. In the 19 empirical studies discussed, a dichotomy between "structured and unstructured…

Reviews teacher behavior research under the categories of (1) model systems, (2) instructional processes, and (3) teacher behavior characteristics. (Author)

Traditional thinking links environmental knowledge to awareness followed by action. However, research suggests that environmental education would be more effective if based on levels of variables involved in environmental citizenship behavior: entry-level (sensitivity, ecology knowledge, androgyny, attitudes); ownership (knowledge of issues,…

"Chaos" theory is a revolutionary new paradigm developed by scientists to study the behavior of natural systems. "Chaos" refers to the tendency of dynamic non-linear systems toward irregular, sometimes unpredictable, yet deterministic behavior. Major tenets of the theory are presented. The precedent for use of models developed…

Two models for research on teacher thinking are discussed: the decision-making model and the information-processing model. Research on teaching guided by the decision-making model focuses upon explaining and understanding deliberate teacher activity and is deemed more appropriate for situations in which the teacher has sufficient time and…

This study explored two group treatments, humanistic and social modeling, in helping teachers to be more open and helpful in the classroom. Subjects were 42 volunteers from elementary schools who indicated a desire to become more open and helpful. Each of four groups met four times over a 9 day period for 1 1/2 hours. The modeling groups viewed a…

In educational research, nonessential factors are commonly ignored and when accounted for, they are often treated statistically as fixed effects. Yet many researchers in these situations generalize their findings beyond the specific levels selected; however, the analyses may require treating the factor as a random effect. Such inappropriate…

It was the purpose of this study to assess the effects of films on children, using a measure of interpersonal aggression. It was anticipated that modeling effects would depend simultaneously upon the degree of realism of the model's performance (on a reality-fantasy dimension) and the similarity between the observer's task and the model's…

An attempt is made at providing cohesion and structure for a range of disparate activities and examining their interrelationships. Among concepts considered are: (1) the relationship of philosophic analysis in education; (2) the nature of pedagogical research; (3) the process-product paradigm; (4) aim-oriented empiricism; (5) the reduction thesis;…

The study tested the applicability of portions of the Porter and Lawler model in a cognitive training environment and examined the relationships among some behavioral variables in Air Force Undergraduate Pilot Training. The variables analyzed were the Maslow need hierarchy, effort, abilities, role perceptions, performance, satisfaction and the…