The purpose of this study was to identify the characteristics of a representative sample of single-case designs that appear in the published literature. The study located, digitized, and coded all 809 single-case designs appearing in 113 studies in the year 2008 in 21 journals in a variety of fields in psychology and education. Coded variables…

Presents a general class of single-case statistical procedures derived from previously developed nonparametric randomization tests. Designs are illustrated that focus on the general and comparative effectiveness of alternative interventions, multiple units with differentiable characteristics, and multiple outcome measures. Provides operational…

Alternative designs for educational research are explored to improve the external validity of educational research and broaden its scope to include not only the systematic experiments that identify psychological mechanisms but also representative designs that match the complexity of learning behavior in school. (JH)

Argues that the routine use of experimental or quasi experimental designs in educational research often constrains the value of its conclusions. Also critizes educational research for its atheoretical nature and its paucity of conceptual frameworks. (GC)

Whereas rigorous quantitative methods (in experimental methods, data interpretation, concept formation, hypothesis construction) and formal style and format are essential in theory verification research, their applicability centers on the fact that in theory verification research, it is necessary to determine whether the strategies used for…

This paper was presented at a symposium concerned with the results of research on teacher effectiveness and the procedures which might be used to review such research. The first part of the paper describes Rosenshine's research review procedure and analyzes the logic used to group research reports. Three possible standards which might be…

Some difficulties with field experimental research designs using groups of subjects are discussed. Special attention is given to the problem of interpreting the significant results and how the obtained results can be generalized. Single-subject designs are suggested as suitable alternatives and a few such designs are presented. (Author)

Project objectives included (1) establishing a body of knowledge concerning the role of the Hawthorne effect in experimental designs in educational research, (2) assessing the influence of the Hawthorne effect on educational experiments conducted under varying conditions of control, (3) identifying the major components comprising the effect, and…

Like all good social research methods, the interview demands careful planning and intelligent administration. The study director formulates the goals of the study, which serve as the basis for the interview schedule or instrument. The interview schedule decided upon may be standardized or unstandardized. Questions may be closed-ended or…

Six single subject experimental designs (AB, ABA, ABAB, Multiple Baseline, Changing Criterion, and Multi-Element Baseline) are examined in terms of their scientific rigor and practicality for school personnel. Design use may rest with the research question posed, behavior measured, teacher and personnel attitudes, and degree of scientific rigor…

Investigates retention of material by students who receive traditional classroom instruction, are exposed to instruction that emphasizes concept formation, or comprise a control group which receives no instruction. Finds that the control group had an unusually high retention level. Concludes that a more adequate test of retention must be designed…

This manual is intended to improve both the design of longitudinal studies and analysis of the resulting data. Issues related to educational and developmental research have been emphasized in these eight chapters. Topics of particular interest to longitudinal researchers include stochastic models of developmental change, mathematical…

The problems and rewards of conducting contemporary historical research are related in the light of the author's experiences in preparing an Ed.D. dissertation analyzing Malcolm S. Knowles' contributions to and influence on the field of adult education. Given its contemporaneous nature, the author terms the study accurate but inconclusive. The…

In this speech, the authors contend that the adoption of a marketing approach by the disseminators of educational research and development product might well lead to a more effective way of getting products into use by educators. The marketing concept as defined comprises the planning of a coordinated set of products and programs to serve the…

The main purpose of this reference volume on Outward Bound (OB) is to provide access to the research literature by giving the reader a sense of the state of the literature, providing analysis on salient research and programmatic issues, granting easy access to individual pieces of research, and opening up related research literatures. Section I is…