Multilevel models are often used to evaluate hypotheses about relations among constructs when data are nested within clusters (Raudenbush & Bryk, 2002), although alternative approaches are available when analyzing nested data (Binder & Roberts, 2003; Sterba, 2009). The overarching goal of this article is to suggest when it is appropriate…

Educational researchers commonly use the rule of thumb of "design effect smaller than 2" as the justification of not accounting for the multilevel or clustered structure in their data. The rule, however, has not yet been systematically studied in previous research. In the present study, we generated data from three different models…

Education statistics are rarely neutral; those who collect and analyze them have different purposes. In this article, Bracey discusses several principles of data interpretation to help educators avoid falling into statistical traps. For example, because such reports as A Nation At Risk contain many "selected, spun, distorted, and even manufactured…

Discusses various brambles that ensnare educational researchers and their reports. Several identifiable problems include allowing methodology to drive research questions, stressing results over meaning and interpretation, disguising researchers' voice and identity, and paying too little attention to composition and style. Remedies are suggested.…

Discusses three weaknesses in reporting research findings by commenting and criticizing research articles published in the eighth volume of Journal of Research in Science Teaching. (CC)

Research problems related to studies of school desegregation in urban areas are identified and discussed. A review of statistical models used in desegregation research indicates that deviation models are the most appropriate for investigating short-run effects of desegregation. (Author/DB)

Since problems associated with the statistical methodology of educational research are becoming increasingly important, this paper examines a subset of problems associated with the analysis and interpretation of aggregated data. Two major questions arise: (1) if a researcher knows the level (e.g., individual, teacher/classroom, school, school…

The "history of education" should no longer be considered an independent field for research and teaching. Many important questions in the history of ideas have been and continue to be numberically based, and require quantitative analysis to be answered. Revisionism in history has often involved the use of a quantitative methodology. (Author/JM)

This paper discusses the problem of maintaining confidentiality in data resulting from research projects. The rights and responsibilities of the parties involved in a research effort are examined. Five parties to a research project are identified as: (1) the participants, often called subjects, who have the right to privacy and the responsibility…

An examination was made of Federal program statistics on vocational education during the past 10 years by the Bureau of Occupational and Adult Education of the U. S. Office of Education and the National Center for Education Statistics of the U. S. Department of Education. The study found that despite a mandate for reform, the National Center's…

This paper discusses the problems of gathering and analyzing data on classroom behaviors. The difficulties involved in using the common pretest-posttest experimental design are described. To grapple with these problems, a study was conducted on the effect of environmental changes on student behavior, employing a time-series design and time-series…

Problems of obtaining a representative sample for a national survey are discussed, and the experiences of Educational Testing Service are used as examples of some methods used to cope with these problems. It is suggested that researchers: (1) capitalize on some existing program; (2) establish in the minds of the possible examinees and the possible…

The significance of this essay for English educators and research specialists lies in its analysis of the demands of and criteria for valid research, frequently ignored by researchers in English today. Using as a case in point Roger K. Applebee's article, "National Study of High School English Programs: A Record of English Teaching Today"…

At the request of the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Educational Research and Improvement, the Panel to Evaluate the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) was established in 1985 by the National Academy of Sciences. This report culminates an extensive two-year study of NCES and reflects the panel's broad view of the center's…

Suggesting that James Coleman's paper on massive school desegragation reveals methodological flaws of such magnitude that they raise serious questions as to the validity of the conclusions, this paper addresses a full sequence of perceived methodological errors found in the Coleman document, but does not dismiss the conclusions based upon initial…