As data on the reliability and validity of ratings of infant temperament have accumulated, researchers have begun to ask what caregiver ratings really measure. An argument has been made that ratings of social behavior are less a reflection of enduring individual differences than a measure of rater characteristics and error variance. This study…

Prior research indicates that language-handicapped children obtain higher test scores when tested by personally familiar examiners than when tested by personally unfamiliar examiners. The present investigation inquired whether this finding is due to examinees' actual differential performance across the two examiner conditions, or whether it is the…

Futures research involves speculation about alternative developments based upon existing data and potential choices. Effective futures research requires creativity in scientific practice rather than an overemphasis on reason. In discussing the important role of intuition in futures research, characteristics of creative scientists are reviewed and…

In 1969, Arthur Jensen published his controversial article concluding that blacks are less intelligent than whites and that genetic factors explain more of the variance between the two groups than environmental differences. This paper criticizes Jensen's work and discusses its negative implications. Interpretive and methodological weaknesses in…

Schools are often reluctant to be watched or studied, especially when their interests do not coincide with those of researchers. The development of good site relations can improve the chances of successful data gathering in such circumstances. In addition to acting with courtesy and respect, research teams can organize their site relations…

To avoid the rejection of research findings, researchers and practitioners should jointly plan and conduct research. The SUPER Project is such a collaborative effort. It connects theory and practice in ways that are most useful to teachers and significant to researchers as they work together and learn each other's priorities. (VM)

The controversy surrounding the study by the Committee on the Status of Black Americans requires discussion of: (1) the recent history of race relations research; (2) the role of the study's director; and (3) composition of the controlling committee. Since perspectives of researchers affect study outcomes, diversity in research leadership is a…

The educational research community has stressed the importance of minority researchers studying the groups of which they are members. The field work described here, investigating attitudes of parents and teachers in a reservation community toward multicultural education, supports this view. (LHW)

The effects of examiner unfamiliarity on the test performance of language handicapped and nonhandicapped preschoolers and school-age children are explored. Results indicate that examiner unfamiliarity selectively depresses handicapped children's test performance, constituting a systemic source of error and threatening the validity of handicapped…

An analysis of research methods textbooks in psychology showed that little coverage is given to control issues in research, such as experimenter expectancies and subject bias. However, space and attention given to research ethics has increased considerably. This is probably due to imposition of controls from the government and the profession. (CS)

Examines several problems posed for empirical and theoretical research by the achievement of hegemony by one culture or system of thought over others. Discusses minority underrepresentation and its impact on knowledge production in education and the social sciences. Questions the universal utility of some highly respected tenets of science. (JS)

This article interprets epistemological bias in recent educational research. It examines the qualitative research text as a culture form; analyzes the concepts of voice, hearing, listening, reading, and text; critically appraises attempts to recover and re-present the "voice" of the other; and proposes how this voice and presence can be…

Two studies explored factors relating to children's willingness to perform tasks that are not traditional to their gender. More untraditional behavior was elicited with male than with female examiners. Mechanisms that may underlie this effect are discussed. (BC)

A 5-year study investigated the effect of training on question-asking skills of 42 licensing examiners in orthopedic surgery. Results indicate that a three-hour training session resulted in examiners' asking many more open-ended and/or problem-solving questions, suggesting the effectiveness of the training program. (Author/MSE)

Measures 129 third and fourth graders' adjustment of their behavior to fit the attitudes of an experimenter after assessing their verbal preferences for gender-typed and cross-gender activities. Relative to the control condition, experimenters were able to reduce, but not increase, the proportion of cross-gender activities children engaged in.…