In this article, we describe and illustrate the process by which we developed and validated short, multiple-choice, reliable tests to assess undergraduate students' comprehension of three mathematical proofs. We discuss the purpose for each stage and how it benefited the design of our instruments. We also suggest ways in which this process could…

This article reports on how design-based research methodology was used to guide a line of intervention research that developed, implemented, revised, and evaluated online learning science curricula for middle school students, including general education students and English language learners (primarily of Hispanic origin). The iterative,…

This dual case study utilizes qualitative research methods to examine the experiences of two mothers of young children with special needs. Over the course of ten months, the researcher spent many hours interviewing both mothers about their experiences with Early Intervention (EI) professionals. Observations of medical appointments, team meetings,…

The author addresses the development and implementation of a service-learning project for an undergraduate course in which students interview immigrant women, incorporate the interviewees' experiences into an analytical paper, and present the findings at the end of the semester. Students are required to use C. Wright Mills's concepts of history…

Over the past three decades, researchers have studied doctoral research training programs using large scale surveys making visible trends in numbers of and kinds of research courses required, or using focused qualitative methods to gain rich, textured accounts of graduate school experiences. Both kinds of studies fail to capture the local,…

This collaborative action research project involves two educational psychologists (EPs) working with teachers from four primary schools to develop the use of solution-focused approaches. The project illustrates a way in which EPs might make a distinctive contribution to improving outcomes for children and young people. Realist interviews were used…

With its roots in clinical and educational psychology, school psychology is an ever-changing field that encompasses a diversity of topics. "The Oxford Handbook of School Psychology" synthesizes the most vital and relevant literature in all of these areas, producing a state-of-the-art, authoritative resource for practitioners,…

Market research, important for professional renewal, is a critical part of continuing education program planning. It includes attention to learning needs and learner motivation to participate in continuing education. Informal market research makes use of internal sources, such as enrollment data, program evaluations, policy statements, and staff…

A between method triangulation strategy was used to evaluate a process for long-range program planning. One study team conducted interviews and the other used a mail questionnaire. The resulting problems in coordination between teams are discussed. (Author/GDC)

Focus group findings were compared with survey findings for three studies in which both methods were used. Studies conducted on voluntary sterilization in Guatemala, Honduras, and Zaire with over 2,000 subjects confirm that focus groups yield information similar to that obtained from surveys and are useful in program planning. (SLD)

Results are reported of a study made in Washington State to (1) discover educational constraints of the elderly, (2) identify the scope of educational opportunities and planning by community colleges, and (3) assess on-going programs. Questionnaires and interviews were utilized to obtain opinions of and data about urban and rural elderly citizens…

An approach to educational research that is receiving renewed attention is participatory action research (PAR), which emphasizes a bottom-up approach to research as well as useful outcomes. PAR is a philosophy, and not a methodology per se. It is a deliberate, goal-directed, structured, and applied means of obtaining information that looks to…

The focus-group interview format was used to investigate the implementation of the Career Ladders teacher-incentive program in a rural school district in Arizona. Two interviews were planned for each of the following groups: (1) school board members; (2) Career Ladders steering committee; (3) administrators; (4) central office staff; (5) parents;…

This paper presents results and recommendations from a literature review, the purpose of which was to: (1) find the best structure and content for a core curricular assessment plan at Brenau Women's College (Georgia); and (2) determine a reasonable evaluation plan of the core curricular assessment plan once it is implemented. The literature also…

This paper analyzes a research project that maps implementation efforts of comprehensive and mandated change at the primary school level in The Netherlands. In examining this large-scale national reform program, the report deals with schools whose innovation efforts acquired funding from the central education department in return for their local…