The six articles of this issue discuss the place of meta-analysis in the health professions and present two state-of-the-art meta-analyses using a variety of innovative methodologies, statistics, and secondary analytic procedures. A survey conducted for this issue and its sequel explores interventions to facilitate meta-analysis. (SLD)

Two chapters of this issue consider critical multiplism as a research strategy with links to meta analysis and generalizability theory. The unifying perspective it can provide for quantitative and qualitative evaluation is discussed. The third chapter explores meta analysis as a way to improve causal inferences in nonexperimental data. (SLD)

This study examines 103 meta-analyses related to educational achievement published over 10 years to produce a meta-synthesis. Various characteristics of the meta-analyses are summarized to produce a methodological profile of research, and effect sizes are synthesized to assess an educational productivity model. (SLD)

This review of the literature on computer-assisted instruction (CAI) addresses the following topics: background and scope of CAI; current research on software and learner variables; current research on microcomputers and other delivery systems; meta analyses of the effectiveness of CAI; and methods for evaluating CAI programs. It is concluded that…

After a brief introduction identifying current issues and trends in research on class size, this brochure reviews five recent studies bearing on the relationship of class size to educational effectiveness. Part 1 is a review of two interrelated and highly controversial "meta-analyses" or statistical integrations of research findings on…

The eight chapters of this theme issue evaluate a large-scale intervention, the New York City Public Schools Integrated Learning Systems Project. The overall evaluation contains ethnographic studies of project schools, statistical investigations of outcomes in terms of student achievement and attitude, comparisons of system costs to other systems,…

The relationship between class size and scholastic outcomes is addressed in this paper. A literature review focuses on the research of Glass and Smith (1978) and Larkin and Keeves (1984). Contradictory and inconclusive research findings about teacher effectiveness in relation to class size indicate that emphasis should be placed on training…

This report presents a meta-analysis of research on teaching expressive writing to students with learning disabilities. Virtually all the interventions analyzed were multifaceted and involved students writing everyday as part of the curriculum. The meta-analysis identified several themes critical to effective writing instruction: (1) adherence to…

The seven chapters of this special issue identify research issues related to sex differences and mathematics achievement in an international context and consider some possible explanations, including neuropsychological differences, learning strategies, and attitudes. Recommendations are made for educational policy, curriculum development, and…