This occasional paper introduces the methods of research synthesis and meta-analysis to researchers and consumers of research in the field of adult learning and literacy. To begin, the first section of the paper defines key terms and offers a brief history of how the methodologies developed. The second section provides a conceptualization of…

Numerous misuses of statistics are described and illustrated, and ways of recognizing and avoiding such misuse are discussed. The following five categories of statistical misuse are identified: a lack of knowledge of the subject matter, the quality of the basic data, the preparation of the study and the report, the statistical methodology, and a…

This book provides a simple but effective model for approaching action research. It also contains a series of tools to assist the researcher in working through the research process. The chapters are: (1) "Research in Professional and Public Life"; (2) "Principles of Community-Based Action Research"; (3) "Setting the Stage"; (4) "Look: Building the…

The objective of this investigation was to collect data on the needs of information users which could serve as a basis for the design of information systems in the social sciences. Research habits of social scientists were explored to identify research procedures and problems of research including circumstantial and environmental variables. A…

The book describes over 600 current career guidance methods, some of which have been subjected to rigorous evaluation. Designed to allow quick access to information needed to solve highly specific problems, the book describes important and potentially useful methods applicable to career guidance that are currently in practice or in the…

In this new edition, the author explains quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods, and incorporates the viewpoints of various research paradigms (postpositivist, constructivist, transformative, and pragmatic) into descriptions of these methods. Special emphasis is provided for conducting research in culturally complex communities. Each chapter…

Designed to provide the reader with in-depth examinations of several key aspects of instructional development, this book presents both descriptions of state-of-the-art developments and analyses of problems faced by the field. These reports are presented in 13 chapters written by 17 authors: (1) "The Relationship between Faculty Development (FD),…

There is growing interest in the possibilities of combining research approaches in education and social sciences, as dissatisfaction mounts with the limitations of traditional mono-method studies and with the schism between quantitative and qualitative methods. This book argues the case for combining multiple research methods, and provides…

This book presents case-study findings of five school systems' efforts to become true learning communities through action research into the school-renewal process. The programs were located in the Southeast, Midwest, Far West, and an overseas region of the Department of Defense Dependents Schools. The programs shared three characteristics: a focus…

This book is designed to show prospective teachers how to design and implement an activity-oriented science program for the elementary grades. Science content and methods are presented through activities to be done by readers allowing them to master the design of a teaching unit by constructing or adapting a unit. Discussions include scientific…

Administrators, attorneys, and graduate students who are interested in law and education or in research methods will find this book useful. Rarely do researchers combine several methods for examining legal issues in education from multiple perspectives. Here four authors offer four different research methods that can be used in combination. Each…

This book is based on the premise that, although many professional organizations and the public are concerned about how teachers are prepared for their profession, this concern is not reflected in research about teaching methods classes. By presenting findings about the educational experiences of preservice teachers, the book aims to generate…

This book brings together whole language and critical pedagogy, reading each in terms of the other and providing a new and politically valuable synthesis of the two. A related aim of this volume is to bring together the community of whole language educators with educators who identify themselves with racial, ethnic, and other groups historically…

The study of the changing content of education forms part of the general thinking on the future of education. This book contains an analysis of case studies of the projected evolution of educational content for the 20-year period (1980-2000) in China, Hungary, the Netherlands, the Philippines, and the United States. relating those changes to…

This broad survey of research on instructional television examines a variety of aspects relating to its effectiveness in the classroom. An introductory essay identifies significant trends that have emerged since the original publication of this report. Chapter one reviews the generalized effects of TV on pupil learning, including variations in…