This pilot study investigates the way that young students and teachers of a Dutch Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) secondary school subject Research and Design (R&D) reason about the concept of 'model'. The core of the Dutch Technasium secondary school course Research and Design curriculum (R&D is in Dutch called…

Mixed methods research (MMR) is increasingly becoming a popular methodological approach in several fields due to the promise it holds for comprehensive understanding of complex problems being researched. However, researchers interested in MMR often lack reference to a guide that can explain the key issues pertaining to the paradigm wars…

Scholars from diverse fields and research traditions agree that the conceptual framework is a critically important component of disciplined inquiry. Yet, there is a pronounced lack of shared understanding regarding the definition and functions of conceptual frameworks, which impedes our ability to design effective research and mentor novice…

The purpose of this article is to use a facet theory research approach to provide a clear, coherent, and integrated model of international students' experiences based upon the findings of psychological research into students when studying abroad. In research that employs a facet theory approach events are classified in terms of their constituent…

The continuously growing demand for program results has produced an increased need for evaluation capacity building (ECB). The "Integrative ECB Model" was developed to integrate concepts from existing ECB theory literature and to structure a synthesis of the empirical ECB literature. The study used a broad-based research synthesis method with…

The current literature is replete with instances of imprecise and conflicting usage of "qualitative" and "quantitative" evaluation. This paper presents a framework for making distinctions among several related concepts to eliminate this potential source of confusion. In the process, the terms "qualitative" and…

This study was an attempt to determine the nature of the pausing phenomena in oral reading, and whether these phenomena are possible overt features of the verbal processing entailed in reading orally, and also in reading silently, by relating them to the silent and oral reading comprehension abilities of the subjects. (Author)

The author argues that unless Kohlberg's theory of moral development can be demonstrated empirically, based on scientific evidence, his ensuing plan for a program of moral education amounts to no more than a systematic program of indoctrination. Kohlberg identifies the moral stage of a person by eliciting from a subject the reasons referred to in…

Developmental models currently used by child behavioral toxicologists and teratologists are inadequate to address current issues in these fields. Both child behavioral teratology and toxicology scientifically study the impact of exposure to toxic agents on behavior development: teratology focuses on prenatal exposure and postnatal behavior…

Matching, randomization, random sampling, and other methods of controlling extraneous variation are discussed. The purpose was to specify the benefits of randomization in estimating causal effects of treatments. It is concluded that randomization should be employed whenever possible, but the use of carefully controlled nonrandomized data to…

While inquiry teaching has been a popular term in the social studies literature over the last decade, the empirical research appears to have paid little attention to specific inquiry models. All published papers and dissertations purporting to measure inquiry teaching for the five year period, January, 1967 through November, 1972 are reviewed and…

A model for research and evaluation in outdoor education is presented in this paper which includes a bibliography of representative research in outdoor, experiential education. The model stresses close interaction between program designers and evaluators and rests on the premise that the strength of outdoor education--interaction between people,…

This book contains eight papers examining the evidence from three field experiences in Illinois, Pennsylvania, and Washington that were conducted to identify the impact of reemployment bonuses on the following indicators characterizing the unemployment insurance (UI) program: weeks of UI receipt during the benefit year; dollars of UI received…

A study examined the extent of the deficit of data concerning allied health fields supply and requirements to determine the kinds of data and studies needed to improve the data base for health and allied health education. At present, data deficits exist in the areas of allied health occupations labor supply and requirements, future health needs,…

This document presents the key principles underpinning effective evaluations as applied to policy initiatives in the field of lifelong learning (LL) and the various methods available to implement them. The following are among the topics discussed in Chapters 1-6: (1) the distinction between monitoring, modeling, and evaluation and considerations…