Mission-driven nonprofit organizations sometimes struggle within a cycle of disempowerment resulting from oversaturation of data collection that is reactive to funder demands. In this article, we problematize Community Music School (CMS) data-collection and analysis efforts and discuss alternate approaches to learning about family and community…

There has been much discussion about quantitative and qualitative approaches to research in different disciplines. In the behavioural and social sciences, these two paradigms are compared to reveal their relative strengths and weaknesses. But the debate about both traditions has commonly taken place in academic books. It is hard to find an article…

Shows how differences among types of professional schools can be explained on the basis of systematic research, using empirical data on a large sample of professional schools and analytical properties of the professions for which the schools provide training. (Author/CK)

Reviews case against using traditional statistical methods in educational research. Examines "fantasies" entertained by researchers about the meaning of statistical significance. Recommends abandoning statistical significance testing and suggests other ways of evaluating research results. Advocates a return to the scientific method of examining…

One of the issues facing educational research workers today is the determination of the similarities and differences between countries and cultures in the factors that influence educational outcomes. The author of this article proposes a new approach to this problem. Usually when countries are compared, the complete student samples are taken into…

This report examines the difference in approaches between sociologists and psychologists when using multiple regression techniques in the analysis of behavioral data. Psychologists and sociologists are often divided in their orientation toward regression techniques, and this division could be a substantial and unfortunate barrier to communication…