Meta-analyses are syntheses of effect-size estimates obtained from a collection of studies to summarize a particular field or topic (Hedges, 1992; Lipsey & Wilson, 2001). These reviews are used to integrate knowledge that can inform both scientific inquiry and public policy, therefore it is important to ensure that the estimates of the effect…

This is the first of a two-part article that aims to chart the contemporary landscape of research on teacher preparation and certification. It is based on a review of more than 1,500 studies published between 2000 and 2012. Part 1 provides information about how the review was conducted and describes the theoretical/analytic framework the authors…

This article contains a second-order meta-analysis and an exploration of bias in the technology integration literature in higher education. Thirteen meta-analyses, dated from 2000 to 2014 were selected to be included based on the questions asked and the presence of adequate statistical information to conduct a quantitative synthesis. The weighted…

The lack of a unified definition of giftedness leads researchers to use very different operationalizations when selecting a sample of gifted individuals for use in research. We found 104 empirical articles from 38 journals that differentiated between gifted and nongifted students which were analyzed to determine the most common methods of…

The article continues the discussion of the five quality principles proposed by Heikkinen, Huttunen, and Syrjala, published in 2007 in "Educational Action Research". In the present article, the authors reconsider the five principles: historical continuity; reflexivity; dialectics; workability; and evocativeness. These five principles are…

The issue of the "research-practice gap"--the problematic relationship between research in education and educational practice--has been widely reported in the literature. This critical literature review explores some of the causes and features of the gap and suggests some possible approaches for addressing it. These solutions involve changes in…

Despite having drawn from empirical evidence and cumulative prior expertise in the formulation of research questions as well as study design, each study is treated as a stand-alone product rather than positioned within a sequence of cumulative evidence. While results of prior studies are typically cited within the body of prior literature review,…

Objective: This study examined the extent to which conclusions of published outcome studies contain phrases that could be misconstrued as implying more empirical support than is warranted. Methods: All articles (N = 138) reporting outcome studies from 2000 to 2005 in two social work research journals and two topical database searches were assessed…

Considers two ways of conducting the search for generalizations about messages: (1) single-message research designs used with meta-analytic summaries; and (2) multiple-message designs treating messages as a random factor in the statistical analysis. Contends that the treatment of messages as a random factor is statistically appropriate. (MS)

Replies to Sally Jackson, Daniel O'Keefe, and Scott Jacobs' article (same issue), maintaining that randomness requirements can not be relaxed for generalizing from message samples, since systematic samples are not truly random. (MS)

Argues that generalizing to message populations by treating messages as a random variable is inappropriate for complex messages, and proposes meta-analytic techniques for investigating biases in message samples and other methodological factors that can limit generalizability of communication research. (MS)

Describes research on interpersonal expectancy effects, concentrating on classroom settings. Results of a meta-analysis of 448 studies of interpersonal expectancy effects are summarized. A 10-point model for the study of such effects and evidence supporting a 4-factor theory of the mediation of teacher expectancy effects are presented. (SLD)