It is pointed out that researchers must articulate clearly both the implications of their data for policy and the limitations of those data. Both researchers and policy-makers should remember that each student is more than a collection of variables. (Author/AF)

The academic community and the support base for higher education are seen as two seemingly opposing forces. Institutional research is proposed as a third force which, in its role of intermediary and articulator, can re-energize the planning-management systems of higher education. (Article originally published in 1972.) (AF)

It is shown that using formulae for the estimation of sampling errors based on simple random sampling, when a design actually involves cluster sampling, can lead to serious underestimation of error. Jackknife and balanced repeated replication are recommended as techniques for dealing with this problem. (Author/CTM)

The author describes the evaluation planning done for the Project for Science Integration in Ghana, with emphasis on the contextual limitations in a developing nation concerning the teachers, students, authors, materials, and finances. With careful planning, it was found that illuminating data for instructional improvement could be collected. (SJL)

Much institutional research is carried out at great cost but has little continued impact on institutions of higher education. Some of the barriers to the effective use of research and the experience of institutional research at the Open University of Great Britain are discussed. (JMD)

The "history of education" should no longer be considered an independent field for research and teaching. Many important questions in the history of ideas have been and continue to be numberically based, and require quantitative analysis to be answered. Revisionism in history has often involved the use of a quantitative methodology. (Author/JM)

Details the procedures followed in obtaining a frequency-of-use list of the most-to-least-used instructional materials in mathematics (K-12), reading (K-6), and science and social studies (each 7-12). (Author/MLF)

Presents methodology that might be employed in evaluating learners' opinions and judgments in complex instructional or training settings. (Editor/TA)

Discusses quasi-experimental and experimental research methodologies for investigating the relationships among teacher behavior, teacher competencies, student achievement, and student attitude outcomes. (MLH)

Concludes "that the one seemingly serious effort of Baltes and Schaie to contest the points of the Horn-Donaldson criticisms only brings us around to the same sad conclusion: that no matter how one looks at the Schaie data, it suggests that, on the average, there is age decline in many important abilities of intelligence." (Author/JM)

Reports research concerning the definition of variables by pupils ages 12 to 14 during investigative work. Findings suggest that an increase in the complexity of an investigation lowers the ability to identify relevant variables and substantive concepts intrude on the ability to define the appropriate dependent variable and to control variables.…

This paper reviews 126 articles published between 1989 and 1994 to investigate the underrepresentation of males in research in the area of physical maltreatment. The problem of underrepresentation was more severe in studies on characteristics of abusive parents and in articles that addressed issues of child abuse prevention and treatment. (CR)

Spiritual experience is a taboo topic within Western institutions of higher learning. The silencing of this integral aspect of Indigenous people's lives often results in research findings that are inaccurate, incomplete, and invalid. Indigenous scholars are speaking out about how they integrate their spirituality into formal academic research,…

This article discusses evidence for functional behavioral assessment (FBA) procedures in terms of the meaning and interpretation of different forms of reliability and validity in FBA. It concludes that additional research needs to be conducted with various target behaviors across different settings to support the continued use of FBA. (Contains…

Singapore students scored highest on the Third International Mathematics and Science Study. Any nation that "outsources" its poverty (Malaysian street sweepers) and its low-achievers (who study in Malaysia) can get high test scores. U.S./Japan score differences stem from Japan's effective teaching practices. Among 13 occupations in the…