Explores problems involved in the quantitative verification of independent variables in investigations of the effects on student outcomes of planned variations in instructional behavior. Specifically addresses (1) gathering of data through direct systematic observation, and (2) analysis of those data through the use of inferential statistics. (GC)

Investigates questioning behavior--the generation and formulation of questions--as an observable behavioral act reflecting information needs which proceeds from a series of cognitive processes produced by the "need to know." Statistical and linguistic analyses support the theory that the nature of information need can be discerned…

This article reports on the nature of and reasons for the forthcoming changes in presentation, classification, and estimating procedures in labor force data derived from the Current Population Survey. Changes involve resident armed forces, new occupational classifications, conversion to Black-only data, and revision of first-stage ratio estimator.…

Five problems involved in the task of presenting a number of different education systems in statistical terms that are meaningful and useful to educational researchers, planners, and laymen are discussed. They include developing a classification system and conversion guides, providing a framework for updating work, and coordination among…

Discusses the procedures for collecting unemployment statistics. Criticisms of and alternatives to this method are explored. The youth unemployment rate is discussed in relation to these problems and to the goals of vocational and technical education. (CT)

Errors of misclassification and their effects on categorical data analysis are discussed. The chi-square test for equality of two proportions is examined in the context of errorful categorical data. The effects of such errors are illustrated. A correction procedure is developed and discussed. (Author/MH)

The analysis of questionnaire data involves a sequence of planned activities beginning with questionnaire development and concluding with a report of the results of the study. Most questionnaires require the use of numerical codes to facilitate computer processing of results and to select appropriate statistical procedures for summarizing the…

Quantitative and qualitative measures of patient satisfaction with psychiatric outpatient services were compared in interviews with 263 outpatients. Results indicate that expressions of dissatisfaction appear mainly in open-ended questions. Focus on the questions and acceptability of the data gathering procedure appears to influence responses…

Explores what it would mean to "spread best practice" in educational measurement and considers lessons from the history of medicine and other scientific disciplines that are relevant to the development of educational theory and practice. Makes the case that these lessons point toward the use of less complex statistical tools and the collection and…

States that recent emphasis on reflexivity has caused cross-cultural researchers to reexamine their methods and underlying assumptions. Examines the impact of cultural factors on quantitative/qualitative research methodologies, specifically, the impact of cultural values, political constraints, educational level of informants, and context.…

Reports on a growing movement to document and attack gender discrimination at institutions of higher education following an internal study that documented gender bias against women in the School of Science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Stresses the value of such broad studies over individual complaints of discrimination. (DB)

Observational data collected in ecologically valid measurement contexts are likely to be influenced by contextual factors irrelevant to the research question. Using multiple sessions and raters often improves the stability of scores for variables from such contexts. Generalizability (G) theory can be used to give researchers important information…

The case study examined two groups of grade 7 students as they engaged in four inquiry phases: posing a question and collecting, analyzing, and representing data. Previous studies reported analyses of statistical reasoning on a single inquiry phase. Our goal was to identify the modes of statistical reasoning displayed during group discussions in…

A generation ago, Fred N. Kerlinger proposed that there were a number of myths that pervaded educational research. An overview of three specific myths is presented, followed by a discussion of the degree to which these myths have been overcome or still exist in educational research. The first of these myths, the "methods" myth, is…

The relationship of policy and decision making to statistical data and analyses is discussed. The optimal relationship, in which statistics play a key role in funding allocation and other policy decisions, rarely holds. Most surveys by statistical agencies are on a large scale, with a broad focus, resulting in databases which are difficult to…