Animated pedagogical agents (APAs) are known to possess great potential in supporting learning because of their ability to simulate a real classroom learning environment. But research in this area has produced mixed results. The reason for this remains puzzling. This paper is written with two purposes: (1) to examine some recent research and…

This article reports results of a meta-analysis of survey response rates in published research in counseling and clinical psychology over a 20-year span and describes reported survey administration procedures in those fields. Results of 308 survey administrations showed a weighted average response rate of 49.6%. Among possible moderators, response…

Recent research meta-analyses on the literacy education of children who are English-language learners (ELLs) were reviewed. The author discusses instructional implications that (1) are strongly supported by research, (2) are likely to be true, given the research evidence, and (3) need more research before recommendations can be made. (Contains 1…

Measuring student response to interventions has become an important role for school psychologists. Children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) are frequently treated with stimulant medication, but the response to the treatment is rarely adequately assessed. The current study examined the sensitivity of measures used to assess the…

Clinical and educational experience is one of the most commonly studied variables in clinical judgment research. Contrary to clinicians' perceptions, clinical judgment researchers have generally concluded that accuracy does not improve with increased education, training, or clinical experience. In this meta-analysis, the authors synthesized…

This research project undertook a review and synthesis of previous research on the effectiveness of feedback for individual writing development. The work plan was divided into two main phases. First, we surveyed all available studies that have investigated the effectiveness of writing feedback, including both quantitative and qualitative research,…

Although there has been growing interest in problem-based learning (PBL) by professional entry-level therapy educators, its effectiveness is as yet unclear. Existing overviews of the field do not provide high-quality evidence in terms of the effectiveness or otherwise of PBL in professional therapy education. The purposes of this article is to…

One of the most controversial issues in special education over the last 40 years has been the extent to which students with learning disabilities (LD) should be educated in general education classrooms. Recent mandates in federal law requiring that all students with disabilities have access to the general education curriculum and make adequate…

Since 1983, the Washington State Institute for Public Policy has conducted applied research as a nonpartisan agency of the state legislature. Over the years, discussions in the state have turned toward emphasizing "evidence-based" programs and policies in decision making, and research requests of the legislature have evolved to reflect…

The current meta-analysis study summarizes the effects of the GlobalEd Project, a web-based educational intervention of international negotiations embedded within social studies curricula, on middle and high school students' interest in social studies and negotiation self efficacy. Meta-analytic evidence supports statistically significant…

Transition from primary to secondary school is an important but neglected topic. For this review, 88 studies were selected from 325 possible studies, as including substantive data related to transition. The teacher's perspective and the child's perspective were very different, the former principally concerned with attainment and the latter…

This research study employs a second-order meta-analysis procedure to summarize 40 years of research activity addressing the question, does computer technology use affect student achievement in formal face-to-face classrooms as compared to classrooms that do not use technology? A study-level meta-analytic validation was also conducted for purposes…

This study examines the association between marital quality and personal well-being using meta-analytic techniques. Effects from 93 studies were analyzed. The average weighted effect size r was 0.37 for cross-sectional and 0.25 for longitudinal effects. Results indicate that several variables moderate the association between marital quality and…

Higher education research has long relied on Classical Test Theory (CTT) principles, despite compelling arguments made by measurement theorists that suggest CTT techniques make a number of erroneous assumptions. Many measurement theorists argue Item Response Theory (IRT) techniques overcome many of CTTs deficiencies and lead to more valid and…

This study reports the results of a meta-analysis of 44 studies that examined the impacts of participation in challenge (ropes) course activities. Overall, a medium standardized mean difference effect size was found (d = 0.43). Effect sizes were calculated for various study characteristics, including demographics and outcome. Higher effects were…