This article reports a synthesis of intervention studies conducted between 1994 and 2004 with older students (Grades 6-12) with reading difficulties. Interventions addressing decoding, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension were included if they measured the effects on reading comprehension. Twenty-nine studies were located and synthesized.…

The dominant literature on research synthesis methods has positivist and neo-positivist origins. In recent years, the landscape of research synthesis methods has changed rapidly to become inclusive. This article highlights methodologically inclusive advancements in research synthesis methods. Attention is drawn to insights from interpretive,…

This paper locates the concept of learning among real-life human experiences and events. Functioning as a sign, a meaningful event can be understood in terms of a cultural extra-linguistic "text." Reading and interpreting diverse cultural "texts" are equivalent to constructing and learning critical symbolic lessons embedded in a continuous process…

A critical synthesis of research literature on the process of organizational change at the institutional level is needed because higher education is being asked to respond to an ever-changing environment. This book focuses on providing key insights into the change process by presenting a common language for organizational change, describing the…

The practical significance, usefulness, and generalizability of research have for years hinged on a finding of statistical significance. Voices of reform have called for the use of effect sizes, confidence intervals, and meta-analytic synthesis of research as a way to judge the practical significance and generalizability of a discovery. This paper…

The authors outline three broad strategies for combining different types of information in a review: quantifying descriptive reports, presenting quantitative outcomes narratively, and allying statistical and descriptive evidence while maintaining the integrity of each. They discuss six ways in which qualitative information is essential to the…

In comparing several research and evaluation studies, the author contends that variation in outcomes may provide clues to valuable information. Five examples are used to illustrate how conflicting findings can be useful. (RLV)

The vote-counting method of research integration disregards sample size and important descriptive information. Meta-analysis allows for integration of vast amounts of information, standardizes measuring scales, and overcomes contradictory findings. Two objections to meta-analysis are inclusion of studies of poor quality and the issue of…

Offers suggestions for retrieval of bibliographic data by those interested in revealing interdisciplinarity and by those interested in creating interdisciplinarity, or interdisciplinary syntheses. Demonstrates Dialog's RANK command as a means of revealing interdisciplinarity in any field, and describes examples of synthesizing work from one…

Used findings from the evaluations of California's Greater Avenues for Independence program and the National Evaluation of Welfare-to-Work Strategies to illustrate why it is important to question the legitimacy of such syntheses. Results show how tempting generalizations are not justified. (SLD)

Provides a synthesis of the critical commentary of each of the contributors to this volume. The field is a long way from a descriptive theory of evaluation, but small, well-defined steps that might be taken are outlined. (SLD)

As 3D digital game-based learning (3D-DGBL) for the teaching of literature and history gradually gains acceptance, important questions will need to be asked regarding its method of design, development, and deployment. This article offers a synthesis of contemporary pedagogical, instructional design, new media, and literary-historical theories to…

Educational inequalities are evident even before children start school. Some educational achievement gaps widen out as individuals progress further through the education sequence and into the labour market, especially those connected to disadvantaged students. Thus, there is a significant need for careful evaluation of educational policies that…

Leading experts on the nature and treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) were invited to comment on the assessment, case conceptualization, and treatment of a case of PTSD arising from a road traffic collision. Common themes and salient differences among the commentators are discussed. The treatment that the patient actually received is…

No Child Left Behind (NCLB), with its emphasis on standards-based accountability, has put educators under considerable pressure to improve student academic outcomes. Much of the funding for after-school programs comes from education budgets and is administered by state and local education agencies. Consequently, after-school programs are often…