Introduces an activity in which students design and experiment to determine the mass of a sample of copper without using a balance. Uses water displacement to find the mass of copper. (YDS)

Studied the collaborative strategies used in an experimental design task by 24 high- and low-prior knowledge of medical students in groups of 4. The high prior knowledge group used knowledge to help construct plans, evaluate actions, and stay focused. The low prior knowledge group was less systematic and worked at mapping the connections between…

The importance and relevance of longitudinal research in learning disabilities is addressed, including its value in verification of appropriate hypotheses concerning particular developmental patterns and debunking of misconceptions. Examples from various longitudinal studies are given. (DB)

A teacher and a researcher provide alternate interpretations of the teaching and learning that occurred in an adult English-as-a-Second-Language classroom. They conclude that mutual collaboration must include all phases of a research project. (SK)

Considers the doubts the author has had about the design of an award winning study, focusing especially on a researcher's obligation to help the teachers with whom the researcher is working, even at the risk of jeopardizing a study's design. Traces the way that her engagement with that question has led to her current professional commitments. (SC)

Discusses contemporary theories of adolescence, stressing developmental systems models that integrate individual and contextual levels of analysis. Maintains that adolescence should be studied with multivariate-longitudinal designs, change-sensitive measures, and data analytic strategies capitalizing on triangulation across quantitative and…

Discusses procedures for investigating animal motion and makes suggestions for conducting a field or laboratory experiment using video. Recommends using nature videos to perform motion analysis. (YDS)

Describes recent developments in United Kingdom politics that have affected development of evidence-based policy for children. Examines the notion of "what works," leading to a suggestion that evaluators be concerned with "what is worth doing" for children. Considers robustness as a guiding principle for evaluation design and…

This article explores methodological issues arising from a research project that involved six people with learning difficulties in researching aspects of their own lives. These included how participants were included in data analysis and the researcher's role. It stresses the importance of the researcher listening to participants, taking time to…

Introduces a section in which contributors are invited to comment on the future of scholarship published in "Anthropology & Education." The future work of educational anthropology calls for the application of past and current research in the schools. (SLD)

Introduces the pea plant experiment targeted to determine the effects of Knop's solution, a solution containing all the necessary minerals, on plant growth. Compares two groups of pea plants, one treated with Knop's solution and one treated with demineralized water. (YDS)

Many black women in the United States experience unique stressors that often impede their ability to interact and cope effectively in their psychosocial environment. The study in this article examined factors affecting the ability of black women to cope with everyday stressors and to master situations that induce psychological distress. Using an…

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to compare a variety of resident and staff outcomes across two types of staffing patterns, permanent and rotating assignment, and work shift. Although studies have examined these staffing patterns as part of multicomponent intervention packages, few studies have examined the isolated effects of staffing…

To appreciate the true impact of scientifically based research on education, it may be useful first to understand the meaning of the various terms that the law employs as part of its definition of SBR (Scientifcally Based Research). The This article presents an explication from a Software & Information Industry Association publication titled…

Gerald Bracey thought that after devoting the March and April columns to various kinds of "trouble" with research, he was done with it. But he had yet to encounter a December 2003 publication from the U.S. Department of Education (ED) titled Identifying and Implementing Educational Practices Supported by Rigorous Evidence: A User Friendly Guide.…