Realist evaluation (RE) is a research design increasingly used in program evaluation, that aims to explore and understand the influence of context and underlying mechanisms on intervention or program outcomes. Several methodological challenges, however, are associated with this approach. This article summarizes RE key principles and examines some…

This innovative guide is now in a revised and expanded second edition with an even stronger applied focus. It helps educators harness the potential of single-case design (SCD) as a critical element of data-based decision making in a multi-tiered system of support (MTSS). The authors present simple and complex SCDs and demonstrate their use to…

To conduct a multilevel meta-analysis of multiple single-case experimental design (SCED) studies, the individual participant data (IPD) can be analyzed in one or two stages. In the one-stage approach, a multilevel model is estimated based on the raw data. In the two-stage approach, an effect size is calculated for each participant and these effect…

This article analyses intergenerational research encounters when collaborating with children. It contemplates the possibilities of applying participatory research methods in situations where the research agenda and main research methods have been decided before contacting the research subjects, as these must be explained in the ethical statement…

This scoping review analyzes empirical research studies focused on Early Intervention (EI) services, covered under Part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act in the United States, for children birth-to-3 years old with significant support needs (SSNs). The purposes were to gauge the landscape of literature in this area, understand…

D. Jean Clandinin and Michael Connelly (2000) introduced a narrative inquiry framework that posits temporality, sociality, and place as commonplaces to capture individual experiences. The objective of this Case Study is to investigate the potential of this framework to be expanded beyond its function as an inquiry tool by incorporating it into a…

Increasingly used in a variety of disciplines, evidence synthesis methods such as systematic reviews and meta-analysis can help researchers and practitioners identify trends and effective interventions and uncover theoretical gaps to address specific topics and issues (e.g., the effect of the gamification approach on learning outcomes). Based on a…

How does a researcher investigate phenomena that continually emerge through, with and as various practices? This paper explores this question, drawing on transformative reflections on the unfolding process of an empirical research project investigating professional practice in Dutch early childhood education. The project initially applied an open,…

Research seeking to understand and improve social conditions for marginalized youth would benefit from merging complex mixed methods research designs emphasizing multilevel data and participatory social justice principles. We contribute to mixed methods research by introducing a novel framework that accomplishes this task and by illustrating its…

Preregistration and registered reports are two promising open science practices for increasing transparency in the scientific process. In particular, they create transparency around one of the most consequential distinctions in research design: the data analytics decisions made before data collection and post-hoc decisions made afterwards.…

This open access book discusses challenges in school improvement research and different methodological approaches that have the potential to foster school improvement research. Research on school improvement and accountability analysis places high demands on a study's design and method. The potential of combining the depth of case studies with the…

As the international large-scale assessments (ILSAs) become more popular, policy makers and education practitioners are interested in collecting as much student background information as possible to better understand the learning context of their students. To collect such abundant information, administrators need to develop a lot of questions.…

Growth in autism research necessitates corresponding attention to autism research ethics, including ethical and meaningful inclusion of diverse participants. This paper presents the results of a review of research ethics literature, strengthened by consultation with a task force involving autism professionals, family members, and self-advocates on…

The What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) identifies existing research on educational interventions, assesses the quality of the research, and summarizes and disseminates the evidence from studies that meet WWC standards. The WWC aims to provide enough information so educators can use the research to make informed decisions in their settings. This…

Introduction: Planned missing designs are relatively new to the field of psychological and developmental research. These designs allow researchers to randomly assign participants to missing data conditions; participants are either randomly selected to receive or not receive particular measures or items during data collection (Little &…