Meta analysis techniques were used to synthesize research on teaching students how to control variables when designing an experiment. The review included 65 controlled studies. Findings are reported in terms of the influence on effect sizes of characteristics of the study, instruments used, treatments applied, and results' utilities. (SLD)

Describes study that investigated the effects of computerized test administration on undergraduates' responses to the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI), and discusses methodological considerations important in evaluating the sensitivity of personality inventories in different administration formats. Results analyze the effects of…

Explores what it means to do research intended to be relevant for public policy. Argues against perception of policy research as politically neutral technical exercise. Discusses political implications of methodology. Discusses research examples to illustrate point. Discusses implications for how research might be used in political process.…

Presented are the results of an analysis of the cognitive stages of tenth-grade pupils using a six-week unit on the respiratory system. The research design, instruments, and data analysis are discussed. A variety of cognitive levels was found and may be related to learning outcomes. (CW)

Investigates retention of material by students who receive traditional classroom instruction, are exposed to instruction that emphasizes concept formation, or comprise a control group which receives no instruction. Finds that the control group had an unusually high retention level. Concludes that a more adequate test of retention must be designed…

Examined is how research informs and influences the practice of science education. Discussed are past focuses on treatments, present focuses on students' ideas, and developing styles of research. (YP)

This discussion article addresses the nature of models used in hydrology. It proposes a minimalist classification of models into two categories: models built on data from observations of the processes involved, and those for which there are no observation data on any of these processes, at the scale of interest. (LZ)

Developmental psychologist Ainsworth discusses early influences on her work in attachment theory; similarities and differences in attachment behaviors across cultures; construction of assessments and research designs; individual differences in attachment and maternal support; and the influence of early relationships on later ones. (HTH)

Comments on the ideas espoused by Smedslund (PS 522 552) in this issue. Agrees to the idea of spending more intellectual energy in distinguishing between a priori and empirical hypotheses but emphasizes that concepts are not always accurate reflections of reality and that even empirical disconfirmation of an a priori hypothesis sometimes can…

An understanding of where a user is in a research project (the research script) combined with an understanding of the discourse-level features of empirical abstracts (as revealed by lexical clues) can improve information retrieval. An information retrieval system which takes situational and linguistic factors into account is proposed. (47…

Several issues related to the design and reporting of results from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) are discussed in the context of current expectations for the NAEP and its origins. These issues include: (1) content coverage and format; (2) estimation procedures; and (3) reporting problems. (SLD)

Collaborative relationships between researchers and resources from government, industry, and academia were studied through a survey of research into dental materials. The outcomes of research conducted under various arrangements by 386 targeted respondents were reviewed. Implications of the high rate of collaboration for both industry and academia…

Used structural equation modeling with latent variables to examine group differences and test competing models about cause-effect relationships in passive longitudinal designs. Within example based on three-wave longitudinal study of adolescents' alcohol use, assessed generalizability of measurement model and structural model across gender and…

Meta-analysis of 143 effect sizes in 43 studies of adventure programming for adolescents found an overall effect size of 0.31. Summary effect sizes of outcome categories differed significantly among categories, however. Effect size was related to program length and participant age but not to delinquent status. Discusses the lack of pertinent…

General issues raised by Gersten in his commentary on DeVries' article are discussed. These include the role of error, academic content, and direct instruction in constructivist education. His criticisms of sociomoral research by DeVries and others are emphatically refuted. (LB)