Reviews previous effective-schools research frameworks and examines underlying assumptions and methodological implications. Drawing on an Israeli study, argues that the modeling of school-effectiveness studies must be both multilevel and interactive. Achievement depends on the particular combination of a pupil's home background and general…

Researchers in the field of educational measurement need to monitor their own actions to keep their achievements in perspective. Some possible symptoms of obsession with their own significance are explored. Pride, destructive criticism, and misusing others to advance oneself are flaws researchers should strive to eradicate. (SLD)

Educational media offer no unique benefits. Once research considers lesson content, instructional strategies, and overall resource allocation, student outcome differences will disappear. The multimedia "panacea" is no equalizer, as accessibility problems abound. Schools should invest in cheaper, less fashionable instructional strategies (field…

Reviews the findings of the eight studies in this special section on children and ethnic/political violence, focusing on the contributions and limitations of research in this area and suggestions for future research. (MDM)

Methods are proposed and described for estimating the degree to which relations among variables vary at the individual level. As an example, M. Fishbein and I. Ajzen's theory of reasoned action is examined. This article illustrates the use of empirical Bayes methods based on a random-effects regression model to estimate individual influences…

Examines why fathers tend to be underrepresented in research on child and family functioning. Recommendations for encouraging more nonsexist family research that includes both mothers and fathers are explored, and the implications for the inclusion of fathers in prevention and clinical interventions are discussed. (GR)

Four researchers argue the merits of qualitative methodology and its particular relevance to those in special education who seek to move beyond a deficit perspective. Unconstrained by defined variables and decontextualized settings, qualitative methods allowed the researchers to extend the scope of their studies beyond originally stated research…

Comparative education can provide a background of contrasts and possibilities against which to examine one's own problems. For comparative education to be effective, background conditions must be understood; educational systems must be examined as wholes, in their contexts; and ideas should only be borrowed from systems sufficiently similar to…

Proposes an approach for critical engagement with autobiographical text. Argues that by becoming better aware of the teller's intentionality and his/her insights gained from telling a (re)constructed version of self, the listener and the teller can engage in personal and socially transformative dialogue. (Contains 16 references.) (Author/WRM)

Countless good ideas, research, and reforms (silver bullets) have yielded only modest improvement, suggesting problems of research (dogma, design, duration, and domain) and problems of distribution--expanded teacher responsibility. This article recommends revamping teacher education, remediating or firing incompetent teachers, and reducing class…

In response to Kavale and Forness (EC 630 380), this article, rooted in the author's experiences as a learning disabilities teacher, discusses assumptions of the original article concerning social critiques and Marxism; diagnosis and classification for research or for pedagogy; validity of constructs and instruments for mental retardation; and…

This study examines the research behavior and information-seeking habits of 23 interdisciplinary professors at the University of Western Ontario. Highlights include use of library and other information sources; rankings of information sources; and problems, including time management and inadequate library collections. (Author/LRW)

Explores methodological issues associated with gaining access to street children and reducing the influence of the researcher's 'outsider' identity, when undertaking sociospatial research. Illustrates how meaningful results can be gleaned without the inhibitory effects of limited access and outsider influence. (Author)

We discuss the "know-do gap," present a definition of knowledge translation, and discuss its relative importance in bridging the know-do gap. Some of the underlying causes of the know-do gap are listed, along with ongoing efforts to address them. Knowledge translation is considered a cross-cutting, nonlinear process that involves not only recent…

The recent releases of two major international comparative studies that addressed mathematics--the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study 2003 (TIMSS 2003) and the Program for International Student Assessment 2003 (PISA 2003)--provide opportunities and challenges for mathematics education researchers interested in using the…