The purpose of this study was to empirically determine the effects of quantified violations of the underlying assumptions of parametric statistical tests commonly used in educational research, namely the correlation coefficient (r) and the t test. The effects of heterogeneity of variance, nonnormality, and nonlinear transformations of scales were…

A technique for detecting and studying item (or test) x group interactions independent of differences in level or dispersion of the groups is described. It involves construction of a scatter plot with two groups represented, one on each axis. Each point in the scatter plot represents the coordinates of a measure of a characteristic for one group…

The setting for this school-community study is Effingham, Illinois. Chosen as a prototype of rural America, Effingham is emerging as a rapidly-growing center of economic, political, and social activity. Through structured interviews and personal interactions, the evaluator has obtained information to describe the community in terms of its…

A telephone survey of the size, characteristics, and viewing preferences of the audience of WPSX-TV, the educational television station of The Pennsylvania State University. Audience data are based on 1,686 households from a systematic probability sample of 4,176 prime and alternate respondent households in The Central Pennsylvania area. Included…

Part of an international study of the nature and extent of childhood mortality in geographically, socioeconomically and culturally disparate populations, this report focuses on (1) an investigation into all deaths of children under 5 years of age, and (2) a probability sample of live children within the same northern California area during an…

The Delphi technique is a questionnaire method for organizing and shaping opinion through feedback. Although Delphi was originally intended as a tool for scientific and technological forecasting, its more promising educational application appears to be as (1) a method for studying the process of thinking about the future, (2) a pedagogical or…

This bibliography lists the reports of research studies conducted at the 23 colleges in the Virginia Community College System during the 1975-76 academic year. Over 110 studies are listed in the three sections of this document. The first section provides annotations for 47 of the studies, selected on the basis of anticipated interest, quality of…

This manual, developed by Mercer County Community College (MCCC), prescribes a step-by-step, systematic approach for conducting student follow-up surveys. As data are required from both students who graduate from the institution and from students who are classified as non-returning, follow-up procedures are listed for each separately. Types of…

A synthesis of Polish research and research methodology (1965-75) re: leisure time and rural youth reveals methodological differences and research results with implications for the future of rural youth. In the order of their popularity, the major Polish research methods are: inquiry; the memorialist approach; a combination of inquiry and free…

A three-week research project in a high-school behavioral science class is described. The design of the classroom sessions is described in detail to help other teachers use or adapt it to their own situation. Three benefits to the students of such a project are cited: (1) appreciation of methods behind research conclusions and heightened critical…

This "Frame of Reference Study" consists of the fifth section of the final report of the Multi-Disciplinary Graduate Program in Educational Research of the University of Pittsburgh. The term, "frames of reference," is used to mean the context of assumptions, procedures, rules, cognitive models, and conceptions of the nature of…

Limitations of language acquisition research are: the restricted linguistic scope of studies; lack of data in cognitive processes and learning strategies, the role of individual variables, second language acquisition, and the role of social and environmental variables; and undeveloped methodology for data collection and data analysis. (SCC)

A study of students, at the University of Missouri-St. Louis, enrolled in a secondary education methods course in either the two-day or one-evening sections, tested their ability to relate educational theory logically to practice. The results indicate that the ability appears similar for both day and evening students. (JMD)

A study of the reliability and validity of a course evaluation method using small student discussion groups revealed the method to be reliable and productive but found discrepancies between student and teacher objects of evaluation and some dissatisfaction among teachers. (MSE)

In-person interviews were conducted with 147 randomly selected students to study usage of microfiche serials holdings list to determine accessibility and retrievability of periodical issues housed in four separate locations in California Polytechnic State University Library. Results showed that 80.6 percent of students were successful in their…