The point of view is presented that evaluation projects can be enriched by not using either an exclusively quantitative model or an exclusively qualitative model but by combining both models in one project. The concept of metaphor is used to clarify the usefulness of the combination. Iconic or holistic metaphors describe an object or event as…

Knowledge of the magnitude of effect(s) of an experimental study in science education should be of utmost concern to researchers in the field, but is often not reported. This document describes the concept of "explained variance" in analysis of variance designs and then explains how it can be calculated and reported. Reporting the magnitude of…

To illustrate the types of factors that must be considered in evaluating public documents, this paper analyzes a number of possible outcomes resulting from one type of document, the patient package insert (PPI) designed to provide consumers of prescription drugs with information about the drugs. It first outlines the intended sequence for a PPI:…

Empathic distress refers to the empathic response to another's pain, anxiety, or sadness. Empathic distress must be viewed as only one component of a person's response when observing someone in distress. Studies of empathy should be designed to rule out or control the non-empathic components insofar as possible. The importance of perception and…

The purposes of this paper are to provide an explanation of the way in which suppressor variables operate in multiple regression, and to provide illustrations of their effects with actual social science data. Examples are reviewed in which one predictor accounts for more of the variance in the dependent variable when another predictor is included,…

The effects of using different data analysis methods on estimates of treatment effects of educational programs were investigated. Various regression models, such as those recommended for Title I program evaluations, were studied. The first effect studied was the amount of bias that might be expected to occur in the various settings. Results…

This document is part of a series of chapters described in SO 011 759. Working from the premise that temporal analysis is indispensable for the study of change, the document examines major alternatives in research design of this nature. Five sections focus on the features, advantages, and limitations of temporal analysis. Four designs which…

This technical document, part of a series of chapters described in SO 011 759, describes a basic model of panel analysis used in a study of the causes of institutional and structural change in nations. Panel analysis is defined as a record of state occupancy of a sample of units at two or more points in time; for example, voters disclose voting…

This document is part of a series of chapters described in SO 011 759. Addressing the question of effective models to measure change and the change process, the author suggests that linear structural equation systems may be viewed as steady state outcomes of continuous-change models and have rich sociological grounding. Two interpretations of the…

This document is part of a series of chapters described in SO 011 759. Stochastic models for the sociological analysis of change and the change process in quantitative variables are presented. The author lays groundwork for the statistical treatment of simple stochastic differential equations (SDEs) and discusses some of the continuities of…

THE TWO PRIMARY OBJECTIVES OF THE OLYMPIA SCHOOL DISTRICT'S ELEMENTARY GUIDANCE PROGRAM WERE TO IMPROVE TEACHER ATTITUDES AND THE CHILD'S SELF-CONCEPT THROUGH THE TEACHER-CHILD RELATIONSHIP. THE PHILOSOPHICAL BASIS OF THE PROGRAM VIEWED GUIDANCE AS A PART OF THE TOTAL DEVELOPMENTAL PROCESS, EMPHASIZING PREVENTIVE COUNSELING INSTEAD OF REMEDIAL…

With an emphasis on the problems of control of extraneous variables and threats to internal and external validity, the arrangement or design of experiments is discussed. The purpose of experimentation in an educational institution, and the principles governing true experimentation (randomization, replication, and control) are presented, as are…

Two field studies of high school students' sense of obligation to nonclass school activities are reported. "Sense of obligation" is conceived of as mediating some relations between the student and the school environment and is defined as a personal feeling of "I ought to..." or "I must...," i.e., a personal constraint, with reference to attending…

This chapter is published as the introduction to a six-chapter interim report on an experimental program at Southern Illinois University. 275 graduating high school seniors in the bottom one-third of their class were identified as high potential low achievers and admitted into the University to participate as experimental and control subjects in a…

Project objectives included (1) establishing a body of knowledge concerning the role of the Hawthorne effect in experimental designs in educational research, (2) assessing the influence of the Hawthorne effect on educational experiments conducted under varying conditions of control, (3) identifying the major components comprising the effect, and…