Used data from 195 children and 207 adolescents to assess and compare quality of data from those age groups. Interviewer rating of child's behavior, quantity of missing data, and percentage of agreements between parents and children on objective family characteristics all suggest that quality of data was high for children and significantly higher…

Presents three studies investigating discrepancies in published American research on participation and its outcomes. The first study, a longitudinal review of research published between 1950 and 1985, showed societal trends affected research questions, methodology, and magnitude of reported effects. The other two studies corroborated these…

The dangers of equating "statistical significance" with "real world" significance are summarized. When a finding is said to have "statistical significance," it means only that the same results would be likely to occur again if the study were repeated, not that the finding has any true personal or societal importance. (VW)

Examines narrative choices in experimental (interpretative) and traditional (analytical) ethnographies. Discusses probability in quantitative and qualitative research, ethnographic narratives as ways of knowing and telling about the world, perspective as a consequence of both narrative voice and stance, and the economics of producing…

A comparison of two Finnish data sets on use of time and on drinking habits raises the question of the validity of data in studies of use of time. The nature of drinking as an activity is discussed and data on time-related aspects of drinking in various contexts are presented. (Author/MT)

Ratcliff (1985) simulated data from three letter-matching experiments with his diffusion model. The necessity of including a comparison criterion is consistent with the conclusion of Proctor, Rao, and Hurst (1984) that bias of response criteria, alone, is insufficient to generate the fast-same phenomenon. (Author/LMO)

The author replies to Jensen and Vernon's article and maintains that there is little reason for accepting Jensen's claims, particularly with respect to the major theoretical question. (Author/LMO)

A survey conducted by the National Center for Education Information has found that teachers earn 7 dollars more per day than other workers with 4-year college degrees. Representatives of the National Education Association and the American Federation of Teachers take issue with a number of the survey's conclusions. (IW)

Sets an agenda for improving instructional research conducted with classical quantitative experimental or quasi-experimental methodology. Includes guidelines regarding the role of a social perspective, adequate conceptual and operational definition, quality instrumentation, control of threats to internal and external validity, and the use of…

The educational system has not been particularly successful in teaching thinking skills. In order to do so, it is necessary to identify what thinking skills are and understand their development. Current research and design of future research are discussed, as is the problem of transfer. (MT)

Argues that teaching is both art and science, but that it is possible to evaluate effectiveness empirically. Discusses common research problems, including the large number of variables that can affect successful teaching; the validity of measurement instruments; and the relevance of research to actual classroom practices. (KH)

Explores the degree to which individuals remain consistent within a framework of changing behavioral characteristics. Includes discussions of problems of measurement; correlational studies; and studies of changing levels under normal conditions, after major environmental shifts, and across generations. (RH)

This article explores the potential of Bayesian inference as a theoretical framework for describing how people evaluate hypotheses. First, it identifies a set of logically possible forms of non-Bayesian behavior. Second, it reviews existing research in a variety of areas to see whether these possibilities are ever realized. (Author/BW)

Tested Neurolinguistic Programming (NLP) assumptions by examining intercorrelations among response times of students (N=64) for extracting visual, auditory, and kinesthetic information from alphabetic images. Large positive intercorrelations were obtained, the only outcome not compatible with NLP. Good visualizers were significantly better in…

The paper discusses problems resulting from the substitution of meta-analysis for qualitative reviewing of special education research, employing H. Cooper's framework for assessing integrative research review and using illustrations from research on class placement and mainstreaming. (Author/CL)