This article explores the utilization of qualitative methodologies in program evaluation, the rationale for using these approaches, and the potential qualitative applications within evaluation. It also describes the "scientific" and "artistic" qualitative methodologies, suggests practical qualitative application, and calls for…

Social workers are looking for workable yet exact methods to evaluate practice. A continuum of workable practice evaluation methods is drawn, and rudimentary ideographic designs are described and proposed for inclusion in social work education to stimulate research interest, perspective, and skill. (MSE)

Prompted by recent reanalysis of data from "Teaching Styles and Pupil Progress" (Bennett, 1976), the authors consider whether there is an overall trend in British evidence favoring formal or informal teaching styles and whether this dichotomy is important to future studies of teacher effectiveness. (Author/SJL)

Eight chronic adult stutterers underwent an electromyographic (EMG) biological feedback training program to reduce masseter muscle tension in an effort to improve fluency. All subjects mastered the program within 10 30-minute sessions. Measures of muscle tension and fluency indicated improvements that were maintained three to six months later.…

Describes a project designed to introduce andragogical methods into elementary physiology courses, and to compare student perceptions and learning outcomes with those of a separate section of the same course taught by pedagogical principles. Results indicated that students preferred the combined pedagogical and andragogical approach over the…

Methodological procedures used in validating the theoretical structure of academic self-concept and validating associated measurement instruments are reviewed. Substantive findings from research related to modes of inquiry are summarized, and recommendations for future research are outlined. (TJH)

A study of the use of verbal active parental consent, obtained via telephone, for drug abuse prevention research among 2,948 adolescents is reported. Using this approach as a follow up to mailings requesting written consent, researchers were able to contact a parent for 96 percent of the students. (TJH)

The fundamental mathematical model of L. L. Thurstone's common factor analysis is reviewed, and basic covariance matrices of maximum likelihood factor analysis and alpha factor analysis are presented. The methods are compared in terms of computational and scaling contrasts. Weighting and the appropriate number of common factors are considered.…

Contends that large databases contain hidden knowledge, or literature that is logically linked but not bibliographically linked, that contains academically interesting commonalities not retrievable by normal searching methods. Based on search methods for discovering previously unknown causes of medical syndromes, a method for discovering new…

In 3 experiments, the authors manipulated response instructions for 2 concurrently performed tasks. Specifically, the authors' instructions described left and right keypresses on a manual task either as left versus right or as blue versus green keypresses and required either "left" versus "right" or "blue" versus "green" concurrent verbalizations.…

Because of its distinct advantage in radiation-free soft tissue imaging, ultrasonography has been widely used to study lingual, pharyngeal, hyoid, laryngeal, and even esophageal action during swallowing in individuals of all ages. Qualitative ultrasonographic observations have made considerable contributions to our understanding of deglutition.…

Ninety teachers of students with learning disabilities were asked their opinions on one of three research-based interventions for learning disabilities: Cooperative Learning, Story Retelling and School-Home Notes (Rathvon, 1999). The purpose of the study was to measure teacher acceptance ratings of these interventions and whether teacher…

Educational experience in the community provides students with moderate and severe intellectual disabilities the opportunity to learn and rehearse skills they need to participate fully in community environments. The degree to which students with intellectual disabilities participate in their communities is often dependent on their ability to…