The educational effects of frequent classroom testing have been studied and discussed since the early part of this century. Many possible reasons for its presumed benefits have been offered, such as increased practice, review, improved course organization, and frequent opportunities for feedback. However, reviewers of evaluations of frequent…

This meta-analysis investigates the effects on achievement of type of graphing paper employed in displaying student performance data collected over time. Ongoing curriculum-based measurement systems employing Data-Based Program Development (DBPD) provide a data source of 16 controlled studies with 17 effect sizes. A total of 3,494 subjects…

The results of five studies of the relationship between debate training and critical thinking were examined to determine if in fact debate training improves critical thinking skills. All five studies compared the gains on the Watson-Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal Test (WG) for subjects who had received debate training with control groups who…

Both the career model and the decision model have been proposed to explain patterns of contraceptive use in teenagers. The career model views contraceptive use as a symbol of a woman's sexuality and implies a clear decision to be sexually active. The decision model is based on the subjective expected utility (SEU) theory which holds that people…

To estimate the effects of adaptive education on cognitive, affective, and behavioral outcomes of learning, 309 effect sizes were calculated using statistical data from 38 studies that contained a combined sample of approximately 7,200 students. The substantial mean of the study-weighted effect sizes is .45, suggesting that the average student in…

Examines the findings of 53 studies of sex differences in propositional logic, combinatorial reasoning, and proportional reasoning tasks. Finds sex differences for the latter two tasks to be vulnerable to Rosenthal's "file drawer" problem and effect size to be small for all tasks. Discusses possible explanations for sex differences in…

Describes methods designed to add new studies to published meta-analysis results, focusing on a procedure using Bayesian analysis and showing how new findings complement previous meta-analysis and extend its conclusions. Also considers how studies are to be weighted, which variables are to be examined, and how often meta-analyses are to be…

Results from a meta-analysis of 26 controlled studies on the effects of accelerated instruction on elementary and secondary school students are presented. The examination performance of accelerates surpassed the performance of equivalent age and intelligence nonaccelerates and equalled the performance of same-grade but older, talented…

This overview reviews a program of interlinked cross-sectional and longitudinal investigations of the nature of cognitive development in infants and young children with Down's Syndrome. The research falls into three groupings: object concept studies, operant learning experiments, and IQ studies. Early results suggest a common learning style which…

This review analyzes data-based studies dealing with self-management procedures (self-monitoring, self-evaluation, self-reinforcement, and self-instruction) used by individuals with mental retardation in public school settings. Although support is found for the positive effects of self-management, questions regarding efficient implementation of…

Statistical methodologists have sometimes criticized the use of conventional statistics in meta-analysis, and in recent years a number of them have advocated the use of a special new statistical methodology for research synthesis. An examination of recent books describing this methodology shows that it is seriously limited in its applicability to…

Separate meta-analyses have been completed recently on the effectiveness of computer-based education (CBE) in elementary schools, high schools, colleges, and nontraditional postsecondary institutions. Several conclusions can be drawn from these meta-analyses. First, although CBA has not been uniformly successful in all its guises and at all…

A meta-analysis was conducted of 29 comparative studies located primarily through computer searches of Comprehensive Dissertation Abstracts and ERIC. Studies chosen took place in actual elementary classrooms, reported measured outcomes for both computer-based education and control classes, and were free from methodological flaws. A total of 21…

The status of recent research on staff development and inservice education for teachers, administrators, and other school personnel was reviewed in studies completed between 1977 and 1984. More than 400 articles from 23 professional journals and 507 doctoral dissertations were analyzed. For each study, the research design and procedures, purposes…

This digest provides an overview of several meta-analysis studies which focused on various aspects of science instruction. These studies examined: productive factors in science learning for grades 6 through 12; quality and quantity of instruction; effects of various teaching strategies on science achievement; instructional systems in science…