This study investigated the causal attributions juvenile delinquents make for other's behavior and the salient pieces of information they use to arrive at these attributions. Participants were 82 male juvenile offenders selected through an a priori power analysis, drawn randomly from the population of juveniles incarcerated at a correctional…

Investigated the effectiveness of cooperative learning (CL) in a graduate-level research methodology course. Eighty-one students participated in the CL condition; 112 were in the individual learning condition. CL students had lower performance on the midterm examination, but no statistically significant difference was seen in performance on the…

Counselors conducting survey research have many item format options to contemplate. This study examined midpoint selection and the effect on reliability of including or excluding midpoint options, and using both positively and negatively worded items. Findings indicate that reliability can be affected by both midpoint options and reverse coding.…

The purpose of this paper is to discuss the development of research questions in mixed methods studies. First, we discuss the ways that the goal of the study, the research objective(s), and the research purpose shape the formation of research questions. Second, we compare and contrast quantitative research questions and qualitative research…

A study was conducted to determine the effectiveness of using advance organizers in instruction at the graduate level. Participants were 218 graduate students in research methodology courses. Fifty-four students were enrolled in sections in which advance and post organizers were used; 164 were enrolled in sections in which this type of instruction…

Peer orientation has been found to explain as much as 27.4% of the variance in achievement in graduate-level research methodology courses, with students who prefer to learn in cooperative groups tending to attain lower levels of performance in individual learning settings than do their counterparts. The purpose of the present study was to…

This paper identifies major errors and myths perpetuated by educational research textbooks. The most pervasive errors and myths advanced by methodology textbooks at the following eight phases of the educational research process are described: (a) formulating a research problem/objective; (b) reviewing the literature; (c) developing the research…

Since the latter part of the 19th century, a fervent debate has ensued about quantitative and qualitative research paradigms. From these disputes, purists have emerged on both sides. Quantitative purists express assumptions that are consistent with a positivist philosophy, whereas qualitative purists (i.e., post-positivists, post-structuralists,…

This study assessed the relationship between students' ability to interpret and to apply research methodology and their critical thinking skills. Participants were 103 graduate students from various disciplines, enrolled in 6 sections of an introductory level educational research course at a southeastern university. These students were…

This study investigated whether cooperative learning groups with the highest mean levels of knowledge of the research process, as measured via midterm and final examination scores, produced the best cooperative learning projects, as measured by the quality of research article critiques and proposals. It also explored whether heterogeneity was…

Compared the academic achievement of 29 African-American and 145 European-American teachers in research-methodology courses. Discusses the implications of the lower achievement of the African-American students in these courses for the supply of African-American school administrators. (SLD)

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between students' competency in science process skills and their conceptual knowledge of research concepts, methodologies, and applications. Participants were 124 graduate students enrolled in several sections of a required introductory-level course in research methodology. Science…

Studied empirical factors related to achievement in educational research courses using a sample of 121 graduate students. Students with the lowest achievement tended to have or exhibit at least one of these characteristics: younger age, lower overall achievement, higher levels of research anxiety, higher statistics anxiety, poorer study habits,…

Because of criticisms leveled at statistical hypothesis testing, some researchers have argued that measures of effect size should replace the significance-testing practice. We contend that although effect-size measures have logical appeal, they are also associated with a number of limitations that may result in problematic interpretations of them…

Investigates the relationship between learning preferences and the following antecedents of library anxiety: (1) barriers with staff, (2) affective barriers, (3) comfort with the library, (4) knowledge of the library, and (5) mechanical barriers. Participants were graduate students (n=203) in a research methodology course. Analysis revealed that…