This article reports on a content analysis of research articles focusing on library services in distance education published between 1999 and 2009. The study identified 472 articles on the topic and analyzed the citations, abstracts, and indexing to determine major topics, issues, and trends discussed; methodologies used; and major journals…

Current literature on teaching research methodology in the social sciences highlights the changing nature of our world in terms of its complexity and diversity, and points to how this affects the way in which we search for answers to related problems (Brew 2003, 3; Tashakkori and Teddlie 2003, 74). New ways of approaching research problems that…

A solid understanding of "inferential statistics" is of major importance for designing and interpreting empirical results in any scientific discipline. However, students are prone to many misconceptions regarding this topic. This article structurally summarizes and describes these misconceptions by presenting a systematic review of publications…

This chapter examines the core analytic elements of randomized experiments for social research. Its goal is to provide a compact discussion for faculty members, graduate students, and applied researchers of the design and analysis of randomized experiments for measuring the impacts of social or educational interventions. Design issues considered…

More applied research is needed on the education and treatment of hearing-impaired persons. Such research should be purpose-oriented, provide applicable knowledge to the profession, and be highly pragmatic. Quality applied research uses direct observation, measures socially important behaviors in natural settings, and focuses on generality of…

Lack of communication between cooperating teachers and preservice teachers is one of the most commonly reported problems during field experiences. To provide more opportunity for feedback during preservice teachers' clinical experiences, a large elementary education program in a midwestern university implemented the use of peer feedback practices…

Short-term studies often do not capture the full story of the effect that a researcher is trying to describe. If one wishes to elucidate long-term educational processes and outcomes, the only direct way of doing so is to stretch the duration of research projects and to study the same subjects over time. The limited availability of valid…

Argues that stories or oral narratives can provide a rich interpretive potential for historians. Describes research into the stories of early settlers in the American west. Concludes that the way stories are told provides insight into the character of the historical period. (CFR)

The results of four recent studies that contain different estimates of the number of language minority and/or limited English proficient children in the United States are compared. Such estimates of the number of children in need of bilingual or special educational language services are important since they are used to determine services and their…

Models of ethnographic research in education treat context in an arbitrary way, and the theory of language used is inadequate. However, a discourse analysis framework can be useful in improving qualitative research in education by relating accounts of specific sites and events to their social contexts. (27 references) (MSE)

Points out that variability in focus, method, and conceptual level of case studies causes difficulties in validating such studies. Notes method variations raise questions about validity. Claims the validity of case studies lies in their usefulness as projective models. States teachers can generate their own theories where practical educational…

Provides an overview of the theoretical basis and methods used for social studies classroom research. Suggests improvements in classroom climate constructs by integrating social studies literature and traditional classroom research approaches. Offers recommendations for improving future research. (SG)

A review of the literature on computer-assisted instruction (CAI) in health sciences education suggests that problems in research methodology make the research results less than helpful. Improved methodology, better knowledge of computer and software capabilities, attention to instructional settings, and attention to costs would improve CAI…

Urges developmental educators to undertake classroom research. Offers guidance on the formulation of research questions. Compares four research methodologies: correlational, experimental, descriptive, and ethnographic research. Reviews potential problems. (DMM)

In this monograph, an overview of research on learning environments in science classrooms is provided. Various forms of classroom research are compared, including student perceptions, direct observation, case studies, and combinations of ethnographic and student perception methodologies. Included are: (1) "Background," including…