The use of systematic reviews in educational research is a growing phenomenon in the UK, but is highly controversial. This article argues that such reviews have a useful place in a research cycle that wishes to inform and be informed by practice and policy. It proposes and discusses a model of educational research, showing how reviews relate to…

Anyone who has ever taught developmental mathematics knows there is a problem in course placement. Some students test well and place clearly above their level, while other students place below their real capability because they either have been away from math for a number of years, or did not prepare for the assessment test. In either case, they…

Perry and Winne (2006) describe their computer program, "gStudy", and argue that it facilitates valid measurement of self-regulated learning (SRL) over time. This commentary addresses the assumptions underlying this argument and raises additional validity questions regarding the use of this tool. These include issues related to the development of…

This article presents comments on the original article "Patterns of Mean-Level Change in Personality Traits Across the Life Course: A Meta-Analysis of Longitudinal Studies," by B. W. Roberts, K. W. Walton, and W. Viechtbauer. Although Roberts et al depicted the present authors as proponents of the immutability of traits, in fact we have…

The comment starts with a review of the authors' four phase model of SRL as metacognitive, motivated, and strategic where it is suggested to complete the model with aspects of motivation, emotion, and attribution. Furthermore, integrating theories about "online motivation" within the model's internal regulatory part and framing it with elements of…

Harris and Koenig make a compelling case for the importance of adult "testimony" and its influence on children's developing conceptions of topics in science and religion. This commentary considers how their analysis relates to constructivist and sociocultural theories and discusses several ways in which Harris and Koenig's arguments help to debunk…

Gignac [Gignac, G. E. (2006). "Evaluating subtest "g" saturation levels via the single trait-correlated uniqueness (STCU) SEM approach: Evidence in favor of crystallized subtests as the best indicators of "g"." "Intelligence," 34, 29-46.] used a single-trait correlated uniqueness (STCU) CFA approach to…

One hundred seventy-two fifth grade students read a short, expository passage and answered postquestions. One week later, subjects' recall of the questioned information was superior to their recall of the unquestioned information. (Author/BW)

Reexamines the article by Atkinson, Furlong, and Wampold (1982) and questions their conclusion that reviewers were biased toward statistically significant results. A statistical power analysis shows the power of their bogus study was low. Low power in a study reporting nonsignificant findings is a valid reason for recommending not to publish.…

The lesson review is described as a tool that will allow language teachers to gain insights into the effectiveness of their lessons. It may help teachers build up complex cognitive schemata on the teaching/learning process. Sample lesson plans and reviews are provided. (Contains 21 references.) (LB)

Investigated the effectiveness of H. Wainer's (1993) strategy for obtaining positively biased ability estimates when examinees can review and change answers on computerized adaptive tests. Results, based on simulation and testing data from 87 college students, show that the Wainer strategy sometimes yields inflated ability estimates and sometimes…

Investigated the effects of immediate and delayed review occasion and study materials (text, text plus outlines, and text plus graphic organizers) in two experiments involving 198 undergraduates. Delayed review facilitated performance for students who viewed text plus graphic organizers but not for those who viewed only text or text plus outlines.…

Studied the effects of answer review on results of a computerized adaptive test, the laboratory professional examination of the American Society of Clinical Pathologists. Results from 29,293 candidates show that candidates who changed answers were more likely to improve their scores. (SLD)

Explains an educational framegame called Information Basketball for adult or teen players that can be used as a review or informal group testing of previously learned materials. Includes a question set example and discusses debriefing, including sample debriefing questions. (LRW)

Bennett Reimer has pointed out the crucial distinction between intrinsic and extrinsic meaning or, in his terminology, between inherent and delineated meaning. He has eloquently described how feeling in music can be both of the inherent type and of the delineated type and has argued that both types of meaning can coexist. There is no point in…