Looks at educational research from a macro perspective, advocating semiotics as the foundation for qualitative research in education. Presents myths and disputations and an open-ended conclusion via the kaleidoscopic interpretations of Jack London, Phil Dick, Jack Kerouac, the Grateful Dead, and an assortment of street characters. (Author/VWL)

This paper discusses the reliance of numerical analysis on the concept of the standard deviation, and its close relative the variance. It suggests that the original reasons why the standard deviation concept has permeated traditional statistics are no longer clearly valid, if they ever were. The absolute mean deviation, it is argued here, has many…

The advisability of drafting guidelines for evaluating statistical software is considered. The Committee on Applied and Theoretical Statistics of the National Research Council has decided to initiate a project to articulate issues relating to guidelines and to determine their priorities. Because there has been a proliferation in statistical…

When comparing research strategies in physical education, it serves no purpose to characterize the quantitative approach as contrived, unnatural, rigid, ahistorical, and simplistic while describing the qualitative approach as natural, responsive, context-relevant, flexible, and complex. What is needed is dialogue regarding similarities and…

Meta-analysis is a rigorous and formal methodology for drawing conclusions about a body of research surrounding a particular conceptual focus. Its appropriate use depends on making the underlying assumptions of the technologies explicit. (JOW)

In the educational research literature, alpha and p are often conflated. Paradoxically, alpha retains a prominent place in textbook discussions, but it is often supplanted by p in the results sections of journal articles. Because alpha and p have unique uses, researchers should continue to employ both conventions in summarizing the outcomes of…

Argues that in research on the effects of modeling, models must be analyzed as a random factor in order to avoid a positive bias in the results. The concept of a random factor is discussed, worked examples are provided, and a practical solution to the problem is proposed. (JMB)

Looks at how the Bureau of Labor Statistics determines the numbers and projections for the Occupational Outlook Handbook. (JOW)

Over many decades, the efforts of researchers to understand key issues in the reading performance of those children most at risk for developing later reading problems has been relentless. This article presents the author's commentary to three studies: (1) Vanderwood, Linklater, and Healy (2008); (2) Edl, Jones, and Estell (2008); and (3) Baker et…

Western medicine has a long history of accounting for behaviour by reducing the body to ultimate explanatory entities. In pre-modern medicine these were invisible "animal spirits" circulating the body. In modern medicine, they are "genes". Both raise questions. The psychological phenotype is defined by human consensus, varying according to time…

This chapter serves as a guide for quantitative researchers who seek to approach their research questions critically.

The purpose of this article is to exemplify and enhance the place of modelling as a qualitative process in educational research. Modelling is widely used in quantitative research as a tool for analysis, theory building and prediction. Statistical data lend themselves to graphical representation of values, interrelationships and operational…

Statisticians can help to improve human rights reporting. The statistician's approach to measurement, summary, and interpretation is needed to understand and help reduce human rights violations. Statistical problems in the measurement and analysis of human rights violations include: lack of agreement on the definition; great difficulties in…

In rebuttal to a critique of the authors' examination of prevalence rate variability for special education categories, it is claimed that a consideration of the nature of prevalence rate data, the correct use of inferential statistics, and the coefficient of variation itself, suggest the objections are not justified. (Author/DB)

Examines and rejects common criticisms of the causality concept; shows causality is a relation implied in the grammar of a language about objects. Discusses objective criteria for concepts of causal relations and explains how the concept of causality may be modified to have causes determine probabilities of outcomes. (Author/RH)