Offers suggestions for future research in English education which need to be considered if English education is to be viewed, studied, and implemented as an entity of importance to the total curriculum. (HOD)

Educational research can indeed avoid being shaped by political or social ideologies; an objective reality is present in the fundamental processes of education and remains the valid object of educational research. (JW)

Calls for debaters and judges to understand methodological analysis used in debate rounds. Examines several argumentation and debate texts for approaches to the use of statistical evidence. Offers suggestions for handling methodological challenges and a method for weighing such arguments. (PD)

Problems that face evaluators, including field based evaluations, are discussed. The author states that open communication, access to data, and an ability to be accepted are paramount; knowledge of randomness, robustness and homoscedasticity may be secondary. (Author/PN)

Outlines problems faced by software publishers in providing instructionally valid computer assisted instruction. A research design undertaken by Edu-Ware Services, Inc., directed at measuring instructional validity and utility of software offered to institutions and consumers, is described noting tests, evaluation, data submission and reduction,…

Hintzman's 1980 attack on certain analyses in memory research is based on doubtful presumptions, namely, that contingency tables are inherently suspect as evidence for or against scientific conclusions and that pressing this logical argument is in some way an acceptable substitute for empirically examining the conclusions in question. (Author)

Separate selection and pretesting of students eliminate regression effects in the pre-post achievement gain measured in the RMC Model--A method of program evaluation. (CP)

Based on a review of television's influence on social reality beliefs, a model is proposed to examine how individuals use television to construct such beliefs. Evidence suggests that television has some influence on attitudes related to violence, sex, old age, and family values and structure. Twenty-two references are cited. (Author/MER)

Suggests that designing home-based interventions as longitudinal development research (rather than outcome evaluation) can provide valuable knowledge about ecological factors that affect the development of competence in parents and children and about effective ways to support families. (Author/MP)

Describes three major categories of polarities in research attitudes and practices: (1) attitudes about research and who should conduct it, (2) impressions of what research is, and (3) conceptions about research methods and findings. Calls for moderating the polarizations for a more balanced view and more productive business communication…

This introduction to a special issue, focused on research into educational intervention for children and adults with learning disabilities, describes activities of a special committee of the Learning Disabilities Association that included soliciting the views of scholars concerning terminology, ethical issues, research design, and barriers to…

Draws on studies of child carers and the impact of the Child Support Act 1991 to examine the methodological, ethical, theoretical, and practical implications of researching children's views. Identifies social, political, and legal trends which form a background to growing interest in children as potential and actual participants in the research…

Notes that the availability of statistical software packages has led to a sharp increase in use of complex research designs and complex statistical analyses in communication research. Reports a series of Monte Carlo simulations which demonstrate that this complexity may come at a heavier cost than many communication researchers realize. Warns…

Two papers respond to an article by P. Atkinson, S. Delamont, and M. Hammersley (1988) critiquing papers by E. Jacob (1987, 1988) on qualitative research traditions. The use of T. Kuhn's concept of "paradigm" and the criticism that the British were not included in the Jacob's study are addressed. (TJH)

This paper argues that inferential statistical analyses as part of group research designs do not provide the kinds of data that are useful in determining the efficacy of clinical intervention with individuals having communication disorders. Replication studies are seen as providing a more fruitful approach to ascertaining the efficacy of clinical…