This paper considers the use of heuristic methodology as a research vehicle for new science investigations in education. The paper describes heuristic methodology and its use as a means of new science-based research in schools. It also describes how heuristic methodology was used in a 2002 study to explain educational practices through the…

A Monte Carlo simulation approach was taken to investigate the effect of sample size on a variety of latent growth models. A fully balanced experimental design was implemented, with samples drawn from multivariate normal populations specified to represent 12 unique growth models. The models varied factorially by crossing number of time points,…

This paper provides a rationale for using and sustaining rival hypotheses Web-based tools to promote students' understanding of the concepts of internal and external validity. Five major concerns are identified. The first is that, in their present form, the Web sites subsume the discussion of threats to validity under experimental designs, giving…

This paper provides examples of how one can use the research issue and the relationships between qualitative and quantitative research as a frame for instructing students and judging the quality of research. The emphasis is on validity estimates, also called legitimization techniques, with attention to the idea of a qualitative-quantitative…

This paper presents perspectives on the use of data analysis software in the process of qualitative research. These perspectives were gained in the conduct of three qualitative research studies that differed in theoretical frames, areas of interests, and scope. Their common use of a particular data analysis software package allows the exploration…

Data transformations are commonly used tools in quantitative analysis of data. However, data transformations can be a mixed blessing to researchers, improving the quality of the analysis while at the same time making the interpretation of the results difficult. Few, if any, statistical texts discuss the tremendous influence a distribution's…

This paper discusses the advantages and limitations of administering a survey questionnaire via the Internet (i.e., using both Web-based and e-mail platforms). It also addresses particular issues faced by one researcher as a reflection on the use of this methodology. Highlighted are problems associated with the use of listservs, e-mail addresses,…

Four of the most commonly used multiple comparison procedures were compared for pairwise comparisons and relative to control of per-experiment and experimentwise Type I errors when conducted as protected or unprotected tests. The methods are: (1) Dunn-Bonferroni; (2) Dunn-Sidak; (3) Holm's sequentially rejective; and (4) Tukey's honestly…

New narrative research shares the epistemological presuppositions of the broad current of postfoundationalism. It says that there is no position outside of our language (or our form of life) that allows us to check whether statements we make about reality are true or false. This is, however, not the same as relativism or subjectivism. The…

Investigated the data demands associated with the marginal maximum likelihood (MML) expected a posterior (EAP) methodology and the precision of the resulting parameter estimates when data fit the underlying model through simulation. Also studied the extent to which a misspecified prior distribution would affect the item and person parameter…

Discusses why educational researchers need to rethink their roles, methods, texts, and contexts to bring about meaningful educational reform. In particular, researchers must rethink their audience and their relationships with that audience. (SLD)

The present study investigates the use of English lexical collocations and their relation to the online writing of Taiwanese college English majors and non-English majors. Data for the study were collected from 41 English majors and 21 non-English majors at a national university of science and technology in southern Taiwan. Each student was asked…

This paper, in a fashion easy to follow, illustrates the interesting relationship between structural equation modeling and canonical correlation analysis. Although computationally somewhat inconvenient, representing canonical correlation as a structural equation model may provide some information which is not available from conventional canonical…

Part and partial correlation coefficients are used to measure the strength of a relationship between a dependent variable and an independent variable while controlling for one or more other variables. The present paper discusses the uses and limitations of partial correlations and presents a small heuristic data set to illustrate the discussion.…

Data reduction techniques seek to combine variables that account for patterns of variation in observed dependent variables in such a way that a simpler model is available for analysis. Factor analysis is a data reduction technique that attempts to model or explain a set of variables in terms of their associations. To understand why this technique…