The point of view is presented that evaluation projects can be enriched by not using either an exclusively quantitative model or an exclusively qualitative model but by combining both models in one project. The concept of metaphor is used to clarify the usefulness of the combination. Iconic or holistic metaphors describe an object or event as…

Knowledge of the magnitude of effect(s) of an experimental study in science education should be of utmost concern to researchers in the field, but is often not reported. This document describes the concept of "explained variance" in analysis of variance designs and then explains how it can be calculated and reported. Reporting the magnitude of…

Empathic distress refers to the empathic response to another's pain, anxiety, or sadness. Empathic distress must be viewed as only one component of a person's response when observing someone in distress. Studies of empathy should be designed to rule out or control the non-empathic components insofar as possible. The importance of perception and…

The purposes of this paper are to provide an explanation of the way in which suppressor variables operate in multiple regression, and to provide illustrations of their effects with actual social science data. Examples are reviewed in which one predictor accounts for more of the variance in the dependent variable when another predictor is included,…

The effects of using different data analysis methods on estimates of treatment effects of educational programs were investigated. Various regression models, such as those recommended for Title I program evaluations, were studied. The first effect studied was the amount of bias that might be expected to occur in the various settings. Results…

Some of the problems that occur for researchers using the TICCIT computer assisted instructional system are described. The underlying learning strategy of the TICCIT system states that the student rather than the developer is best able to select the order of instructional frames. In order to successfully engage in research with the TICCIT system,…

Twenty-one criteria for assessing communication effectiveness in organizations provide the basis for discussion in this document. Grouped under the general heading of communication rules, the criteria are described according to five categories: structure, messages, media, communicator, and potpourri (factors that affect the decision making of…

The first quarter's activities and accomplishments of the Educational Policy Research Center in conducting an assessment and policy analysis of the Education Satellite Communication Demonstration are described and defined. Revisions of the study's original design are provided as background. Discussions of how to achieve the right conceptual mesh…

The use of characteristic coding (dummy coding) is made in showing solutions to four multivariate problems using canonical analysis. The canonical variates can be themselves analyzed by the use of multiple linear regression. When the canonical variates are used as criteria in a multiple linear regression, the R2 values are equal to 0, where 0 is…

This publication is a report of a conference on environmental education at the post secondary level in Rungsted, Denmark, as organized by the Center for Educational Research and Innovation. It includes a review of experience in the field and plans for future action. A number of speeches and committee reports are included. There are three major…

This paper describes the relationship among statistical research, ethnographic research, and practice, all of which combine to generate an explanatory model of school board incumbent defeat and superintendent turnover. The research process that incorporates these variables involves (1) careful ethnographic descriptions of important educational…

In a field such as instructional design, explanations of educational outcomes must necessarily consider multiple input variables. To adequately understand the contribution made by the independent variables, it is helpful to have a visual conception of how the input variables interrelate. Two variable models are adequately represented by a two…

Since 1970, 90 adopters in 67 universities have used EXPER SIM for teaching research design and strategy to college students through computer simulation. An analysis of EXPER SIM as an innovation revealed that implementation of the program was not necessarily retarded by its computer dependence. Administrative support seemed to be important in the…

Discriminant analysis is reviewed in terms of: (1) formulations, (2) interpretations, (3) uses, (4) issues and problems in applications, (5) recent developments and conceptualizations, and (6) general references and computer programs. Four aspects of a discriminant analysis are considered. They are: (1) separation: determining intergroup…

During the last few years the research enterprise dealing with the status projections of youth, and in particular, the numerous empirical studies focusing on occupational aspirations and expectations, has increasingly come under criticism within the sociological community. The paper acknowledges the criticism directed toward projection research as…