An "undesigned" experiment is one in which the predictor variables are correlated, either due to a failure to complete a design or because the investigator was unable to select or control relevant experimental conditions. The traditional method of analyzing this class of experiment--multiple regression analysis based on a least squares…

The "Presidents' Study" is a collection, classification, and analysis of weekly student contact hours (WSCH) and full-time equivalent (FTE) faculty data gathered from a number of participating California community colleges. The data are treated by various formulae, ratios, and graphs to indicate loads, trends, and costs. Unfortunately,…

The significance of this essay for English educators and research specialists lies in its analysis of the demands of and criteria for valid research, frequently ignored by researchers in English today. Using as a case in point Roger K. Applebee's article, "National Study of High School English Programs: A Record of English Teaching Today"…

This document is intended to benefit the many individual school districts who, inspired by the Gallup polls, are now conducting their own surveys. The publication reviews the extensive volume of literature on polling and survey research methods and outlines the main steps to be taken in conducting a survey. Some of the areas covered are the…

Three common methodological problems in the analysis of observational data include: (1) failure to base degrees of freedom for the analysis on the appropriate sampling unit; (2) the validity of the design and data are inconsistent with the generalizations reached; (3) the statistic used to calculate coder reliability is often inappropriate and…

A study is described which used student compositions in grades 1-12 to examine expressed values over a 10-year period in the James A. Garfield School District in Garrettsville, Ohio. In four sample years, 1,500 students were assigned open-ended essay topics without knowing the writing was part of a research study. Results were analyzed to…

Discusses methodology and results of a study which uses the distinction between deep-level and surface-level approach, to examine the way first-year psychology students tackle studying of a text, and extent to which these study strategies are related to student views on learning conceptions and the quality of learning outcome. (MBR)

This occasional paper updates and extends earlier papers in the Monitoring the Future project. It provides a detailed description of the project's design, including sampling design; data collection procedures; measurement content; and questionnaire format. It attempts to include sufficient information for others who wish to evaluate the results,…

Data from nine Michigan elementary, middle, and high schools highlight the challenges and common strategies found in the use of student assessment data to meet public demands for accountability. The information gathered from assessment tools varies by frequency and type. Educators have, historically, underutilized data to guide practice because…

The National Household Education Survey (NHES) is a telephone interview survey that has been conducted in the spring of 1991, 1993, 1995, 1996, and 1999. The 1999 NHES was a compilation of survey items from previous years that included three interviews, resulting in three data files. The first is the Parent Interview, in which data were collected…

This report presents results of a series of studies documenting current practices in the evaluation of gifted programs and investigating the factors which make evaluation more useful to decision-makers. The investigation involved establishing several databases containing three kinds of information: (1) abstracts of articles relating to evaluation…

A broad range of strategies in sampling, measurement, design, execution, implementation, and analysis are examined. Specific strategies are suggested that tend to be successful in the real world of psychiatric clinical research. (Author)

Examines in 13 articles, three areas of change in family research methodology. Considers major determinants of change in the subject matter of family studies. Addresses the central measurement problem of family studies, i.e., relationships. Presents illustrative examples of the advancement of research technologies in family studies. (RC)

Illustrates how Radial Basis Function (RBF) network techniques can be used to explore questions concerning authorship of historic documents. Demonstrates the utility and potential for using quantitative techniques to assist in the decision-making process in relatively subjective disciplines. Compares RBF neural network techniques with more…

Results of a study of 30 Indonesian fifth-grade teachers support the value of intensive, research-based teacher training programs in changing teacher behavior and increasing teacher effectiveness. The effect of such programs appears limited to those behaviors and outcomes which reflect the primary focus or emphasis of the program. (IAH)