The one constant for all dissertations, and for all research for that matter, is the need to state the problem of the study based on the scholarly literature. Doctoral programs commonly require that students take a sequence of research courses that usually focus on how to carry-out a study. That is, the design, the methodology, and the…

This handbook is a much expanded version of the original Learning Activities Survey published by Dr. Kathleen P. King of Fordham University in 1998. Based on her ground breaking research in this field where she used a mixed methodology research approach to study transformative learning, the book will provide a model of research, firsthand…

The problem of bias in qualitative research particularly is still debated in methodology texts and there is a lack of agreement on how much researcher influence is acceptable, whether or not it needs to be "controlled", and how it might be accounted for. Denzin (1994) refers to this as the "interpretive crisis" (p. 501). I…

This monograph looks first at opportunities provided by research in the adult literacy field and then identifies challenges to scientific research and suggests ways to address these challenges so that better evidence can be generated in the future. It has two goals that support the building of a stronger research base for the adult literacy…

This is a critical review of methodological issues in the evaluation of adult literacy education programs in the United States. It addresses the key research questions: What are the appropriate methods for evaluating these programs under given circumstances. It identifies 15 evaluation studies that are representative of a range of adult literacy…

In this report, it is argued that the most salient factor in the contemporary communicative landscape is the sheer abundance and diversity of possibilities for literacy, and that the extent and nature of students' communicative resources is a central issue in education. The text outlines the conceptual underpinnings of the Literacies for Learning…

The author attempts to synthesize some issues concerning adult education research. Topics include (1) the purpose of research, (2) epistemological assumptions being made by the researcher, (3) the politics and ethics of the research, (4) research design issues, and (5) consistency with the researcher's philosophy of adult education. (CH)

Discusses three criteria by which to measure the importance of adult education research questions. These criteria are practical application, contribution to understanding, and universality. The author argues that the criteria must not be identified with a particular kind of research or "importance" comparisons between quantitative and…

Author qualifies the traditional definition of research and the approach to research. (RK)

Traditional research literature distinguishes between two general types of threats to the generalizability of experimental findings: Internal validity and external validity. Relatively minor importance has been attached to external validity in educational literature. Bracht and Glass elaborate on external validity and deal with two types:…

The investigator analyzed all research papers and classified them according to predetermined criteria. Findings indicate that 355 papers of nine different types of research were presented by 347 different individuals including faculty from 83 postsecondary institutions in the U.S. Over half, 55 percent, of the papers were based on descriptive…

The methodological soundness of adult education research was examined through a power analysis of the statistical tests used in volumes 21-32 of Adult Education. Results indicate that the power of statistical tests appearing in the adult education research literature is low when researchers are interested in finding small and medium effects.…

Author presents his theories on educational research and seeks to stimulate other research theorists to build better theories about the patterning of research to meet the needs of a field of social practice. (Author/GB)

The range of methodological choices appropriate to adult education research is surveyed in this study. The most central consideration is the conflict between emphases on quantitative techniques and various approaches to researchable areas which are not grounded in positivistic/empirical designs. Skills, talents, defects, and ideologies reflected…

The authors define action or "on the job" research as a type of applied research undertaken by practitioners in order to solve practical problems and improve operations in the educational or institutional setting. Advantages and disadvantages of using action research are presented and procedures for conducting it outlined. Two tables list…