Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) higher education is in need of improved teaching methods to increase learning for all students. Faculty professional development programs are a widespread strategy for fostering this improvement. Studies of faculty development programs have focused on program design and the impact of…

A solid understanding of "inferential statistics" is of major importance for designing and interpreting empirical results in any scientific discipline. However, students are prone to many misconceptions regarding this topic. This article structurally summarizes and describes these misconceptions by presenting a systematic review of publications…

More applied research is needed on the education and treatment of hearing-impaired persons. Such research should be purpose-oriented, provide applicable knowledge to the profession, and be highly pragmatic. Quality applied research uses direct observation, measures socially important behaviors in natural settings, and focuses on generality of…

The Research in Dance Education (RDE) project grew out of a long-term national need to know what researchers in dance and allied fields have studied over 80 years, what they learned, and how existing research impacted teaching and learning. The project set out to answer the following questions: (1) What research exists in dance education?; (2)…

Critical exploration, as a research method, has two aspects: (1) developing a good project for children to work on; and (2) succeeding in inviting children to talk about their ideas: putting them at ease, being receptive to all answers; being neutral to the substance of the answer while being encouraging about the fact that they are thinking and…

Calls for a new research agenda, one that makes explicit the connection between academics and the objects of their research. Argues that the research agenda itself must be scrutinized in the hope of expanding and sharpening an understanding of what questions to raise. (DB)

Examination of seven refereed journals over a 10-year period (1977-1986) identified 28 papers using single-subject research methodology in studies involving preschool-aged children with handicaps or their families. Five types of single-subject designs were found to be used both alone and in various combinations. Of the 30 research designs…

Provides an overview of the theoretical basis and methods used for social studies classroom research. Suggests improvements in classroom climate constructs by integrating social studies literature and traditional classroom research approaches. Offers recommendations for improving future research. (SG)

When English instructors functioning simultaneously as researchers study the reading and writing processes of their own students, it is important that they fully describe the context within which the study takes place and the effect that the dual instructional/research environment has on the participants, who are, similarly, functioning as both…

A review of the literature on computer-assisted instruction (CAI) in health sciences education suggests that problems in research methodology make the research results less than helpful. Improved methodology, better knowledge of computer and software capabilities, attention to instructional settings, and attention to costs would improve CAI…

Three areas of research (second language acquisition (SLA), foreign languages (FL), and foreign language learning (FLL) are examined briefly and distinguished, and their relationship is discussed. The definition of FLL is then considered in greater detail. It is proposed that as an area of inquiry, FLL is characterized by specific features of its…

Extensive research efforts in the past decade have measured academic proficiency and progress in both theory and practice of large-scale writing assessment. The following major situational variables were identified in these investigations: (1) topic variables such as writing prompts, subject matter, mode of discourse, length, and rhetorical…

The current status of research on experiential learning (primarily at the postsecondary level) is discussed, based in part on responses from a seven-member panel. Methodological considerations and proposed research agendas are also covered. Current research on experiential learning, which focuses on program design and impacts on the learner, falls…

Maintains that many valuable research opportunities (for students, teachers, and the educational community) are lost due to lack of research by elementary and secondary teachers. Argues that these teachers are in a unique position to implement and assess research projects. Includes a list of suggested topics and some case studies. (MJP)

Three factors tend to remove classroom teachers from any direct benefits from formal research: (1) the difficulty of replicating the exact circumstances of the study in the classroom; (2) the scarcity of research which claims to show a "significant difference"; and (3) the complexity of reporting, in formal research journals and reports,…