Findings are examined from studies published from 1980 to the present concerning the effects of peer tutoring on mathematics performance. Findings indicate the effectiveness of peer tutoring in promoting significant cognitive gains for both the tutor and the tutee with populations of low achievers, mildly handicapped, or socially disadvantaged…

Six quantitative reviews of the research on student ratings of instructional effectiveness are examined. The disparate conclusions of the reviews are explained by comparing the syntheses at each of five steps in a meta-analysis: specifying inclusion criteria; locating studies; coding study features; calculating study outcomes; and data analysis.…

Presented is a quantitative synthesis of examiner familiarity effects on Caucasian and minority students' test performance. Fourteen controlled studies were coded in terms of methodological quality and race-ethnicity. Caucasian students performed similarly in both familiar and unfamiliar examiner conditions, while Black and Hispanic children…

Provides a comprehensive literature review of research--from 1980 to 1990--regarding reentry women. Discusses reentry trends; general characteristics; reasons for reentry; personality; role, values, and family; satisfaction in the student role; career choice; reentry women after graduation; research limitations; and research recommendations.…

Reviews recent empirical, case study, and conceptual literature that examines or discusses treatment techniques for adult female survivors in individual therapy. Divides various techniques into 11 categories. Concludes that more research is needed to determine which techniques hold the most promise. Discusses implications for researchers and…

Meta-analytic results reported show that in selected examples, mathematics-space correlations are higher in females than in males, with the difference becoming more pronounced with greater selectivity. Because these samples are of gifted or college-bound youth, explanations that emphasize career-directed attitudes are suggested. (SLD)

The use of hierarchical models in social science research is discussed, with emphasis on causal inference and consideration of the limitations of hierarchical models. The increased use of Gibbs sampling and other Markov-chain Monte Carlo methods in the application of hierarchical models is recommended. (SLD)

Used a national survey of households with children, a national survey of police records, and an analysis of FBI homicide data to estimate the incidence of nonfamily abductions of children. Offers a definition of abduction, analyzes problems in compiling abduction statistics, and discusses public policy on prevention and response. (RJM)

A meta-analysis was performed to synthesize existing research on the effects of computer-assisted instruction (CAI) on cognitive outcomes. Analysis of 31 studies indicated that CAI had moderately positive effects on student cognitive outcomes and that the outcomes of using CAI extend beyond the content of the specific software or subject area. (42…

This review of literature on infant habituation and recognition memory performance as predictors of later IQ concludes that the level of prediction is (1) substantial; (2) higher for at-risk than nonrisk children; and (3) not higher than the level of predictions based on parental education and socioeconomic status. (MDM)

Metanalysis of 27 studies dealing with psychology students and the Graduate Record Examinations' (GRE) validity in predicting graduate school success was conducted. Overall, results do not indicate that the verbal and advanced psychology portions are valid predictors of grades, although the quantitative section predicts grades in quantitative…

Meta-analysis of 34 comparative studies on conventional vs. individualized instruction (II) found most favored the latter but with small-moderate overall effect. Pacing had significant effect, with teacher-pacing more effective than student-paced learning. On average, II required less time than conventional teaching. Additional research on this…

Replies to E. A. Hanushek's questioning of the validity of meta-analysis as used by the authors in analyzing resource allocation and its effects on improving student academic performance. Statistical analysis procedures are examined. (GLR)

In program evaluation and policy analyses, utility supplants rigor as the first and most important criterion in judging literature reviews. Although R. T. Ogawa and B. Malen emphasize rigor, a utilization-focused evaluation emphasizes purpose and audience, both of which affect the conduct of a multivocal literature review. (SLD)

Reviews of multivocal literature are assessments of what can be learned from a given body of literature and assessments of the claims on which that knowledge is based. Methodological rigor is less likely to be a problem in such reviews than is lack of independent judgment. (SLD)