Reviews past and present conceptualizations and summarized narrative and meta-analytic reviews of social skills training (SST) outcome studies. Overall, modest effect sizes are reported in the meta-analytic literature, suggesting that SST is a relatively weak intervention strategy. Recommendations for rebuilding SST are provided. (Author/CR)

Discusses logic and interpretation problems inherent in doing quantitative syntheses of single-case research. Addresses the meta-analytic method of using percentage of nonoverlapping data, highlighting special concerns related to withdrawal designs, sensitivity to variability in behavior, social significance of behavior change, and variables that…

A meta-analysis of 267 studies conducted between 1950-1980 found that auditory and visual perceptual skills can successfully increase the accuracy of predicting reading achievement, but the magnitude of increases in predictive accuracy was contingent upon the combination of variables studied and was significantly reduced if an IQ score was known.…

Synthesis of 16 observation studies of reading instruction for students with learning disabilities and/or emotional/behavioral disorders concluded that: (1) substantial time was allocated to reading instruction, especially in special education settings; (2) the quality of reading instruction was low; and (3) independent seatwork and worksheets…

In this discussion of quantitative research synthesis, past criticisms of meta-analysis are reviewed along with the ways they have been addressed. Objections to single-subject synthesis methods are discussed, along with the advantages of using the percentage-of- nonoverlapping-data metric. The article concludes by questioning the veracity of…

Examines clients' counseling experiences using concept mapping, a methodological approach combing qualitative and quantitative strategies. Clarifies the scope and interrelations among elements of the retrospective experience of helpfulness among clients. Results found that the structure of the concept map was found to be consistent with an…

Identifies and estimates the influence of educational, psychological, and social factors on learning, using evidence from 61 research experts, 91 meta-analyses, and 179 handbook chapters and narrative reviews. Results suggest an emergent base for school learning, with proximal (psychological, instructional, and home environment) variables exerting…

Asserts that the reductionistic methodology used by M. Wang, G. Haertel, and H. Walberg in their study does not do justice to the educational phenomena they wish to illuminate. In addition, these authors have too simple a view of the relationship between educational research and educational practice. (SLD)

This paper reports on a meta-analysis of the research literature on effective teaching models for students with learning disabilities. It concludes: that the most effective models combined components of direct and strategy instruction; that eight major instructional factors captured most intervention programs; and that the explicit strategy…

Since the early 1980s, the vast majority of states have implemented enterprise zones. This paper analyzes urban zones in six states, examining the factors that states use to choose zone locations and the subsequent effect of the zones on business activity and employment. The source of outcome data is the U.S. Bureau of Census' longitudinal…

Using national survey data, the author finds little relationship between decision-making authority and the actual decisions that are made.

Most junior syndicate teachers have concerns about the speech clarity of some of the children in their class. It is difficult for teachers to know whether to refer such students for speech assessments by their speech-language therapist. This article outlines a project which gathered New Zealand normative data for a test of articulation. A summary…

This study examined the relationship between age or years of experience and employee burnout by performing a meta-analysis on research studies that present findings on relationships between employee burnout and age or years of experience. The problem has practical significance in that the appropriateness of approaches to addressing employee…

In this paper, we analyze an investigative situation proposed to a class of 5th graders in a primary school. The situation is based on the following task: In a sale with group rates on a sliding scale, the students must find the lowest possible purchase price for a given number of tickets. A study of students' arguments made it possible to…

The differences model, which argues that males and females are vastly different psychologically, dominates the popular media. Here, the author advances a very different view, the gender similarities hypothesis, which holds that males and females are similar on most, but not all, psychological variables. Results from a review of 46 meta-analyses…