Showing papers in "Educational Researcher in 1980"

Allocated Academic Learning Time Revisited, or Beyond Time on Task:

Abstract: Clearly, student learning depends on how the available time is used, not just the amount of time available. Researchers at the Far West Laboratory initiated the idea of' Allocated Academic Learning Time in the Beginning Teacher Evaluation Study (BTES) (Fisher, Filby, Marliave, Cahen, Dishaw, Moore, & Berliner, 1978). Powell and Dishaw (in press), reporting data from the BTES, indicate that the Allocated Academic Learning Time for second graders ranged from 62-123 minutes per day, and for fifth graders from 49-105 minutes per day. The correlation of allocated learning time with achievement varied from one test

Learning Lessons, Social Organization in the Classroom

Abstract: greater reliance on federal tax dollars, the ideas of Milton Friedman of the National Tax Limitation Committee, and Arthur Latter "whose Laffer Curve Theory revolves around increasing the tax base by tax cuts" (p. 82). Comments are offered on problems of federal versus state versus local control of education and alternative tax sources. The point is made that beneficial consequences may occur as a result of Proposition 13-type measures. School districts could perhaps operate more efficiently, and the rationale of tax pressure could be used as an excuse to take long-needed action such as closing unnecessary schools. (This rationale was used in San Francisco to close schools in 1978-79.) The seventh chapter reprints statements by President Carter, Joseph Califano, Jerry Brown, California's Superintendent of Public Instruction and Director of Education Wilson Riles, Grace Baisinger of the P.T.A., Albert Shanker of the American Federation of Teachers, John Ryor of NEA, Thomas Shannon of the National School Boards

Blitzkrieg Ethnography: On the Transformation of a Method into a Movement

Abstract: In retrospect, it seems rather inevitable. What had been a quiet and perhaps peripheral aspect of educational research has moved rapidly to center stage. Ethnographic research on American education has heretofore been the activity of a small band of researchers, overwhelmingly trained in the disciplines of sociology and anthropology. But at present, it is finding widespread application among researchers from diverse disciplinary backgrounds. And with this newfound popularity has come the mutation of both its epistemological underpinnings and its methodological applications.

The Role of Affect in Rational (Attributional) Approaches to Human Motivation

Abstract: For a number of years I have been attempting to develop a general theory of human motivation in which cognitions, particularly causal attributions, play a central role (Weiner, 1972, 1974, 1979, 1980). A great deal of space would be required to document all of the virtues and all of the shortcomings of this conceptual approach. Considering only the weaknesses (which I try not to do too often), in my mind what is most lacking is a systematic statement about the place of emotions given such a rational approach to human behavior. Bruner (1956) once accused George Kelly's personal construct theory of not being able to explain "religious men in their most religious moments" (Pg. 356). Such a goal is far beyond my aspirations, but I believe it is necessary to consider emotional life more closely and to ask how affect can be better incorporated within attribution theory and how causal beliefs and feelings are interrelated. It is already possible to begin to outline some of the roles of affect within an attributional perspective. In this paper I will document: (1) that emotions are responses to particular attributions; (2) that emotions, rather than causal ascriptions, are motivators of action; and (3) that affects can function as cues guiding self-perception. I also will argue that taking affect into account yields a different interpretation of successful achievement-change programs. In addition, an underlying theme throughout the entire paper concerns a continuing attempt on my part to clarify the differences between the two main perceived causes of success and failure, namely, ability and effort.

Research Techniques in AERJ Articles: 1969 to 1978

Abstract: niques. Glass (Note 1), in an address to professors of educational research, discussed Kaplan's (1964) distinction between scientific methods and techniques. Methods are cross-disciplinary principles such as replication, generalization, and causation, whereas techniques are discipline-specific procedures for the conduct of research. Glass classified techniques by their genesis among major disciplinesagronomy, cultural anthropology, biology, economics, psychology, and sociology. He discussed the three major techniques in use in educational research at that time: Fisherian experimental design, common factor analysis, and Neyman-Pearson decision theory, and he advocated greater interdisciplinary training in scientific methods and techniques. His recommendation was based on a number of premises that bear reiteration, his paper not being published.

Factor Theories of Intelligence are All Right Almost

Abstract: spects, but they have had in common their reliance on the factor as the unit in terms of which intelligence and individual differences in intelligence can be understood (Brody & Brody, 1976; Butcher, 1970; Sternberg, 1977). Although psychological interpretations of the meaning of factors differ from one investigator to another (Coan, 1964; Sternberg, 1977), the basic idea is usually that factors represent latent abilities of some kind that give rise to measured individual differences in performance on intelligence tests and in the real world. For example, observed individual differences in tests such as vocabulary, reading comprehension, and spelling might be understood primarily in terms of individual differences in an underlying "verbal" factor.

Reading Instruction: A Quantitative Analysis:

Abstract: Concerned with the need for documenting the effects of instructional method on reading achievement, Huey, after the turn of the century (1908), wrote "we have thus far been content with trial and error, too often allowing the publishers to be our jury, and a real rationalization of the process of inducting the children into the practice of reading has not been made. . . . We have come to the place where we need to pass in review all the methods that have been tried in all the centuries of reading and to learn any little that we can from each" (p. 9). Some 70 years later, in discussing investigations of different instructional methods, Farr and Roser (1979) concluded, "Regardless of the quantity of research, however, there are no definitive answers to the question of the best program because the results of various studies support different programs, and nothing conclusive can be shown about which programs are superior" (p. 426). That nothing conclusive has resulted from the research on instructional methods is reflected in other texts written for teachers of reading; for example, Durkin (1974), Fry (1977), Mangrum and Forgan (1979), and others concluded that few important differences between methods

What Do the Researcher and the Practitioner Have to Offer Each Other

Abstract: Many members of the educational research community can recall the golden age when social scientists were riding high—they had p res t ige , l a rge research grants , plenty of jobs, and they were sought out by those who walked the corr idors of power. There is no need to dwell on the sordid de ta i l s of wha t went wrong; in brief, social ills l ike poverty, crime, inequality of opportunity, failure to learn and so for th—which the a rch i t ec t s of \"the Great Society\" had hoped to alleviate with the help of social scientists—did not go away. It also became evident that different social scientists gave different (and often incompatible) advice. Often political decision makers, and even the courts, had to deal with issues tha t the experts could not resolve (Cohen & Weiss, 1977). Witness the recent court case in California where the judge had to wade through piles of conflicting evidence conce rn ing in te l l igence i e s t s and then rule on mat ters pertaining

Randomness and Replication in Ten Years of the American Educational Research Journal

Abstract: 1 he use of inferential statistics in educational research is often advocated on the grounds that the results can assist the researcher with decisions about external validity (i.e., the generalizability of findings) and internal validity (i.e., the effectiveness of treatment [Campbell & S tan ley , 19631). Borg and Gall (1979, pp. 421-2), for example, discuss the role of statistical inference in deciding whether sample findings are ap­ plicable to a popula t ion , and Winch and C a m p b e l l (1969) maintained that the test of signif­ icance provides \"a relevant and useful way of assessing the rela­ tive likelihood that a real differ­ ence exists and is worthy of inter­ pretive attention\" (p. 140).

Recalibrating Educational Research: Toward a Focus on Practice

Abstract: and a 4-page, double-spaced paper are required. Both should be typewritten. Examples of abstracts may be found in journals published by the American Psychological Association. Abstracts and papers should be titled and should not contain the name(s) of the author(s) and affiliation(s). Proposals must be submitted with an official Application Form. C o l l o q u i u m Proposal R e q u i r e m e n t s . A 150-word abstract and an 8-page, double-spaced preview describing alland an 8-page, double-spaced preview describing all contributions and their interrelationships are required. All material should be typewritten. Examples of abstracts may be found in journals published by the American Psychological Association. Abstracts and previews should be titled and should not contain the names of the contributors and their affiliations. Proposals must be submitted with an official Application Form. N u m b e r of Cop ies . Five copies of the abstract and the paper or the colloquium preview are necessary. Photocopies or mimeographed copies are acceptable. C r i t e r i a for Proposals . Reports of research will be judged in terms of the significance of the topic, the quality of the theoretical/conceptual rationale, the adequacy of the methods for collecting evidence, the analysis of the evidence and the interpretations and/or conclusions. Reviews of research will be judged in terms of the significance of the topic, balance in coverage of literature, and quality of the critical analysis. Incomplete proposals will be returned. W h e r e to O b t a i n App l ica t ion F o r m . Research Department, International Reading Association, 800 Barksdale Road, PO Box 8139, Newark, Delaware 19711,

Life-span Developmental Psychology and Education

Abstract: The 1970's have seen a major growth of interest and work in the field of Life-span Developmental Psychology. To psychologists, the field known as Developmental Psychology, in 1970 and earlier, generally meant the study of child and adolescent development up to the age of 18 or 20. Now, the study of human development through the life cycle is bound to require major attention to the adult decades of life and Developmental Psychology must pay attention to those years. This paper will describe that work being done on the adult segment of the life

Are Hispanic Women in Higher Education the Nonexistent Minority

Abstract: .Hispanics are fast becoming the nation's largest minority: They number twelve million, of which approximately six million are fe­ male (U.S. Department of Com­ merce, 1979). Yet Hispanic fe­ males, in a 1978 study, numbered only 367 as tenured and 486 as nontenured professors at the nation's colleges and uni­ versities (Golladay & Noell, 1978). The decreasing number of Hispanics at every educational level foretells this ultimate situa­ tion: Hispanics make up only 3.5 percent of undergraduate and 2.2 percent of graduate enrollment

Self-referent Research

Abstract: I will discuss a number of items that fall under the heading of selfreferent research, broadly conceived. This will include not only some comments on the state of our research on educational research, but also some comments on research dealing with vehicles of educational research, for example, the printed word, the machinery for its processing and production, and the journals which select and package it. Studies of research practice of the proportion of women presenters at AERA compared to the proportion of women members, or studies of the relative popularity of different research methods, for example, studies of the spread of ANOVA methodology in published educational research articles, constitute one kind of research on research that might be called descriptive metaresearch. This should be distinguished from R & D work on or evaluations of the machinery of research dissemination (e.g., ERIC or microforms, or videodiscs or communicating word processors). In addition to descriptive, R & D, and evaluative research on research, there is policy research on, for example, the policies of research journals. Educational research covers a broad area. Although I cannot guarantee the absence of a text or anthology of research on the many aspects of educational research, I am confident that there is no substantial number of such volumes, or large body of journal articles. However, there certainly have been some excellent individual studies and an occasional series. This paper does not report on such research, but I will discuss its importance and how it might be done or improved. Why is it important? A case can be made that a categorical imperative, an obligation of professionalism, should require us to treat this as a priority duty. We are all aware of the protracted failure of the great universities to inspire, support or reward research on their own teaching procedures, their own raison d'etre, a failure which is only being rectified because of external pressure. We should also bear in mind the

Experimentation in Counseling and Psychotherapy Part I: New Myths About Old Realities

Abstract: I n his 1976 presidential address to the American Educational Research Association, Gene Glass suggested that we have found ourselves in \"the mildly embarrassing position of knowing less than we have proven.\" He coined the term \"meta-analysis\" to refer to a particular method of extracting information from a large accumulation of individual studies. In this talk and in subsequent publications, Glass and his colleague Mary Lee Smith (Glass, 1978; Smith & Glass, 1977) applied meta-analysis to a large population of counseling and psychotherapy outcome studies. They concluded that aggregated psychotherapies do indeed work and that the various individual psychotherapies are equally effective.

The Status of Women's Research in Educational Publications

Abstract: Sex differences in the content and authorship of articles published in major educational, women's, and minority journals from 1973–1977 were examined. In that five-year period, research related to women in education accounted for approximately 10% of the research published in four major educational research journals, 24% of the research published in two women's journals, and 6% of the research published in two minority journals. No increase in the relative number of articles related to women and education published from 1973 through 1977 was found. Articles authored by women accounted for 9%, 59%, and 17% of the research published in educational, women's, and minority journals, respectively. No increase in the relative numbers of articles authored or coauthored by women from 1973 through 1977 was found. The relationship between publications and the status of women in educational research is discussed.

Remarks on Sternberg's “Factor Theories of Intelligence are All Right Almost”:

Abstract: articulated notion of "component" than was available from Sternberg's earlier writings. His research over the past several years has enabled him to refine, and at the same time extend, this concept. But in addition, Sternberg has recognized more fully the possible contributions of factor analysis to the study of intelligence and mental abilities. My discussion concerns not only Sternberg's article published here, but also the book he published earlier on a componential theory of intelligence (Sternberg, 1977), because in order to be quite concrete in showing how componential analysis and factor analysis can be used conjointly, I use certain data and results reported in that book. Also, I feel it may be useful to make certain comments on points of view expressed there about factor analysis. At the same time, I want to test my own understanding of componential analysis, for which I have high hopes if it can be more generally accepted, applied, and integrated with factoranalytic methodology.

Social Science Impact on Legislative Decision Making: Process & Substance

Abstract: Today, with an annual federal investment in social research, development and evaluation (RD&E) of between $375 million and $2 billion, these moods of confidence and despair continue to dominate discussions of social science and public policy. Observers with more confidence than despair insistently urge better utilization of social science findings within the policy-making process. Such observers want to know

Development of Ethnic Researchers and the Education of White Researchers

Abstract: Higher Education, Higher Education Research Institute, UCLA, 1980. (a) McNamara, P. American. Indians. Unpublished manuscript, UCLA, 1980. (b) Olivas, M.A. The dilemma of access: Minorities in two year colleges. Washington, D.C.: Howard University Press, 1979. Paisley, W.J. (principle author). The status of education research and development in the United States. Washington. D.C.: U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, National Institute of Education, 1976.

Editorial: A Conservative Case for Educational Research

Abstract: A Conservative Case for Educational Research ELLIS BATTEN PAGE Immediate Past President, AERA Duke University For us in educational research and evaluation, the recent election was a kind of watershed. We were already used to boom-or-bust changes, roller-coaster funding, and paralyzing uncertainties from one Congress to the next. But now we have witnessed a landslide for a new President, who is an avowed and steadfast conservative. He has promised a stronger defense budget, together with overall reduced federal government. He has promised to try to eliminate the new Department of Education. Such intentions surely spell smaller social programs in general, and educational ones in particular. Nor is he just another Republican President saddled with an adversary Congress. The election also swept out many of the most powerful liberals on the Hill, and some important funding of social programs. The Republican party will now dominate the Senate and form the center of an increasingly conservative core in the House.

Research Notes: Preschool Experience and Reading Readiness Skills: Predicting the Most Efficient Reading Instruction

Abstract: which explained 53% of the variance in the past year's budget allocations, indicating considerable rationality in the system, yet opportunities for significant improvements. For actual budget allocations for Fiscal Year 1979, the technique which we refer to as normative regression was used. This approach merges technical and political considerations with regression coefficients being determined by some type of political group or body. In this particular case, the policy committee mentioned earlier considered each variable and voted democratically with respect to its appropriate weight and sign. The regression was then rerun using these normative regression coefficients in lieu of the empirical. The normative regression results were then used to determine each province's appropriate share of the new budget allocations. As a result of such an analysis, the poorer and more remote provinces received significantly greater educational resources than had previously been the case. We feel that normative regression analysis is an attractive policy tool in that it makes possible a merging of technical and democratic, participatory processes. It also illustrates how research can translate directly into action.