Educational Researcher recent issues

Learning From Our Differences: A Dialogue Across Perspectives on Quality in Education Research

Tue, 13 Oct 2009 13:29:03 PDT

The dialogue re-presented in this article is intended to foster mutual engagement—and opportunity for learning—across different perspectives on research within the education research community. Participants in the dialogue each addressed the following questions: (1) What are the touchstones by which you judge quality or rigor in education research (for a single study, a set of studies, or a "field" or community of researchers in dialogue)? What is your chief concern or fear that the touchstones guard against? (2) Where do you see challenges to your perspective in the perspectives of other members of the panel? How might your perspective evolve to respond to those challenges? Given all of this, what are the implications for the preparation of education researchers? Opening and closing comments set the dialogue in historical context, highlight issues raised, and suggest next steps for collaborative learning from the diversity of perspectives in our field.

Sharpening Our Focus in Measuring Classroom Instruction

Douglas, K. — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 13:29:03 PDT

This commentary highlights convergent themes from four articles in the March 2009 issue of Educational Researcher on measuring classroom instruction. Classroom instruction is a complex enterprise that occurs at the intersection of teachers, students, and texts within the surrounding classroom, school, and community environments. Progress in studying the complexity of classroom instruction on a large scale relies on our ability to pose research questions at the appropriate levels of analysis and to attempt to answer the questions using rigorous methods. These articles contribute to this task by sharing theoretical and practical viewpoints based on systematic programs of mixed methods research. The value of this body of research is reinforced through evidence of its impact on teaching practices and student learning.

The Cultural Practice of Reading and the Standardized Assessment of Reading Instruction: When Incommensurate Worlds Collide

Smagorinsky, P. — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 13:29:03 PDT

This article critiques the articles by Connor et al., Croninger and Valli, Pianta and Hamre, and Rowan and Correnti, which appeared in the March 2009 issue of Educational Researcher, by taking a cultural-historical perspective on reading and reading instruction. In this paradigm a number of those authors’ assumptions are seen as questionable, including the beliefs about reading that it is a self-evident construct, that it is a discrete act, and that it is an acultural act. The author of this critique presents evidence that challenges each of these assumptions and argues that by accepting them, the authors of the critiqued articles institute an order that values the system above relational aspects of schooling and teachers’ informed decision making.

EduPolitical Research: Reading Between the Lines

Willis, A. I. — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 13:29:03 PDT

This article presents a counternarrative informed by personal, critical, and qualitative perspectives, written in response to articles on effective classroom literacy instruction for improved academic performance published in March 2009 in Educational Researcher. Classroom literacy instruction is a complex undertaking that must include an understanding of local communities, schools, and classroom contexts, especially in culturally and linguistically diverse and low-income schools. Edupolitical research refers to the intersection of education research and federal intervention that informs education policy. A way out of the quicksand of unresolved debates over epistemology, pedagogy, and methodological and analytical approaches to effective classroom literacy instruction, teacher–student interactions, and student performance is a collaborative effort to create dense theories of instruction informed by a broad body of knowledge.

Back to the Future: Contrasting Scientific Styles in Understanding Reading

Tue, 13 Oct 2009 13:29:03 PDT

In this rejoinder to Willis, Smagorinsky, and Douglas (this issue of Educational Researcher), the authors discuss how many of the points raised by Willis and Smagorinsky regarding their original article, which appeared in the March 2009 issue of Educational Researcher, are concerned less with the methods themselves than with different styles of science. The authors of this rejoinder examine their differing styles of science, using Stanovich’s 2003 framework, and call for consilience and the understanding that multiple perspectives and methods are needed to solve the important and perplexing problems that students and teachers will face in the 21st century.

Mixing It Up About Methods

Croninger, R. G., Valli, L. — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 13:29:03 PDT

The authors respond to the commentaries (this issue of Educational Researcher) on a series of articles (in the March 2009 issue of Educational Researcher) that discuss the challenges associated with measuring reading instruction. The authors argue that the teaching of reading is a complex, multifaceted phenomenon best studied through a variety of overlapping and complementary methods, quantitative and qualitative. They describe how they put this belief into practice in their longitudinal study of reading and mathematics instruction, and they use other articles derived from that study to demonstrate how a mixed methods research design can enhance our understanding of instructional practices and aspects of the social and cultural contexts that influence those practices. They argue against a return to the paradigm wars that plagued education research during the 1980s.

A Lot of Students and Their Teachers Need Support: Using a Common Framework to Observe Teacher Practices Might Help

Pianta, R. C., Hamre, B. K. — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 13:29:03 PDT

The authors take the opportunity to respond to the commentaries (this issue of Educational Researcher) that were written regarding their article (in the March 2009 issue of Educational Researcher) summarizing the conceptual and empirical basis for using standardized approaches to observing teachers’ practices in classrooms and the potential that such approaches have for addressing some concerns about youngsters’ early literacy development. In this response, their intent is to clarify what appear to be points of misunderstanding and to add some details that could be helpful in interpreting their earlier article. They do not use citations for their assertions; the points made in this response requiring such documentation are made in the original article and are cited there, Interested readers can pursue those references.

Measuring Reading Instruction With Teacher Logs

Rowan, B., Correnti, R. — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 13:29:03 PDT

The authors argue that the criticisms of their earlier article on teacher logs (Educational Researcher, March 2009) by Smagorinsky and Willis (this issue of Educational Researcher) do not address, much less undermine, the evidence they presented as part of their validation argument about the teacher logs. Moreover, they argue that their method for studying classrooms is not nearly as incommensurate with Smagorinsky’s and Willis’s methods as those authors’ arguments seem to imply. The authors of this rejoinder see the main differences between themselves and their critics as being around the notion of "consequential" validity, an issue they discuss at the end of this article.

From the Desk of the President: Expanding Our Research Horizons

Tue, 13 Oct 2009 13:29:03 PDT

AERA Undergraduate Student Education Research Training Workshop: 2010 AERA Annual Meeting, Denver, Call for Applications, Deadline: December 15, 2009

Tue, 13 Oct 2009 13:29:03 PDT

Connecting Education Research to Policy: Summer Institute Convened by AERA and Foundation for Child Development

Tue, 13 Oct 2009 13:29:03 PDT

2010 Reports From AERA and Division Nominating Committees

Tue, 13 Oct 2009 13:29:03 PDT

Calls for Postdoctoral and Minority Dissertation Fellowships

Tue, 13 Oct 2009 13:29:03 PDT

Aera Grants Program: Training Opportunities

Tue, 13 Oct 2009 13:29:03 PDT

Council Minutes, June 26-27, 2009

Tue, 13 Oct 2009 13:29:03 PDT

Classifieds

Tue, 13 Oct 2009 13:29:03 PDT

Repositioning Politics in Education's Circle of Knowledge

McDonnell, L. M. — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 13:33:57 PDT

The model implicit in most research on the politics of education assumes that political factors such as interest group support and opposition shape policy. However, because this perspective yields incomplete information about the educational enterprise, researchers should not just ask what kinds of policies politics creates but also reverse the causal arrow to examine what kinds of politics result from different policies. In addressing this question, the concept of policy feedback focuses analytical attention on the institutional structures and rules policies establish, the elite and public interpretations of those policies, the interests that are mobilized, and how these factors interact to shape future policies.

Positivist Dogmas, Rhetoric, and the Education Science Question

Howe, K. R. — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 13:33:57 PDT

Explicit versions of positivism were cast off some time ago in philosophy, but a tacit form continues to thrive in education research, exemplified by the "new scientific orthodoxy" codified in the National Research Council’s Scientific Research in Education (2002) and reinforced in the American Educational Research Association’s Standards for Reporting on Empirical Social Science Research in AERA Publications (2006). The author rehearses previous critiques of positivist "dogmas" in education research and applies them to the new orthodoxy. Then, borrowing from the emergent field of the "rhetoric of science," he explores how pursuit of the education science question has nourished a positivist conception of education research. He concludes by suggesting that the education science question should be reframed and briefly suggests how.

Comments on Howe: Getting Over the Methodology Wars

Bredo, E. — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 13:33:57 PDT

Howe’s (2009) critique of positivistic tendencies in the education research community is valuable and pertinent. His analysis is nonetheless one-sided, finding fault with one side of current divisions alone. In an effort to retain the good points of his analysis, the author first summarizes Howe’s argument, interpreting it as a critique of hasty and dogmatic reductionism. He then considers parallel problems arising from hasty and dogmatic holism that Howe does not address. Following this discussion, a third, temporal approach is suggested in which analytic and synthetic perspectives are used to suggest and modify one another in a cycle, rather than being taken as fixed stances. Adopting this approach could help reduce the dogmatism evident in the methodology wars, although struggles for advantage would clearly remain.

Comments on Howe: Toward a More Inclusive "Scientific Research in Education"

Johnson, R. B. — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 13:33:57 PDT

In response to Howe (2009), the author argues that educational research needs multiple thoughtful perspectives. The author’s standpoint is that of a mixed methods research methodologist. Mixed methods research provides an antidualistic and syncretic philosophy and set of approaches or possibilities for merging insights from diverse perspectives; its working goal is to provide pragmatic, ethical solutions to local and societal problems. To achieve this goal, researchers should cease writing articles that construct straw figures (based on old literature), knock them down, and claim Truth. The author of the present article provides a new set of guidelines for an education science that includes a respectful and important place for all. The author also provides a working value theory that resolves some objectivist and subjectivist differences.

Comments on Howe: The Never-Ending Education Science Debate: I'm Ready to Move On

Tillman, L. C. — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 13:33:57 PDT

The usefulness of positivist traditions in education research has been debated for some time, and there continue to be various epistemological and methodological camps regarding the question of what constitutes "good" or "real" research. The importance of educating all children necessitates that we think about what are the most effective and most appropriate methods for investigating specific problems, including methods that are outside positivist traditions. The author of this response to Howe (2009) addresses Howe’s critique of the education science question, points out what is missing in Howe’s critique, and considers the implications for conducting research that is critical to the education of all children, particularly those who traditionally have been underrepresented and under-served in the U.S. public education system.

Response to Comments: Straw Makeovers, Dogmatic Holism, and Interesting Conversation

Howe, K. R. — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 13:33:57 PDT

Assessment for Accountability in Education: Past, Present, and Challenges Ahead

Cizek, G. J. — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 13:33:57 PDT

Accountability Testing: Getting Situated

Afflerbach, P. P. — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 13:33:57 PDT

Response to "Accountability Testing: Getting Situated," by Peter P. Afflerbach

Cizek, G. J. — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 13:33:57 PDT

Response to "The Past of Test-Based Educational Accountability," by Gregory J. Cizek

Afflerbach, P. P. — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 13:33:57 PDT

From the Desk of the Executive Director: AERA, ER, and New Pathways for Scholarly Communication

Thu, 03 Sep 2009 13:33:57 PDT

Call for Chapter Proposals for Handbook of Research on Educational Leadership for Diversity and Equity

Thu, 03 Sep 2009 13:33:57 PDT

AERA Announces New Editors for Educational Researcher

Thu, 03 Sep 2009 13:33:57 PDT

Luis Moll to Present 2009 Brown Lecture in Education Research

Thu, 03 Sep 2009 13:33:57 PDT

Call for Nominations for 2010 Brown Lecture

Thu, 03 Sep 2009 13:33:57 PDT

Call for AERJ-TLHD and RRE Editors

Thu, 03 Sep 2009 13:33:57 PDT

President-Elect Kris D. Gutierrez Invites Nominations for Committees: Committee Appointment Process About to Commence

Thu, 03 Sep 2009 13:33:57 PDT

Standards for Reporting on Humanities-Oriented Research in AERA Publications: American Educational Research Association

Thu, 03 Sep 2009 13:33:57 PDT

Council Minutes, April 13, 2009

Thu, 03 Sep 2009 13:33:57 PDT

Summary of AERA Journal Operations, 2008

Thu, 03 Sep 2009 13:33:57 PDT

Classifieds

Thu, 03 Sep 2009 13:33:57 PDT

Design Tools in Didactical Research: Instrumenting the Epistemological and Cognitive Aspects of the Design of Teaching Sequences

Ruthven, K., Laborde, C., Leach, J., Tiberghien, A. — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 09:58:28 PDT

European programs of design research have developed distinctive types of apparatus to structure and support the process of didactical design. This article illustrates how intermediate frameworks and design tools serve to mediate the contribution of grand theories to the design process, by coordinating and contextualizing theoretical insights on the epistemological and cognitive dimensions of a knowledge domain for the particular purposes of designing teaching sequences and studying their operation. The development and analysis of intermediate frameworks and design tools of these types provides a promising approach to establishing a public repertoire of theoretically informed apparatus for didactical design.

Matrix Summaries Improve Research Reports: Secondary Analyses Using Published Literature

Zientek, L. R., Thompson, B. — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 09:58:28 PDT

Correlation matrices and standard deviations are the building blocks of many of the commonly conducted analyses in published research, and AERA and APA reporting standards recommend their inclusion when reporting research results. The authors argue that the inclusion of correlation/covariance matrices, standard deviations, and means can enhance findings in education and psychology by permitting secondary researchers to (a) conduct commonly utilized traditional univariate and multivariate analyses not initially performed in primary studies, (b) produce effect sizes and other statistics not included in prior published literature, and (c) conduct analyses once difficult to perform. Furthermore, meta-analytic thinking is encouraged when researchers have the ability to conduct the same analyses on multiple studies and then compare these findings across studies.

Predictable Failure of Federal Sanctions-Driven Accountability for School Improvement--And Why We May Retain It Anyway

Mintrop, H., Sunderman, G. L. — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 09:58:28 PDT

The federal accountability system, made universal through the No Child Left Behind Act of 2002, is a system driven by quotas and sanctions, stipulating the progression of underperforming schools through sanctions based on meeting performance quotas for specific demographic groups. The authors examine whether the current federal accountability system is likely to succeed or fail, by asking, Does the sanctions-driven accountability system work? Is it practical? And is it legitimate among those who must implement it? The authors argue that even though sanctions-driven accountability may fail on practical outcomes, it may be retained for its secondary benefits and because there is a sense that credible policy alternatives are lacking. They conclude by proposing alternative policies and approaches to the current system.

An Educational Psychology Success Story: Social Interdependence Theory and Cooperative Learning

Johnson, D. W., Johnson, R. T. — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 09:58:28 PDT

The widespread and increasing use of cooperative learning is one of the great success stories of social and educational psychology. Its success largely rests on the relationships among theory, research, and practice. Social interdependence theory provides a foundation on which cooperative learning is built. More than 1,200 research studies have been conducted in the past 11 decades on cooperative, competitive, and individualistic efforts. Findings from these studies have validated, modified, refined, and extended the theory. From the theory, procedures for the teacher’s role in using formal and informal cooperative learning and cooperative base groups have been operationalized. Those procedures are widely used by educators throughout the world. The applications have resulted in revisions of the theory and the generation of new research.

Developing Literacy in Second-Language Learners

Pray, L., Jimenez, R. T. — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 09:58:28 PDT

Literacy and English-Language Learners: A Shifting Landscape for Students, Teachers, Researchers, and Policy Makers

Cummins, J. — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 09:58:28 PDT

A Response to "Literacy and English-Language Learners: A Shifting Landscape for Students, Teachers, Researchers, and Policy Makers," by Jim Cummins

Pray, L., Jimenez, R. T. — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 09:58:28 PDT

A Response to "Developing Literacy in Second-Language Learners," by Lisa Pray and Robert T. Jimenez

Cummins, J. — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 09:58:28 PDT

From the Desk of the President: Complex Ecologies in a Changing World and the 2010 Annual Meeting

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 09:58:28 PDT

JEBS Call for Editors

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 09:58:28 PDT

World Education Research Association Founded: Two-Year Effort Leads to New International Forum for Collaboration

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 09:58:28 PDT

Interim Officers Elected by WERA: Gogolin and Levine Will Serve, McDonnell Is First AERA Representative

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 09:58:28 PDT

Emerging Scholars Learn About Writing Op-Eds: AERA-Hechinger Institute's Public Communication Course

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 09:58:28 PDT

AERA Holds First Education Research Training Workshop for Undergraduate Students

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 09:58:28 PDT

Call for Nominations for 2010 AERA Fellows

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 09:58:28 PDT

American Educational Research Association 2010 Awards: Call for Nominations

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 09:58:28 PDT

AERA Grants Program Awards, 2008-2009

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 09:58:28 PDT

Aera Grants Program: Call For Applications

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 09:58:28 PDT

Council Minutes: January 30-February 1, 2009 Santa Monica, CA

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 09:58:28 PDT

Classifieds

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 09:58:28 PDT

Design Research Perspectives on Transitioning From Individual Microgenetic Interviews to a Whole-Class Teaching Experiment

Lamberg, T. d., Middleton, J. A. — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 12:30:02 PDT

This article describes an education design research program that began with individual microgenetic interviews with children in a laboratory setting and led to a developmental model of students’ understanding of quotients in mathematics and subsequently to the design and testing of an anchored instruction module for use in whole-class work. The authors discuss the design’s theoretical, methodological, and pragmatic aspects. They focus on the development of theory and the generation and refinement of artifacts as mutually constitutive in design research. Special attention is paid to making explicit the causal chain of arguments that link theory development, empirical tests of that theory, and product development. They make the case that effective interventions and rigorous theory can be codeveloped in the design paradigm.

Learning, Teaching, and Scholarship in a Digital Age: Web 2.0 and Classroom Research: What Path Should We Take Now?

Greenhow, C., Robelia, B., Hughes, J. E. — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 12:30:02 PDT

Since Windschitl first outlined a research agenda for the World Wide Web and classroom research, significant shifts have occurred in the nature of the Web and the conceptualization of classrooms. Such shifts have affected constructs of learning and instruction, and paths for future research. This article discusses the characteristics of Web 2.0 that differentiate it from the Web of the 1990s, describes the contextual conditions in which students use the Web today, and examines how Web 2.0’s unique capabilities and youth’s proclivities in using it influence learning and teaching. Two important themes, learner participation and creativity and online identity formation, emerged from this analysis and support a new wave of research questions. A stronger research focus on students’ everyday use of Web 2.0 technologies and their learning with Web 2.0 both in and outside of classrooms is needed. Finally, insights on how educational scholarship might be transformed with Web 2.0 in light of these themes are discussed.

Comments on Greenhow, Robelia, and Hughes: Technologies That Facilitate Generating Knowledge and Possibly Wisdom

Dede, C. — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 12:30:02 PDT

Greenhow, Robelia, and Hughes (2009) argue that Web 2.0 media are well suited to enhancing the education research community’s purpose of generating and sharing knowledge. The author of this comment article first articulates how a research infrastructure with capabilities for communal bookmarking, photo and video sharing, social networking, wikis, and mash-ups could enhance both the pace and quality of education scholarship, complementing federal investments in cyberinfrastructure. He then argues for a second, more provocative and controversial usage of this research infrastructure: an experimental attempt to generate "wisdom." An interconnected suite of Web 2.0 tools customized for research would provide three capabilities important for wise advice: (a) a virtual setting in which stakeholders of many different types could dialogue (b) about rich artifacts grounded in practice and policy (c) with a set of social supports to encourage community norms that respect not only theoretical rigor and empirical evidence but also interpersonal, experiential, and moral–ethical understandings.

Comments on Greenhow, Robelia, and Hughes: Expanding the New Literacies Conversation

Tue, 09 Jun 2009 12:30:02 PDT

Using a popularized notion such as Web 2.0 limits research efforts by employing a binary construct, one initially prompted by commercial concerns. Instead, the authors of this article, commenting on Greenhow, Robelia, and Hughes (2009), suggest that continuous, not dichotomous, change in the technologies of literacy and learning defines the Internet. They argue that a dual-level theory of New Literacies is a productive way to conceptualize this continuous change, especially for education. They describe uppercase (New Literacies) and lowercase (new literacies) theories, using the new literacies of online reading comprehension to illustrate the process. They suggest this approach is likely to lead to greater equity, understanding, and acceptance of continuously new technologies within educational systems.

Comments on Greenhow, Robelia, and Hughes: Digital Immersion, Teacher Learning, and Games

Owston, R. D. — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 12:30:02 PDT

In this comment article, the author elaborates on three significant issues that Greenhow, Robelia, and Hughes (2009) identified but did not explore. First, the author discusses the need for research on the impact that youth’s immersion in a digital world may have on meta-cognitive and social skill development. Then teacher learning with the Web is considered, and the author identifies research questions related to improving the design of professional learning experiences. The author concludes with a discussion of digital games for learning and points to several key areas that need further research.

Comments on Greenhow, Robelia, and Hughes: Toward a Creative Social Web for Learners and Teachers

Zhang, J. — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 12:30:02 PDT

This article commenting on Greenhow, Robelia, and Hughes (2009) examines the potential strengths and weaknesses of Web 2.0 in supporting student collaborative creativity in light of sociocultural conditions of knowledge creation. Weaknesses and challenges are identified related to the embedded and dispersed representation of community knowledge, weak commitment and support to sustained progress, judging of contributions on the basis of popularity instead of advancement, and the conflict between the chaotic emergent Web and rigidly organized schooling. Discussion is extended to the use of the Web for supporting teacher learning and innovation. Research questions are identified calling for design-based research to advance both pedagogy and technology design.

Response to Comments: Research on Learning and Teaching With Web 2.0: Bridging Conversations

Greenhow, C., Robelia, B., Hughes, J. E. — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 12:30:02 PDT

In the past decade, significant shifts have occurred in the nature of the Internet and the conceptualization of classrooms. Such shifts have affected constructs of learning and instruction and paths for future research. In this article, the authors build on three ideas set forth in comments on their article "Web 2.0 and Classroom Research: What Path Should We Take Now?" The authors believe that these comments, which extend ideas from their initial article, make important contributions to the vision for transformative scholarship and practice they outlined. Specifically, the authors discuss the professional development of teachers, considerations for building research capacity and social scholarship, and the importance of bridging divides to advance a common research agenda on learning and teaching with Web 2.0.

History Matters: Neoliberalism and the Research/Policy Nexus

Lather, P. — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 12:30:02 PDT

Back to the Future? Some Dystopian Thoughts

Stronach, I. — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 12:30:02 PDT

AERA Presents Research on Mathematics Learning at CNSF Exhibit on Capitol Hill

Tue, 09 Jun 2009 12:30:02 PDT

2009 AERA Annual Meeting in San Diego: More Than 13,500 Attendees Focus on Education Research in the Circle of Knowledge

Tue, 09 Jun 2009 12:30:02 PDT

AERA Introduces Education Research Conference Program: A New Opportunity for Scholars

Tue, 09 Jun 2009 12:30:02 PDT

AERA Nominating Committee Seeks Recommendations for Nominees

Tue, 09 Jun 2009 12:30:02 PDT

2009-2010 AERA Council

Tue, 09 Jun 2009 12:30:02 PDT

2010 Call for Proposals for Professional Development and Training Courses

Tue, 09 Jun 2009 12:30:02 PDT

Calls for Volunteer Reviewers, Session Chairs, and Discussants

Tue, 09 Jun 2009 12:30:02 PDT

Facts at a Glance: Submissions for 2010 AERA Annual Meeting

Tue, 09 Jun 2009 12:30:02 PDT

American Educational Research Association 2010 Annual Meeting Call for Submissions

Tue, 09 Jun 2009 12:30:02 PDT

Classifieds

Tue, 09 Jun 2009 12:30:02 PDT