An assessment is provided of two papers responding to an article by P. Atkinson, S. Delamont, and M. Hammersley (1988) critiquing papers by E. Jacob (1987, 1988) on qualitative research traditions. Definitions of "tradition" and "research tradition," and the necessity to include British research in Jacob's meta-analysis are…

Two views of clinical problem solving (CPS) are compared. When research on teachers' cognitions was initiated in 1974, the concept of CPS was invoked primarily in terms of diagnosing and treating dysfunction. Presently, educators have reached a different, hierarchical view. This shift brings teaching closer to art and farther from science. (SLD)

Students' ability to access or utilize their intellectual resources as a function of many factors studied in the research, is discussed. Organization and awareness are the two most important factors in students' ability to access knowledge, strategy, or disposition. A synthesis of the research is presented. (SLD)

This review of 20 studies examines 3 predictions concerning the effects of conceptual models on students' understanding of scientific prose: (1) that models improve recall of conceptual information; (2) that they decrease verbatim retention; and (3) that they increase creative solutions on transfer problems. (SLD)

To examine the effects of whole language and language experience approaches on beginning reading achievement, a quantitative synthesis was performed on two databases: 5 first-grade studies of the United States Office of Education and 46 additional studies comparing basal reading approaches to whole language and language experience approaches. (SLD)

The development of critical ethnography in the field of education is traced. Critical ethnographers focus on research accounts sensitive to the dialectical relationship between social structure constraints and the relative autonomy of human agency. The status of critical ethnography as a research genre is discussed, and criticisms are described.…

A framework for understanding biliteracy is proposed. It is argued that biliteracy is best understood as a series of interrelated continua defining the contexts, individual development, and media of biliteracy. The nine continua identified are discussed, and their implications for research and teaching are considered. (SLD)

Research from social psychology on the effects of group discussion and of exposure to the opinions of other group members on the decisions groups make is reviewed. The pertinence of this research to standard-setting practices is considered, and the implications for the design of standard-setting procedures are explored. (SLD)

A research review of ability and effort studies in the United States and Japan finds: (1) effort considered the primary determinant of achievement in Japan; (2) different concepts; and (3) the Japanese fostering task involvement through cooperation. Social structure may account for the attributional patterns of Japanese children. (SLD)

A review of studies of the self-concepts of learning disabled children (LDC) found that LDC have lower self-concepts than do non-handicapped students, with the greatest differences in academic, rather than general, self-concept. Results are discussed in terms of factors associated with self-concept development and the negative effects on…

The pedagogical literature on the peer response group as a teaching method in the writing classroom is examined, within the context of current theories on teaching and learning of writing. The few empirical studies on the method are reviewed. Suggestions for reconceptualizing peer response to writing are provided. (TJH)

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.…

To identify variables influencing the acquisition of teaching skills, 26 studies addressing the acquisition of the generic skill of questioning were synthesized through meta-analysis. The training variables considered include general effect, method, duration, number of sessions, experience and academic certification levels of trainees, and…

Illustrates how qualitative research traditions can be used in educational research. Shows that qualitative research presents a diverse approach to research and offers a rich understanding of education. Compares ecological psychology, holistic ethnography, cognitive anthropology, and symbolic interaction. (RB)

Reviews recent work on knowledge acquisition with a focus on knowledge restructuring. Piagetian theories of global restructuring may be replaced by a more domain-specific approach. Several mechanisms for knowledge restructuring are discussed, and these issues are related to a theory-based approach for the study of instruction. (RB)