Educational Researcher 43卷4期文章

1. Inaccurate Estimation of Disparities Due to  Mischievous Responders:Several Suggestions to Assess  Conclusions

Author: Joseph P.  Robinson-Cimpian

Source: Educational  Researcher, 2014, 43(4):171-185

Abstract: This article introduces novel  sensitivity-analysis procedures for investigating and reducing the bias that  mischievous responders (i.e., youths who provide extreme, and potentially  untruthful, responses to multiple questions) often introduce in adolescent  disparity estimates based on data from self-administered questionnaires (SAQs).  Mischievous responders affect a wide range of disparity estimates, including  those between adoptees and nonadoptees, sexual minorities and nonminorities, and  individuals with and without disabilities. Thus, the procedures introduced here  have broad relevance to research and can be widely, and easily, implemented. The  sensitivity-analysis procedures are illustrated with SAQ data from youths in  Grades 9–12 (N = 11,829) to examine between-group disparities based on  sexual identity, gender identity, and physical disability. Sensitivity analyses  revealed that each disparity estimated with these data was extremely sensitive  to the presence of potentially mischievous responders. Patterns were similar  across multiple approaches to dealing with mischievous responders, across  various outcomes, and across different between-group comparisons. Mischievous  responders are ubiquitous in adolescent research using SAQs and can, even in  small numbers, lead to inaccurate conclusions that substantively affect  research, policy, and public discourse regarding a variety of disparities. This  article calls attention to this widespread problem and provides practical  suggestions for assessing it, even when data are already collected.

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2. The Expanding Role of Philanthropy in  Education Politics

Author: Sarah  Reckhow and Jeffrey W. Snyder

Source: Educational  Researcher, 2014, 43(4):186-195

Abstract: Philanthropic involvement in  education politics has become bolder and more visible. Have foundations changed  funding strategies to enhance their political influence? Using data from 2000,  2005, and 2010, we investigate giving patterns among the 15 largest education  foundations. Our analyses show growing support for national-level advocacy  organizations. Furthermore, we find that foundations increasingly fund  organizations that operate as “jurisdictional challengers” by competing with  traditional public sector institutions. We apply social network analysis to  demonstrate the growing prevalence of convergent grant-making—multiple  foundations supporting the same organizations. These results suggest that a  sector once criticized for not leveraging its investments now increasingly seeks  to maximize its impact by supporting alternative providers, investing  concurrently, and supporting grantees to engage in policy debates.

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3. “I Am Working-Class”: Subjective  Self-Definition as a Missing Measure of Social Class and Socioeconomic Status in  Higher Education Research

Author: Mark Rubin, Nida  Denson, Sue Kilpatrick, Kelly E. Matthews, Tom Stehlik,and David  Zyngier

Source: Educational  Researcher, 2014, 43(4):196-200

Abstract: This review provides a  critical appraisal of the measurement of students’ social class and  socioeconomic status (SES) in the context of widening higher education  participation. Most assessments of social class and SES in higher education have  focused on objective measurements based on the income, occupation, and education  of students’ parents, and they have tended to overlook diversity among students  based on factors such as age, ethnicity, indigeneity, and rurality. However,  recent research in psychology and sociology has stressed the more subjective and  intersectional nature of social class. The authors argue that it is important to  consider subjective self-definitions of social class and SES alongside more  traditional objective measures. The implications of this dual measurement  approach for higher education research are discussed.

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4. The Role of the Intellectual in Eliminating  the Effects of Poverty: A Response to Tierney

Author: Jimmy  Scherrer

Source: Educational  Researcher, 2014, 43(4):201-207

Abstract: Much ink has been spilled  debating the role of the intellectual. William Tierney’s article “Beyond the  Ivory Tower: The Role of the Intellectual in Eliminating Poverty” in the  August/September 2013 issue of Educational Researcher adds to this  literature. In his article, Tierney presents recommendations to the education  community on how we might help our students in poverty. While Tierney’s  recommendations are compelling, he frames his essay in a way that makes it difficult to  understand why traditional education reform has failed to reach its ambitious  goals. In this brief response to Tierney, I encourage our community to view the  effects of poverty as two-dimensional when trying to craft and conduct  educational reform.