Review of Educational Research 84卷3期文章

1. Meta-Analysis With Complex Research Designs: Dealing With Dependence From Multiple Measures and Multiple Group Comparisons

Author:Nancy Scammacca, Greg Roberts, and Karla K. Stuebing

Source:Review of Educational Research 84.3  (September 2014): 328-364.

Abstract:Previous research has shown that treating dependent effect sizes as independent inflates the variance of the mean effect size and introduces bias by giving studies with more effect sizes more weight in the meta-analysis. This article summarizes the different approaches to handling dependence that have been advocated by methodologists, some of which are more feasible to implement with education research studies than others. A case study using effect sizes from a recent meta-analysis of reading interventions is presented to compare the results obtained from different approaches to dealing with dependence. Overall, mean effect sizes and variance estimates were found to be similar, but estimates of indexes of heterogeneity varied. Meta-analysts are advised to explore the effect of the method of handling dependence on the heterogeneity estimates before conducting moderator analyses and to choose the approach to dependence that is best suited to their research question and their data set.

………………………………………………………………………………

2. A Review of Undergraduate Mentoring Programs

Author:Susan Gershenfeld

Source:Review of Educational Research 84.3  (September 2014): 365-391.

Abstract:This review summarizes published studies on undergraduate mentoring programs from 2008 to 2012. Twenty studies met the inclusion criteria, which included empirical research on formal mentoring programs with undergraduate students as mentees or mentors. Each study was assessed based on limitations identified in two earlier reviews of the mentoring literature: definition, theory, and methods. Results from this review indicate minimal progress has been made in these three areas. However, every study included the functions of mentoring, and most studies were guided by a theory or a conceptual framework. Aspects of social validity, a construct not previously examined, were assessed and found to be present in 50% of studies. Finally, information on primary mentoring program components, another dimension not previously examined, was absent in 75% of studies, making replication difficult. Future research needs to specify program components, employ rigorous research designs to guide evidence-based practice in undergraduate mentoring, and assess social validity.

………………………………………………………………………………

3. Updated Meta-Analysis of Learner Control Within Educational Technology

Author:Abbey C. Karich, Matthew K. Burns, and Kathrin E. Maki

Source:Review of Educational Research 84.3  (September 2014): 392-410.

Abstract:Giving a student control over their learning has theoretical and intuitive appeal, but its effects are neither powerful nor consistent in the empirical literature base. This meta-analysis updated previous meta-analytic research by Niemiec, Sikorski, and Walberg by studying the overall effectiveness of providing learner control within educational technology, the characteristics of instruction along the continuum of learner control, and elements of the instructional environments that may play a role in the effectiveness of educational technology. The search terms identified 85 distinct articles, 18 of which met the inclusion criteria (29 effects were computed). The overall effect of including learner control within educational technology was almost zero (g = 0.05), and were also near zero when examining most characteristics of control and classroom contextual factors. Moderate effects were reported for providing learner control within social studies/history courses and for comprehensive technology instructional programs. The effects were larger for behavioral outcomes than academic outcomes, but both were small.

………………………………………………………………………………

4. Human Capital Theory: A Holistic Criticism

Author:Emrullah Tan

Source:Review of Educational Research 84.3  (September 2014): 411-445.

Abstract:Human capital theory has had a profound impact on a range of disciplines from economics to education and sociology. The theory has always been the subject of bitter criticisms from the very beginning, but it has comfortably survived and expanded its influence over other research disciplines. Not surprisingly, a considerable number of criticisms have been made as a reaction to this expansion. However, it seems that these criticisms are rather fragmented and disorganized. To bridge this gap and organize them in a systematic way, the present article takes a holistic approach and reviews human capital theory from four comprehensive perspectives focusing on the methodological, empirical, practical, and moral aspects of the theory.

………………………………………………………………………………

5. A Review of the Literature on Teaching Academic English to English Language Learners

Author:Patricia A. DiCerbo, Kristina A. Anstrom, Lottie L. Baker, and Charlene Rivera

Source:Review of Educational Research 84.3  (September 2014): 446-482.

Abstract:Academic English (AE) refers to the language used in school to help students acquire and use knowledge. This article reviews current literature to determine what is known about the nature of AE within the context of K–12 schooling. It describes how AE is conceptualized in the education research literature, how these conceptualizations are realized in instructional practices, and the implications of these conceptualizations for teacher education and professional development. The student population that is the primary focus of the article is English language learners, but the findings have implications for all students who struggle with learning AE. The article raises critical challenges in defining and operationalizing AE for instruction and suggests areas for further inquiry.