Review of Educational Research recent issues

Editorial Statement

Leinhardt, G. — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 14:38:59 PDT

The Editor Notes

Leinhardt, G. — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 14:38:59 PDT

What Is an Elite Boarding School?

Gaztambide-Fernandez, R. — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 14:38:59 PDT

This article brings attention to the rarefied world of elite boarding schools. Despite their reputation for excellence, these unique educational institutions remain largely outside the gaze of educational researchers and the scope of public debates about education. One reason for this absence is a lack of knowledge about what exactly defines an elite boarding school and the characteristics that stand them apart from other schools in significant ways. Drawing on a review of the relevant literature, the article outlines five criteria by which elite boarding schools can be identified: typologically elite, scholastically elite, historically elite, geographically elite, and demographically elite. Although the "elite" status of any given school in any of these criteria may be open to debate, it is the particular combination of these five dimensions that defines an elite boarding school. After a discussion of these five characteristics, the article outlines some implications for future research that considers elite boarding schools as an integral part of the educational system in the United States and presents some of the challenges facing the study of privilege.

A Meta-Analytic Path Analysis of the Internal/External Frame of Reference Model of Academic Achievement and Academic Self-Concept

Moller, J., Pohlmann, B., Koller, O., Marsh, H. W. — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 14:38:59 PDT

A meta-analysis of 69 data sets (N = 125,308) was carried out on studies that simultaneously evaluate the effects of math and verbal achievements on math and verbal self-concepts. As predicted by the internal/external frame of reference (I/E) model, math and verbal achievements were highly correlated overall (.67), but the correlation between math and verbal self-concepts (.10) was close to zero. Correlations between math and verbal achievement and correlations between achievements and self-concepts within the domains were more positive when grades instead of standardized test results were used as achievement indicators. A path analysis revealed support for the I/E model, with positive paths from achievement to the corresponding self-concepts (.61 for math, .49 for verbal) and negative paths from achievement in one subject to self-concept in the other subject (–.21 from math achievement on verbal self-concept, –.27 from verbal achievement to math self-concept). Furthermore, results showed that the I/E model is valid for different age groups, gender groups, and countries. The I/E model did not fit the data when self-efficacy measures were used instead of self-concept measures. These results demonstrate the broad scope of the I/E model as an adequate description of students’ self-evaluation processes as they are influenced by internal and external frames of reference.

Accommodations for English Language Learners Taking Large-Scale Assessments: A Meta-Analysis on Effectiveness and Validity

Kieffer, M. J., Lesaux, N. K., Rivera, M., Francis, D. J. — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 14:38:59 PDT

Including English language learners (ELLs) in large-scale assessments raises questions about the validity of inferences based on their scores. Test accommodations for ELLs are intended to reduce the impact of limited English proficiency on the assessment of the target construct, most often mathematic or science proficiency. This meta-analysis synthesizes research on the effectiveness and validity of such accommodations for ELLs. Findings indicate that none of the seven accommodations studied threaten the validity of inferences. However, only one accommodation—providing English dictionaries or glossaries—has a statistically significant effect on ELLs’ performance, and this effect equates to only a small reduction in the achievement score gap between ELLs and native English speakers. Findings suggest that accommodations to reduce the impact of limited language proficiency on academic skill assessment are not particularly effective. Given this, we posit a hypothesis about the necessary role of academic language skills in mathematics and science assessments.

Mathematics Instruction for Students With Learning Disabilities: A Meta-Analysis of Instructional Components

Gersten, R., Chard, D. J., Jayanthi, M., Baker, S. K., Morphy, P., Flojo, J. — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 14:38:59 PDT

The purpose of this meta-analysis was to synthesize findings from 42 interventions (randomized control trials and quasi-experimental studies) on instructional approaches that enhance the mathematics proficiency of students with learning disabilities. We examined the impact of four categories of instructional components: (a) approaches to instruction and/or curriculum design, (b) formative assessment data and feedback to teachers on students' mathematics performance, (c) formative data and feedback to students with LD on their performance, and (d) peer-assisted mathematics instruction. All instructional components except for student feedback with goal-setting and peer-assisted learning within a class resulted in significant mean effects ranging from 0.21 to 1.56. We also examined the effectiveness of these components conditionally, using hierarchical multiple regressions. Two instructional components provided practically and statistically important increases in effect size–teaching students to use heuristics and explicit instruction. Limitations of the study, suggestions for future research, and applications for improvement of current practice are discussed.

A Meta-Analysis of Three Types of Interaction Treatments in Distance Education

Tue, 29 Sep 2009 14:38:59 PDT

This meta-analysis of the experimental literature of distance education (DE) compares different types of interaction treatments (ITs) with other DE instructional treatments. ITs are the instructional and/or media conditions designed into DE courses, which are intended to facilitate student–student (SS), student–teacher (ST), or student–content (SC) interactions. Seventy-four DE versus DE studies that contained at least one IT are included in the meta-analysis, which yield 74 achievement effects. The effect size valences are structured so that the IT or the stronger IT (i.e., in the case of two ITs) serve as the experimental condition and the other treatment, the control condition. Effects are categorized as SS, ST, or SC. After adjustment for methodological quality, the overall weighted average effect size for achievement is 0.38 and is heterogeneous. Overall, the results support the importance of the three types of ITs and strength of ITs is found to be associated with increasing achievement outcomes. A strong association is found between strength and achievement for asynchronous DE courses compared to courses containing mediated synchronous or face-to-face interaction. The results are interpreted in terms of increased cognitive engagement that is presumed to be promoted by strengthening ITs in DE courses.

Gender Effects in the Peer Reviews of Grant Proposals: A Comprehensive Meta-Analysis Comparing Traditional and Multilevel Approaches

Marsh, H. W., Bornmann, L., Mutz, R., Daniel, H.-D., O'Mara, A. — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 14:38:59 PDT

Peer review is valued in higher education, but also widely criticized in terms of potential biases, particularly gender. We evaluate gender differences in peer reviews of grant applications, extending Bornmann, Mutz, and Daniel’s meta-analyses that reported small gender differences in favor of men (d = .04), but a substantial heterogeneity in effect sizes that compromised the robustness of their results. We contrast these findings with the most comprehensive single primary study (Marsh, Jayasinghe, and Bond) that found no gender differences for grant proposals. We juxtapose traditional (fixed- and random-effects) and multilevel models, demonstrating important advantages to the multilevel approach. Consistent with Marsh et al.’s primary study, there were no gender differences for the 40 (of 66) effect sizes from Bornmann et al. that were based on grant proposals. This lack of a gender effect for grant proposals was very robust, generalizing over country, discipline, and publication year

Reflecting on Social Emotional Learning: A Critical Perspective on Trends in the United States

Hoffman, D. M. — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 13:33:02 PDT

This critical cultural analysis of trends in the field of social emotional learning (SEL) in the United States considers how ideas concerning emotional skills and competencies have informed programmatic discourse. While currently stressing links between SEL and academic achievement, program literature also places emphasis on ideals of caring, community, and diversity. However, recommended practices across programs tend to undermine these ideals by focusing on emotional and behavioral control strategies that privilege individualist models of self. SEL in practice thus becomes another way to focus attention on measurement and remediation of individual deficits rather than a way to redirect educators’ focus toward the relational contexts of classrooms and schools. The promise of SEL to foster increased achievement and equity in American education may not be realized unless more work is done to connect ideals with practices and to address the political and cultural assumptions that are being built into contemporary approaches.

Peace Education in Societies Involved in Intractable Conflicts: Direct and Indirect Models

Bar-Tal, D., Rosen, Y. — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 13:33:02 PDT

The present article deals with the crucial question: Can peace education facilitate change in the sociopsychological infrastructure that feeds continued intractable conflict and then how the change can be carried? Intractable conflicts still rage in various parts of the globe, and they not only cause local misery and suffering but also threaten the well-being of the international community at large. The present article examines the nature of peace education in societies that were, or are still, involved in intractable conflict. It presents the political–societal and educational conditions for successful implementation of peace education and describes two models for peace education: direct and indirect peace education. Finally, the article offers a number of conclusions.

Learning With Computer-Based Learning Environments: A Literature Review of Computer Self-Efficacy

Moos, D. C., Azevedo, R. — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 13:33:02 PDT

Although computer-based learning environments (CBLEs) are becoming more prevalent in the classroom, empirical research has demonstrated that some students have difficulty learning with these environments. The motivation construct of computer-self efficacy plays an integral role in learning with CBLEs. This literature review synthesizes research that has empirically examined factors related to computer self-efficacy and the relationship between computer self-efficacy, learning outcomes, and learning processes with CBLEs. Results indicate that behavioral and psychological factors are positively related to computer self-efficacy. Students who receive behavioral modeling report significantly higher computer self-efficacy than do students who receive the more traditional instruction-based method when learning with CBLEs. Computer self-efficacy is related both to learning outcomes and to learning processes with CBLEs. This review also offers theoretical and methodological issues for future research in the area of computer self-efficacy.

John Dewey's Influence on the Origins of the Social Studies: An Analysis of the Historiography and New Interpretation

Fallace, T. — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 13:33:02 PDT

This article offers a critical review of the historical literature on the National Education Association’s (NEA) 1916 Committee on Social Studies (CSS) report, the document generally believed to have launched the social studies movement in American secondary schools. The review begins with a critical analysis of the four most pervasive interpretations of the report. Drawing upon these interpretations, the author suggests that there are three central issues at the heart of these disputes. The first is over the ideological origins of the report; the second, its institutional origins; and the third, its epistemological position. It is argued that the influence of John Dewey is the key to overcoming these disagreements by suggesting that the members of the Committee agreed upon a core of shared beliefs that reflected his philosophical ideas.

Understanding Technology Adoption: Theory and Future Directions for Informal Learning

Straub, E. T. — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 13:33:02 PDT

How and why individuals adopt innovations has motivated a great deal of research. This article examines individuals’ computing adoption processes through the lenses of three adoption theories: Rogers’s innovation diffusion theory, the Concerns-Based Adoption Model, the Technology Acceptance Model, and the United Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology. Incorporating all three models, this article suggests technology adoption is a complex, inherently social, developmental process; individuals construct unique yet malleable perceptions of technology that influence their adoption decisions. Thus, successfully facilitating technology adoption must address cognitive, emotional, and contextual concerns. This article also focuses specific attention on adoption theory outside of a formal organization and the implications of adoption theory on informal environments.

The Key to Global Understanding: World Languages Education--Why Schools Need to Adapt

Tochon, F. V. — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 13:33:02 PDT

This review article is a plea for the education community to reconsider the place of world languages teaching within the schools. With globalization, languages education should be one of the strategic goals of public as well as private education. The article reviews research on the best age level for learning a language, the assets of bilingualism, the problems that arise from lack of recognition for other languages and cultures, the ways to change current language education, and the integration of international language policies. The literature reviewed points at how the issues discussed can be resolved to increase global understanding.

Adopting Open-Source Software Applications in U.S. Higher Education: A Cross-Disciplinary Review of the Literature

van Rooij, S. W. — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 13:33:02 PDT

Higher Education institutions in the United States are considering Open Source software applications such as the Moodle and Sakai course management systems and the Kuali financial system to build integrated learning environments that serve both academic and administrative needs. Open Source is presumed to be more flexible and less costly than commercial software. This article reviews the literature from the fields of Software Engineering and Education to determine the state of the current body of knowledge around the key drivers of Open Source adoption. The author discusses gaps in the literature and identifies opportunities for more rigorous research to measure the effectiveness of Open Source software in creating a balance between sound pedagogy and business efficiencies.

Reframing Professional Development Through Understanding Authentic Professional Learning

Webster-Wright, A. — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 13:33:02 PDT

Continuing to learn is universally accepted and expected by professionals and other stakeholders across all professions. However, despite changes in response to research findings about how professionals learn, many professional development practices still focus on delivering content rather than enhancing learning. In exploring reasons for the continuation of didactic practices in professional development, this article critiques the usual conceptualization of professional development through a review of recent literature across professions. An alternative conceptualization is proposed, based on philosophical assumptions congruent with evidence about professional learning from seminal educational research of the past two decades. An argument is presented for a shift in discourse and focus from delivering and evaluating professional development programs to understanding and supporting authentic professional learning.

Interpreting the Evidence for Effective Interventions to Increase the Academic Performance of Students With ADHD: Relevance of the Statistical Significance Controversy

Harrison, J., Thompson, B., Vannest, K. J. — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 13:33:02 PDT

This article reviews the literature on interventions targeting the academic performance of students with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and does so within the context of the statistical significance testing controversy. Both the arguments for and against null hypothesis statistical significance tests are reviewed. Recent standards promulgated by both the American Psychological Association and more recently by the American Educational Research Association are discussed. The ADHD literature is reviewed with respect to reporting of statistical, practical, and clinical significance and to the reporting of explicit, direct comparisons of obtained effect sizes with those in the related prior literature. It is suggested that a greater emphasis on (a) effect size reporting and (b) replicability comparisons will better enable practitioners to select evidence-based educational interventions.

Black-White Biracial Students in American Schools: A Review of the Literature

Williams, R. F. — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 13:33:02 PDT

With increasing numbers of students who identify as Black and White multi-racial and with the persistence of the Black–White test score gap, the necessity for research regarding these students’ educational experiences cannot be understated. To date, research in this area has been scarce. The purpose of this review is to synthesize the available literature related to the experiences of multiracial—Black–White biracial in particular—students in American schools and to identify areas in need of further research. This review offers a synthesis of the historical, social, and political context of biracial people, as well as a synthesis of issues relevant to biracial students, namely, psychological adjustment, home and parental influence, and school factors. Recommendations and implications for further research related to multiracial students and their schooling are offered.

Do Curricular and Cocurricular Diversity Activities Influence Racial Bias? A Meta-Analysis

Denson, N. — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 13:33:02 PDT

In response to rapidly changing demographics and increased racial tensions, institutions across the country have implemented diversity-related initiatives—to varying degrees—designed to promote positive intergroup relations. This increased interest has resulted in a growing body of research examining the impact of curricular and cocurricular diversity activities on a variety of outcomes and racial bias in particular. Whereas past reviews have highlighted the inconsistency in the research findings thus far, this study presents the first quantitative synthesis on this topic to date. The findings of this meta-analysis demonstrate that these initiatives do indeed reduce bias and that the effectiveness of this result depends on the characteristics of the program as well as the students.

Effective Programs in Middle and High School Mathematics: A Best-Evidence Synthesis

Slavin, R. E., Lake, C., Groff, C. — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 13:33:02 PDT

This article reviews research on the achievement outcomes of mathematics programs for middle and high schools. Study inclusion requirements include use of a randomized or matched control group, a study duration of at least 12 weeks, and equality at pretest. There were 100 qualifying studies, 26 of which used random assignment to treatments. Effect sizes were very small for mathematics curricula and for computer-assisted instruction. Positive effects were found for two cooperative learning programs. Outcomes were similar for disadvantaged and nondisadvantaged students and for students of different ethnicities. Consistent with an earlier review of elementary programs, this article concludes that programs that affect daily teaching practices and student interactions have more promise than those emphasizing textbooks or technology alone.

Diminishing the Divisions Among Us: Reading and Writing Across Difference in Theory and Method in the Sociology of Education

Weis, L., Jenkins, H., Stich, A. — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 13:33:02 PDT

Evidenced in several now classic reviews of the field, much has been made of theoretical and methodological "difference" with regard to research in the sociology of education. Although such renditions often constitute important intellectual contributions, the authors suggest that it is increasingly important to read across theoretical and methodological divisions that are now widely understood to characterize the field. The authors fear, in fact, that the seemingly taken-for-granted assumption of staked-out theoretical and methodological "camps" (with which scholars and doctoral students are inevitably allied) implies a misunderstanding or misreading of how scholars came to be where they are today while simultaneously stunting scholarship related to the production of social inequalities both in and outside of schools. The authors intentionally traverse select taken-for-granted boundaries as they work toward productive scholarly "trespassing" that encourages the kind of theoretical and methodological struggle, debate, and difference that characterized an earlier period.

Framing and Reviewing Hip-Hop Educational Research

Petchauer, E. — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 13:33:02 PDT

Hip-hop has become relevant to the field of education because of its implications for understanding language, learning, identity, curriculum, and other areas. This integrative review provides historical context and cohesion for the burgeoning and discursive body of hip-hop scholarship by framing it according to three heuristic categories and briefly discussing the strengths and weaknesses for the field of education. The article then critically reviews three major strands of selected literature across these categories that are relevant to educational research. Finally, the article outlines new directions for future research and corresponding theoretical perspectives and strategic methods. With these purposes, this review is intended to inform both researchers unfamiliar with hip-hop and scholars who have centered hip-hop in their research agendas.

Interactive Book Reading in Early Education: A Tool to Stimulate Print Knowledge as Well as Oral Language

Mol, S. E., Bus, A. G., de Jong, M. T. — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 13:33:02 PDT

This meta-analysis examines to what extent interactive storybook reading stimulates two pillars of learning to read: vocabulary and print knowledge. The authors quantitatively reviewed 31 (quasi) experiments (n = 2,049 children) in which educators were trained to encourage children to be actively involved before, during, and after joint book reading. A moderate effect size was found for oral language skills, implying that both quality of book reading in classrooms and frequency are important. Although teaching print-related skills is not part of interactive reading programs, 7% of the variance in kindergarten children’s alphabetic knowledge could be attributed to the intervention. The study also shows that findings with experimenters were simply not replicable in a natural classroom setting. Further research is needed to disentangle the processes that explain the effects of interactive reading on children’s print knowledge and the strategies that may help transfer intervention effects from researchers to children’s own teachers.

Ideas and Identities: Supporting Equity in Cooperative Mathematics Learning

Esmonde, I. — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 13:33:02 PDT

This review considers research related to mathematics education and cooperative learning, and it discusses how teachers might assist students in cooperative groups to provide equitable opportunities to learn. In this context, equity is defined as the fair distribution of opportunities to learn, and the argument is that identity-related processes are just as central to mathematical development as content learning. The link is thus considered between classroom social ecologies, the interactions and positional identities that these social ecologies make available, and student learning. The article closes by considering unresolved questions in the field and proposing directions for future research.

Diversity: Gatekeeping Knowledge and Maintaining Inequalities

Swartz, E. — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 13:33:02 PDT

Diversity is a highly popular and oft-used term and concept in K-12 and higher education. This literature review examines the dominant discourse on diversity—a discourse that positions difference as deficit. Although traditional schooling has been resistant to system-wide change, this review will also consider research showing teachers as well positioned to make emancipatory choices—critically engaging in and demonstrating values and classroom practices that can counteract the limited knowledge and normative practices so common in schools today. This review concludes with a discussion of an emancipatory model of education that educators can build on as part of a paradigm shift grounded in the Black Studies intellectual tradition. This model represents an alternative to the hierarchy of human worth embedded in the predominant conception of diversity. By moving past the constraints of traditional schooling, emancipatory educators can affirm the collective humanity of all students-teachers-families and the cultures and groups they represent.

The Effectiveness of Volunteer Tutoring Programs for Elementary and Middle School Students: A Meta-Analysis

Ritter, G. W., Barnett, J. H., Denny, G. S., Albin, G. R. — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 09:59:12 PDT

This meta-analysis assesses the effectiveness of volunteer tutoring programs for improving the academic skills of students enrolled in public schools Grades K–8 in the United States and further investigates for whom and under what conditions tutoring can be effective. The authors found 21 studies (with 28 different study cohorts in those studies) reporting on randomized field trials to guide them in assessing the effectiveness of volunteer tutoring programs. Overall, the authors found volunteer tutoring has a positive effect on student achievement. With respect to particular subskills, students who work with volunteer tutors are likely to earn higher scores on assessments related to letters and words, oral fluency, and writing as compared to their peers who are not tutored.

From Everyday to Scientific Observation: How Children Learn to Observe the Biologist's World

Eberbach, C., Crowley, K. — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 09:59:12 PDT

This article explores the development of observation in scientific and everyday contexts. Fundamental to all scientific activity, expert observation is a complex practice that requires the coordination of disciplinary knowledge, theory, and habits of attention. On the surface, observation appears to be a simple skill. Consequently, children may be directed to observe, compare, and describe phenomena without adequate disciplinary context or support, and so fail to gain deeper scientific understanding. Drawing upon a review of science education, developmental psychology, and the science studies literatures, this article examines what it means to observe within a disciplinary framework. In addition, everyday observers are characterized and a framework is proposed that hypothesizes how everyday observers could develop practices that are more like scientific observers.

Multilevel Modeling: A Review of Methodological Issues and Applications

Wed, 25 Mar 2009 09:59:12 PDT

This study analyzed the reporting of multilevel modeling applications of a sample of 99 articles from 13 peer-reviewed journals in education and the social sciences. A checklist, derived from the methodological literature on multilevel modeling and focusing on the issues of model development and specification, data considerations, estimation, and inference, was used to analyze the articles. The most common applications were two-level models where individuals were nested within contexts. Most studies were non-experimental and used nonprobability samples. The amount of data at each level varied widely across studies, as did the number of models examined. Analyses of reporting practices indicated some clear problems, with many articles not reporting enough information for a reader to critique the reported analyses. For example, in many articles, one could not determine how many models were estimated, what covariance structure was assumed, what type of centering if any was used, whether the data were consistent with assumptions, whether outliers were present, or how the models were estimated. Guidelines for researchers reporting multilevel analyses are provided.

A Review of the Racial Identity Development of African American Adolescents: The Role of Education

DeCuir-Gunby, J. T. — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 09:59:12 PDT

The purpose of this article is to provide a review and etiology of research on racial identity development of African American adolescents in the field of education. This review explores the Black racial identity (BRI) literature, focusing on how BRI has been examined. In particular, the review concentrates on the literature’s use of surveying instruments, the instruments’ psychometric evidence, and the instruments’ use in education. This article ends with a discussion of BRI research, offering implications for adolescents in education and future directions for research.

"But This Story of Mine Is Not Unique": A Review of Research on African American Children's Literature

Brooks, W., McNair, J. C. — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 09:59:12 PDT

This article provides a review of research on African American children’s literature by synthesizing the growing body of textual and reader response research conducted across the past several decades. The literature presented in this article cuts across the disciplines of education as well as English and library science. Using the selective tradition as a theoretical underpinning, the authors review extant literature through a three-pronged thematic heuristic developed as a result of their analysis. These themes present research findings related to African American children’s literature as (1) contested terrain, (2) cultural artifact, and (3) literary art. The three themes generated to delineate the findings derived from a four-stage iterative process of analysis. By considering collective findings, a more careful and continued institutionalization of this literature can take place in schools, libraries, bookstores, popular media, and within families. The authors also address future implications for educational practice and research related to African American children’s literature.

The Work of Multicultural Teacher Education: Reconceptualizing White Teacher Candidates as Learners

Lowenstein, K. L. — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 09:59:12 PDT

This article explores and challenges a widely held and often unexamined conception of White teacher candidates as learners about issues of diversity and equity in teacher education. This conception suggests that most White teacher candidates are deficient learners who lack resources for learning about diversity. This review reframes this conception through an examination of three bigger pictures of White teacher candidates, of the lack of research regarding pedagogies for multicultural teacher education, and of insights from those who describe pedagogies that build on what students bring. Ultimately, if teacher educators hope that teacher candidates view their future K–12 students as having resources and capabilities for learning, then teacher educators must critically examine and dialogue about what they model through their own pedagogies.

The Role of Reader Characteristics in Processing and Learning From Informational Text

Fox, E. — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 09:59:12 PDT

This article considers the role of reader characteristics in processing and learning from informational text, as revealed in think-aloud research. A theoretical framework for relevant aspects of readers’ processing and products was developed. These relevant aspects included three attentional foci for processing (comprehension, monitoring, and evaluation) and five types of processing behaviors (use of strategies, metacognition, monitoring, goal setting and pursuit, and use of prior knowledge). Relevant aspects of products included mental representations of text (textbase, situation model of text, situation model of phenomenon, and author model) and the quality of those representations. A body of 45 studies was identified, considering reader characteristics of ability, experience, knowledge, and interest. Overall, low levels of all these were associated with an emphasis on local-level processing and effortful construction of a textbase, whereas higher levels were associated with more globally directed, more effective, more flexible engagement, leading to better quality mental representations and greater learning.

A Synthesis of Reading Interventions and Effects on Reading Comprehension Outcomes for Older Struggling Readers

Wed, 25 Mar 2009 09:59:12 PDT

This article reports a synthesis of intervention studies conducted between 1994 and 2004 with older students (Grades 6–12) with reading difficulties. Interventions addressing decoding, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension were included if they measured the effects on reading comprehension. Twenty-nine studies were located and synthesized. Thirteen studies met criteria for a meta-analysis, yielding an effect size (ES) of 0.89 for the weighted average of the difference in comprehension outcomes between treatment and comparison students. Word-level interventions were associated with ES = 0.34 in comprehension outcomes between treatment and comparison students. Implications for comprehension instruction for older struggling readers are described.

Models of Cognition for Students With Significant Cognitive Disabilities: Implications for Assessment

Kleinert, H. L., Browder, D. M., Towles-Reeves, E. A. — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 09:59:12 PDT

This article addresses the application of the assessment triangle developed by the National Research Council (Pellegrino, Chudowsky, & Glaser, 2001), most specifically the cognition vertex of that triangle, to the unique learning characteristics of students with significant cognitive disabilities in developing and demonstrating academic competence. Given the inclusion of all students, including students with significant cognitive disabilities, in measures of large-scale educational assessment and accountability under the No Child Left Behind Act, it is essential to examine how the primary elements of knowledge representation and competence identified by Pellegrino et al. for all students have special ramifications for students with significant cognitive disabilities. It is only in the development of such a model of competence that it is possible to construct alternate assessments for these students that validly represent what these students know and can do.

Interpersonal Relationships, Motivation, Engagement, and Achievement: Yields for Theory, Current Issues, and Educational Practice

Martin, A. J., Dowson, M. — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 09:59:12 PDT

In this review, we scope the role of interpersonal relationships in students’ academic motivation, engagement, and achievement. We argue that achievement motivation theory, current issues, and educational practice can be conceptualized in relational terms. Influential theorizing, including attribution theory, expectancy-value theory, goal theory, self-determination theory, self-efficacy theory, and self-worth motivation theory, is reviewed in the context of the role of significant others in young people’s academic lives. Implications for educational practice are examined in the light of these theoretical perspectives and their component constructs and mechanisms. A trilevel framework is proposed as an integrative and relationally based response to enhance students’ motivation, engagement, and achievement. This framework encompasses student-level action (universal programs and intervention, targeted programs for at-risk populations, extracurricular activity, cooperative learning, and mentoring), teacher- and classroom-level action (connective instruction, professional development, teacher retention, teacher training, and classroom composition), and school-level action (school as community and effective leadership).

Cultural Explanations for Racial and Ethnic Stratification in Academic Achievement: A Call for a New and Improved Theory

Warikoo, N., Carter, P. — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 09:59:12 PDT

In this article we assess the literature on cultural explanations for ethno-racial differences in K–12 schooling and academic performance. Some cultural arguments problematically define certain ethno-racial identities and cultures as subtractive from the goal of academic mobility while defining the ethnic cultures and identities of others as additive and oriented toward this goal. We review two prevailing schools of thought that compare immigrant and native minority students: cultural–ecological theory and segmented assimilation theory. Second, we examine empirical research that highlights the complexity of culture, focusing on four domains: (a) the school’s cultural environment; (b) variation in identities and cultural practices within ethnic and racial groups; (c) the multidimensional nature of culture and its variable impact on students; and (d) the intersections of race, ethnicity, class, and gender. This literature—when synthesized—suggests that a coherent theory of culture’s impact on ethnic and racial differences in schooling outcomes must unpack the multiple influences of identity and context more deliberately than previous literature has done. Finally, we call for studies that employ comparative research across groups and understand race and ethnicity contextually, not as mere dummy variables, thereby equipping researchers with the tools to better explain how culture influences schooling and achievement.

Advancements in Research Synthesis Methods: From a Methodologically Inclusive Perspective

Suri, H., Clarke, D. — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 09:59:12 PDT

The dominant literature on research synthesis methods has positivist and neo-positivist origins. In recent years, the landscape of research synthesis methods has changed rapidly to become inclusive. This article highlights methodologically inclusive advancements in research synthesis methods. Attention is drawn to insights from interpretive, critical, and participatory traditions for enhancing trustworthiness, utility, and/or emancipatory potential for research syntheses. Also noted is a paucity of the literature that builds connections between methodologically diverse segments of the literature on research synthesis methods. Salient features of a methodologically inclusive research synthesis (MIRS) framework are described. The MIRS framework has been conceptualized by distilling and synthesizing ideas, theories, and strategies from the extensive literatures on research synthesis methods and primary research methods. Rather than prescribe how a research synthesis should be conducted or evaluated, this article attempts to open spaces, raise questions, explore possibilities, and contest taken-for-granted practices.

School-Based Child Sexual Abuse Prevention Programs: A Review of Effectiveness

Topping, K. J., Barron, I. G. — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 09:59:12 PDT

In this systematic and critical review of purely school based child sexual abuse prevention program efficacy studies, 22 studies meeting the inclusion criteria differed by target population, program implementation, and evaluation methodology. Measured outcomes for children included knowledge, skills, emotion, risk perception, touch discrimination, reported response to actual threat or abuse, disclosure, maintenance of gains, and negative effects. Many studies had methodological limitations (e.g., sampling problems, lack of adequate control groups, lack of reliable and valid measures). However, most investigators claimed that their results showed significant impact in primary prevention (increasing all children’s knowledge or awareness and/or abuse prevention skills). There was little evidence of change in disclosure. There was limited follow-up evidence of actual use and effectiveness of prevention skills, and the evidence for maintenance of gains was mixed. Several programs reported some negative effects. Very few studies reported implementation fidelity data, and no study reported cost-effectiveness. Implications for future research, policy, and practice are outlined.

A Review of Empirical Evidence About School Size Effects: A Policy Perspective

Leithwood, K., Jantzi, D. — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 09:59:12 PDT

This review examined 57 post-1990 empirical studies of school size effects on a variety of student and organizational outcomes. The weight of evidence provided by this research clearly favors smaller schools. Students who traditionally struggle at school and students from disadvantaged social and economic backgrounds are the major benefactors of smaller schools. Elementary schools with large proportions of such students should be limited in size to not more than about 300 students; those serving economically and socially heterogeneous or relatively advantaged students should be limited in size to about 500 students. Secondary schools serving exclusively or largely diverse and/or disadvantaged students should be limited in size to about 600 students or fewer, while those secondary schools serving economically and socially heterogeneous or relatively advantaged students should be limited in size to about 1,000 students.

The Prosocial Classroom: Teacher Social and Emotional Competence in Relation to Student and Classroom Outcomes

Jennings, P. A., Greenberg, M. T. — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 09:59:12 PDT

The authors propose a model of the prosocial classroom that highlights the importance of teachers’ social and emotional competence (SEC) and well-being in the development and maintenance of supportive teacher–student relationships, effective classroom management, and successful social and emotional learning program implementation. This model proposes that these factors contribute to creating a classroom climate that is more conducive to learning and that promotes positive developmental outcomes among students. Furthermore, this article reviews current research suggesting a relationship between SEC and teacher burnout and reviews intervention efforts to support teachers’ SEC through stress reduction and mindfulness programs. Finally, the authors propose a research agenda to address the potential efficacy of intervention strategies designed to promote teacher SEC and improved learning outcomes for students.

Sources of Self-Efficacy in School: Critical Review of the Literature and Future Directions

Usher, E. L., Pajares, F. — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 12:58:14 PST

The purpose of this review was threefold. First, the theorized sources of self-efficacy beliefs proposed by A. Bandura (1986) are described and explained, including how they are typically assessed and analyzed. Second, findings from investigations of these sources in academic contexts are reviewed and critiqued, and problems and oversights in current research and in conceptualizations of the sources are identified. Although mastery experience is typically the most influential source of self-efficacy, the strength and influence of the sources differ as a function of contextual factors such as gender, ethnicity, academic ability, and academic domain. Finally, suggestions are offered to help guide researchers investigating the psychological mechanisms at work in the formation of self-efficacy beliefs in academic contexts.

Synthesis of Research on the Role of Culture in Learning Among African American Youth: The Contributions of Asa G. Hilliard, III

Lee, C. D. — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 12:58:14 PST

This article synthesizes selected historical, philosophical, and empirical research of Asa G. Hilliard, III and discusses theoretical linkages between that body of research and empirical studies of learning and development among African American youth in the field of Black psychology.

Social Comparison in the Classroom: A Review

Dijkstra, P., Kuyper, H., van der Werf, G., Buunk, A. P., van der Zee, Y. G. — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 12:58:14 PST

This article reviews research conducted on social comparison processes in the classroom since Festinger proposed his theory of social comparison. It covers the theoretical framework of social comparison theory, and it is organized around the following themes: motives for social comparison, dimensions of social comparison, direction of social comparison, and consequences of social comparison. The overall picture is an emerging one in which pupils prefer to compare their performances upward—specifically, with pupils who perform better than themselves but who resemble themselves on related and unrelated attributes. Although the magnitude of the effects of social comparison in the classroom is not examined, the review suggests that such upward comparisons not only lead pupils to perform better but evoke negative affect and lower academic self-concept. Topics discussed include inconsistencies (especially with regard to the direction of comparison and the motives underlying social comparison in the classroom), practical implications, and directions for future research.

The Effect of Family Literacy Interventions on Children's Acquisition of Reading From Kindergarten to Grade 3: A Meta-Analytic Review

Senechal, M., Young, L. — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 12:58:14 PST

This review focuses on intervention studies that tested whether parent–child reading activities would enhance children’s reading acquisition. The combined results for the 16 intervention studies, representing 1,340 families, were clear: Parent involvement has a positive effect on children’s reading acquisition. Further analyses revealed that interventions in which parents tutored their children using specific literacy activities produced larger effects than those in which parents listened to their children read books. The three studies in which parents read to their children did not result in significant reading gains. When deciding which type of intervention to implement, educators will have to weigh a variety of factors such as the differences in effectiveness across the different types of intervention, the amount of resources needed to implement the interventions, and the reading level of the children.

Dr. Asa G. Hilliard III: Trumpeter for the Academic and Cultural Excellence of African American Children

Lemons-Smith, S. — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 12:58:14 PST

This article explores the scholarship of Asa G. Hilliard III on the theme of student academic and cultural excellence and the development of teachers. Throughout his career, Hilliard questioned the nation’s commitment to ensuring the academic success of all children. The premise "Do we have the will to educate all children?" is reflected throughout his work, and it is the central theme of this article. Specifically, in selected examples of his scholarship, the article highlights Hilliard’s ideas on the psychological paradigm shift required for schools and teachers to "release the genius" of every child. His vision is considered within the context of traditional notions of effective teachers and teaching. Although the article primarily focuses on education broadly, select aspects of Hilliard’s work relative to mathematics education are underscored as well.

Commercial Teacher Selection Instruments: The Validity of Selecting Teachers Through Beliefs, Attitudes, and Values

Metzger, S. A., Wu, M.-J. — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 12:58:14 PST

One influential hypothesis for what makes teachers effective contends that the best teachers share a particular set of values about education, such as commitment, caring, or persistence. To translate affective beliefs, attitudes, and values into practicable teacher selection, many schools have turned to commercial teacher hiring instruments. This article synthesizes 24 studies of the most prominent teacher selection instrument, Gallup’s Teacher Perceiver Interview (TPI). Overall, we find a modest relationship (r=.28) between the TPI and some measure of teaching quality. The article explores complications that arise for schools from using beliefs, attitudes, and values to select among teacher candidates and discusses their implications for the educational-values hypothesis.

Culturally Responsive Schooling for Indigenous Youth: A Review of the Literature

Castagno, A. E, Brayboy, B. M. J. — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 12:58:14 PST

This article reviews the literature on culturally responsive schooling (CRS) for Indigenous youth with an eye toward how we might provide more equitable and culturally responsive education within the current context of standardization and accountability. Although CRS for Indigenous youth has been advocated for over the past 40 years, schools and classrooms are failing to meet the needs of Indigenous students. The authors suggest that although the plethora of writing on CRS reviewed here is insightful, it has had little impact on what teachers do because it is too easily reduced to essentializations, meaningless generalizations, or trivial anecdotes—none of which result in systemic, institutional, or lasting changes to schools serving Indigenous youth. The authors argue for a more central and explicit focus on sovereignty and self-determination, racism, and Indigenous epistemologies in future work on CRS for Indigenous youth.

Asa Grant Hilliard III: Scholar Supreme

Watkins, W. H. — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 12:58:14 PST

This integrative review uses two of Asa Grant Hilliard’s books, SBA: The Reawakening of the African Mind and The Maroon Within Us: Selected Essays on African American Community Socialization, to discuss aspects of his scholarly legacy in teaching, history, and psychology. His scholarship is provocative. Hilliard rejected the supremacy of the Western world and, thus, its canons. A seminal thinker, he wrote in streams of consciousness, moving freely among and across disciplines. His work includes a body of information, data, analyses, critique, and polemic for the ages.

Teaching English Language Learners in the Content Areas

Janzen, J. — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 12:58:14 PST

This review examines current research on teaching English Language Learners (ELLs) in four content area subjects: History, math, English, and science. The following topics are examined in each content area: The linguistic, cognitive, and sociocultural features of academic literacy and how this literacy can be taught; general investigations of teaching; and professional development or teacher education issues. The article summarizes key findings in the literature, examining trends and discontinuities across the different content areas, and concludes with implications for teaching and suggestions for further research.

Parent Involvement in Homework: A Research Synthesis

Patall, E. A., Cooper, H., Robinson, J. C. — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 12:58:14 PST

New emphasis is being placed on the importance of parent involvement in children’s education. In a synthesis of research on the effects of parent involvement in homework, a meta-analysis of 14 studies that manipulated parent training for homework involvement reveals that training parents to be involved in their child’s homework results in (a) higher rates of homework completion, (b) fewer homework problems, and (c) possibly, improved academic performance among elementary school children. A meta-analysis of 22 samples from 20 studies correlating parent involvement and achievement-related outcomes reveals (a) positive associations for elementary school and high school students but a negative association for middle school students, (b) a stronger association for parent rule-setting compared with other involvement strategies, and (c) a negative association for mathematics achievement but a positive association for verbal achievement outcomes. The results suggest that different types of parent involvement in homework have different relationships to achievement and that the type of parent involvement changes as children move through the school grades.

Instructional Interventions Affecting Critical Thinking Skills and Dispositions: A Stage 1 Meta-Analysis

Tue, 10 Feb 2009 12:58:14 PST

Critical thinking (CT), or the ability to engage in purposeful, self-regulatory judgment, is widely recognized as an important, even essential, skill. This article describes an ongoing meta-analysis that summarizes the available empirical evidence on the impact of instruction on the development and enhancement of critical thinking skills and dispositions. We found 117 studies based on 20,698 participants, which yielded 161 effects with an average effect size (g+) of 0.341 and a standard deviation of 0.610. The distribution was highly heterogeneous (Q_T = 1,767.86, p < .001). There was, however, little variation due to research design, so we neither separated studies according to their methodological quality nor used any statistical adjustment for the corresponding effect sizes. Type of CT intervention and pedagogical grounding were substantially related to fluctuations in CT effects sizes, together accounting for 32% of the variance. These findings make it clear that improvement in students’ CT skills and dispositions cannot be a matter of implicit expectation. As important as the development of CT skills is considered to be, educators must take steps to make CT objectives explicit in courses and also to include them in both preservice and in-service training and faculty development.

Erratum

Tue, 10 Feb 2009 12:58:14 PST