Browsing by Subject "Educational Research"

Now showing 1 - 5 of 5
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    Adult Literacy Programs: Producing Adult Literacy Research That Informs Policy
    (Midwest Research-to-Practice Conference in Adult, Continuing, and Community Education, 2003) Martin, Larry G.
    During the past decade, state and federal policy makers have made significant changes in domestic policies that significantly affect how adult literacy programs are organized, what potential students are considered eligible for classes, how long students can participate in classes and programs,who pays for classes, and other programmatic decisions. However, these policy decisions, although based on some research, are oftentimes not informed by adult education research. This paper addresses the issue of developing an adult literacy research agenda that effectively informs federal and state policy decisions particularly as these relate to adult education and the U.S. opportunity structure, the challenge to the GED diploma, welfare reform and adult literacy, family literacy programs, and adult literacy and multicultural learners.
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    Applying Science-Based Research To Teaching Adult English Language Learners
    (Midwest Research-to-Practice Conference in Adult, Continuing, and Community Education, 2004) Orem, Richard A.
    The purpose of this paper is to examine the research base on which rests the current best practices of teaching reading to adult English language learners. My focus is on reading because that is the skill most closely correlated to student academic success or socioeconomic improvement in the United States. The definition of science-based research is taken from Title VIII of the No Child Left Behind legislation (P.L. 107-110) of 2001 and is considered by the U.S. Department of Education to represent the “gold standard” in educational research. This definition identifies five critical qualities of acceptable research: application of rigorous, systematic, and objective procedures; reliance on empirical evidence; experimental design with testable hypotheses; ability of the study to be replicated; peer-reviewed or otherwise approved by independent experts. Five factors are found to be significant for affecting literacy development in English language learners across the lifespan: level of literacy proficiency in the first language; level of attained formal schooling in first language; second language proficiency; learner motivation; and professional development of instructors. This paper will include a discussion of best practices based on current knowledge, and conclude with implications for further research. Further research is needed to examine the role of first language proficiency and its transferability to learning literacy in English. We need to investigate the variability of time needed to attain proficiency in second language literacy. Finally, we need to examine the role that professional development plays in influencing teacher effectiveness.
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    A Comprehensive Literature Review Of Research On The GED Diploma To Clarify Conflicting Conclusions Arising From Asynchronous Hypotheses And Study Designs
    (Midwest Research-to-Practice Conference in Adult, Continuing, and Community Education, 2004) Vanderloo, Patricia Casey
    An initial literature review of 23 published studies on the GED diploma program over its successful life span of nearly 60 years yields inconsistent conclusions through analyses conducted at different times with different populations and different methods. Inasmuch as an hypothesis, an epistemological inquiry into what one wants to know, is a "dictatorship of the research question" (Tashakkori & Teddie, 1991, p. 21), it appears conflicting conclusions may result from an asynchrony between a research question and the study design. To serve as a guide to sort out whether a conflict exists in a study, this researcher collated the a) experiential; b) theoretical; and c) data dimensions of a study into quantitative and qualitative research paradigms. Use of time as a unifying element in this review divides the GED research into its 4 editions/generations. This device prompts the notion of time elements surrounding each hypothesis-- a fourth dimension. Thus, in addition to a personal learning time for the researcher, each hypothesis occurs in an historical time; a theoretical time; and a contextual or societal time. The scope of this paper is to briefly highlight the research reviewed according to its generation, research paradigm, notions of time, and future hope for the field.
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    Developing A Technical Translation Program: A Needs Assessment Study
    (Midwest Research-to-Practice Conference in Adult, Continuing, and Community Education, 2003) Sukhtankar, Prajakta; Cseh, Maria
    This paper presents a needs assessment study designed to determine the skills needed by technical translators to become successful in their work and content areas to be covered to develop these skills in a new technical translation program at the Department of Modern Languages and Literatures at Oakland University. A mixed qualitative and quantitative research design was used to collect data from professional technical translators. Content analysis and descriptive statistics of interview and survey data revealed several insights and suggestions regarding prerequisites for the students entering into the program, program content, and instructional strategies. Based on the findings, the paper concludes with twelve recommendations for the design of the program.
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    Vaillant’s Contribution To Research And Theory Of Adult Development
    (Midwest Research-to-Practice Conference in Adult, Continuing, and Community Education, 2003) Nolan, Robert E.; Kadavil, Nidhin
    Vaillant’s recent synthesis of the findings of three longitudinal studies on aging adds new insights to our theories of adult development. These insights provide us with new sets of variables for quasi-experimental and even descriptive studies of successful aging. His frame of reference is fundamentally Erikson’s to which he adds two stages, Career Consolidation and Keeper of the Meaning. He arrived at his model inductively over years of qualitative and quantitative longitudinal observations.