| Abstract: | PROPOSES A MULTIVARIATE PARADIGM FOR EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH IN THE EXPECTATION THAT IT WILL INCREASE THE LIKELIHOOD OF MAKING FURTHER PROGRESS TOWARD A MEANINGFUL THEORY OF TEACHING. INSTRUCTIONAL COMPARISON STRATEGIES DERIVED FROM SIMPLER PARADIGMS ARE CRITICIZED WITH RESPECT TO (1) CRITERIA EMPLOYED, (2) ERRONEOUS IMPLICIT ASSUMPTIONS OF INDEPENDENCE AND HOMEGENEITY OF CONDITIONS, AND (3) LACK OF SPECIFICITY OF VARIABLES INVESTIGATED. IT IS SUGGESTED THAT FURTHER ADVANCES IN UNDERSTANDING CLASSROOM INSTRUCTION REQUIRE NEW PRETHEORETICAL MODELS EMPHASIZING INTERACTIONS RATHER THAN MAIN EFFECTS. THE PARTICULAR PARADIGM SUGGESTED FOCUSES UPON INTERACTIONS BETWEEN 4 VARIABLE CLASSES: CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENT, INSTRUCTOR, LEARNER, AND COURSE. SPECIFIC VARIABLES WITHIN EACH CLASS ARE DEFINED AND AN INVESTIGATORY PATTERN IS SUGGESTED. REPRESENTATIVE FINDINGS ILLUSTRATING THE POTENTIAL FERTILITY OF THE PARADIGM ARE CITED. (39 REF.) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved) |
