Database research and implementation methods

Briesch, a. & Chafouleas, S. (2009, June). Review and analysis of literature on self-management interventions to promote appropriate classroom behaviors. School Psychology Quarterly, 24(2), 106-118.

Retrieved May 12, 2010 from EBSCO

In the article "Review and Analysis of Literature on Self-Management Interventions to Promote Appropriate Classroom Behaviors," Briesch and Chafouleas (2009) note that "behaviors such as inattention or disruption may prevent students from actively engaging in academic activities." Teacher-led behavioral interventions are limited in their effectiveness because they can be cost-prohibitive, the reinforcement is often inconsistent, and the desirable appropriate behaviors are unlikely to transfer to the next classroom.

This study investigated the effectiveness of student self-management techniques. Briesch and Chafouleas conducted a literature study analyzing research that had been conducted between 1988 and 2008. 30 studies were included in the literature review. The studies included 89 boys and 17 girls, all of whom were between eleven and twelve years old.

The research study determined that the students made moderate gains. However, there were significant weaknesses in the data. The previous findings from a literature study by Fantuzzo and Polite (1990) could not be replicated, first, because the original studies made no distinction between social behavior and academic performance, and secondly, because many of their articles did not include the effect sizes. The research and the logic are both questionable in this article because the findings could not be reproduced.

Summary 2

Conley, V. (2005). Career paths for women faculty: evidence from NSOPF:99. New Directions for Higher Education, 130(2), 25-39.

Retrieved May 12, 2010 from EBSCO

According to Conley (2005) in her article "Career Paths for Women Faculty: Evidence from NSOPF:99," men and women take different paths in their careers at academic institutions, and that this may occur because women are more likely to interrupt their careers to take care of their families. The research sought to measure women's career stages based upon their age. It compared the ages of men who were at the same career stage to determine how the career paths of women differ from the career paths of men.

The researcher collected her data by issuing surveys to both male and female respondents. The results showed that more men were employed as full-time faculty at each career stage, that more men than women held doctorates, and that more women in the early stages of their career held part-time positions. Conley (2005) stated, "These data may suggest that some women are reducing their work responsibilities in order to start a family." However, she mentions in the conclusion that "respondents are not asked whether they have ever interrupted their careers for family or other reasons."

Although her research initially seems to suggest that women take different career paths because of family responsibilities, there may be other reasons such as gender barriers or financial burdens that may also affect a woman's career track. The initial findings agree that women often take a different track than men, but they do not answer the question of whether the disruptions in a woman's career are primarily because of familial obligations or if they occur for other reasons.

Summary 3

Clardy, a. (2009, June). Distant, online education: effects, principles and practices. Retrieved May 12, 2010 from ERIC - Research Report (ERIC# ED506172).

In "Distant, Online Education: Effects, Principles and Practices" by Clardy (2009), the purpose of the research was to determine whether online or traditional campus courses were more effective. The researcher evaluated the effectiveness of computer aided instructional models and teaching methods for online learning by conducting a literature review. He examined three meta-analyses in particular and determined that there were two points on which they agreed. First, "distance education is as effective (if not slightly more so) than traditional classroom based, face-to-face instruction on many measures of academic performance." Secondly, there is "a large range of variance in both forms of educational delivery" (Clardy, 2009).