A regression approach to evaluating instructional programs in science

This paper discussed a multiple linear regression approach to the evaluation of instructional strategies in science. A treatment by levels experimental design and the methods required for forming and solving research problems associated with it were described. Two methods of college biology instruction, the Audio-Tutorial and conventional techniques, were compared in terms of promoting achievement. Methods for making comparisons between the two treatments in the form of linear models were discussed. Interpreting regression solutions to linear models was also presented. The principles expressed in this paper can be applied to other research problems as an effective alternative to the two-way analysis of variance.     

Gender differences in instructional leadership: how male and female principals perform their instructional leadership role

The current qualitative study sought to examine how male and female principals enact their instructional leadership. Data were collected through 59 semi-structured interviews with 36 female principals and 23 male principals from Israel, and analysed in a four-stage process – condensing, coding, categorising, and theorising. Findings presented two main differences between male and female principals’ instructional leadership: (a) the source of authority nurturing their instructional leadership; and (b) the integration of instructional leadership with principal-teacher relationships. Gender theories were employed to explain these findings and further research possibilities in this realm are discussed.     

Examining contextual differences in the development of instructional leadership and school achievement

This study examined the generalizability of a principal instructional leadership model and its impact on school academic achievement across different school levels. The study tested the model across elementary and secondary school levels. The study also examined whether elementary school principals exert stronger instructional leadership influence over their school's academic achievement than high school principals. The results confirmed the fit of the same instructional leadership model to principals from both school levels. The results are discussed in terms of their theoretical and practical implications.     

Indicators of exemplary programs in instructional design and technology: faculty and student perspectives

This exploratory study investigated what faculty and current students in Instructional Design and Technology (IDT) programs perceive as indicators of an exemplary program. We surveyed a sample of the faculty and students and asked them to identify the most important indicators of an exemplary program and rank their own programs according to those indicators. We contacted programs from 11 different countries, though the majority of contacted programs were from the United States of America. We coded and analyzed the respondents’ 941 indicator statements and created 35 thematic indicators. The frequency and percentage of occurrence of these themes across the programs for both faculty and students were analyzed. Their mean rating of their programs for each theme was also calculated. The paper presents the results of this analysis and examines the differences across students/faculty and program types. The findings of this survey, albeit limited due to the low response rate, could benefit IDT programs in terms of performance improvement and assist students by offering criteria by which they can select a graduate program.     

Achievement goals for teaching and teachers’ reference norms: Relations with instructional practices

This study is connected to recent research that introduced achievement goal theory as a framework for research on teacher motivation. We aimed at investigating teachers’ goals’ indirect effects on their instructional practices through their reference norms. Drawing on a sample of 206 teachers, structural equation modeling revealed that mastery orientation was connected to more adaptive forms of reference norms and instruction, whereas less adaptive patterns were recorded for ability-approach orientation, ability-avoidance orientation, and work avoidance. Thus, school should not only focus on the enhancement of students’ mastery goals but also on fostering teachers’ mastery goals.     

How instructional design experts use knowledge and experience to solve ill‐structured problems

This study examined how instructional design (ID) experts used their prior knowledge and previous experiences to solve an ill‐structured instructional design problem. Seven experienced designers used a think‐aloud procedure to articulate their problem‐solving processes while reading a case narrative. Results, presented in the form of four assertions, showed that experts (1) narrowed the problem space by identifying key design challenges, (2) used an amalgam of knowledge and experience to interpret the problem situation, (3) incorporated a mental model of the ID process in their problem analyses, and (4) came to similar conclusions about how to respond to the situation, despite differences in their initial conceptualizations. Implications for educating novice instructional designers are discussed.