Special Educators' Comprehension of Research Design and Educational Measurement

Abstract

An increasing number of special educators has been joining research-oriented organizations. These educators have been expected to read articles in and/or write articles for the organizations' scientific and archival journals. Papers published in such journals should be objective, scientific, experimental, and theory-oriented. A basic knowledge of experimental design and educational measurement is essential for effective reading and writing of research reports. This study was designed to ascertain special educators' level of understanding of experimental design and educational measurement. A sample of 50 special educators in an inservice training program was asked to respond to 21 randomly arranged terms in a short-answer format. The results suggest that special educators lack the opportunity to learn research methodology, and that they therefore do not have the tools necessary to determine the value of published reports. Without such knowledge, it will be difficult for them to conform to the standards of professional development in the discipline of special education. The curriculum for the preparation of special educators at colleges or universities should be expanded to encompass research design and methodology. The present study may stimulate teacher-education institutions to evaluate their existing programs.