Detecting Instruction Effects—Deciding Between Covariance Analytical and Change-Score Approach

The article focuses on estimating effects in nonrandomized studies with two outcome measurement occasions and one predictor variable. Given such a design, the analysis approach can be to include the measurement at the previous time point as a predictor in the regression model (ANCOVA), or to predict the change-score of the outcome variable (CHANGE). Researchers demonstrated that both approaches can result in different conclusions regarding the reported effect. Current recommendations on when to apply which approach are, in part, contradictory. In addition, they lack direct reference to the educational and instructional research contexts, since they do not consider latent variable models in which variables are measured without measurement error. This contribution assists researchers in making decisions regarding their analysis model. Using an underlying hypothetical data-generating model, we identify for which kind of data-generating scenario (i.e., under which assumptions) the defined true effect equals the estimated regression coefficients of the ANCOVA and the CHANGE approach. We give empirical examples from instructional research and discuss which approach is more appropriate, respectively.

Transnational partnerships for tertiary agricultural education in Africa.

This chapter examines ways in which an equal balance of power can be established in designing and implementing higher-education partnerships. The partnerships featured here are transnational - both within and outside Africa - so they typically have different academic structures, traditions and resources. The chapter presents an approach to partnership design and implementation with the intention of helping African tertiary agricultural education (TAE) institutions strategically pursue arrangements which build enduring institutional and human-resource capacity through joint and equitable engagement in their core mandates: educational instructional, research and outreach.

Scientifically Supported Writing Practices

This article examines scientifically supported writing practices (SSWPs) and what instructional research tells us about the teaching of writing to school-aged students. It first explains why teachers should apply SSWPs before considering writing practices based on the insights and experience of professional writers and teachers, along with their limitations. It then describes writing practices based on scientific evidence and outlines three reasons why SSWPs are important to writing instruction and should become central to everyday writing practices. Twenty SSWPs that provide teachers with a variety of tools for improving students’ writing are analyzed; these SSWPs also provide a framework for a writing program that addresses six principles. The article concludes with a discussion of two basic theories that have dominated much of the discussion about how writing develops: The first takes into account how context shapes writing development, and the second emphasizes the role of cognition and motivation.