This article discusses various forms of research that are contemporaneously being undertaken for either investigating or establishing the efficacy of educational interventions, along with their strengths and limitations. It first explains what “credible” educational intervention research means, taking into account the importance of causal inference in intervention research methodologies, before turning to single-case intervention designs and how they can be profitably applied in a number of educational and psychological intervention research contexts. It then describes randomization as a means to enhance the scientific credibility of single-case intervention research and how theory can make intervention research more credible. Finally, it offers recommendations for conducting, analyzing, and reporting educational intervention research, with an eye toward improving its quality and associated credibility.
Causal Mediation in Educational Intervention Studies