Toward More Adequate Quantitative Instructional Research

Abstract

Quantitative instructional research is stronger when research questions are investigated in the context of well-defined lines of inquiry. Lines of inquiry allow the application of alternative perspectives, such as a social perspective, the refinement of the operationalizations of independent and dependent variables, and the development of high quality measurement instruments. They help manage interpretation problems caused by threats to internal and external validity. They promote the generation of cumulative knowledge about the design and implementation of instructional methods. They produce patterns of findings that can reduce researchers' dependence on inferential statistics. These characteristics enhance the scientific and practical meaning of quantitative instructional research.