<DIV>This user-friendly text takes a learn-by-doing approach to exploring research design issues in education and psychology, offering evenhanded coverage of quantitative, qualitative, mixed methods, and single-case designs. Readers learn the basics of different methods and steps for critically examining any study's design, data, and conclusions, using sample peer-reviewed journal articles as practice opportunities. The text is unique in featuring full chapters on survey methods, evaluation, reliability and validity, action research, and research syntheses.<br><br> Pedagogical Features Include:<BR> *An exemplar journal article at the end of each methods chapter, together with questions and activities for critiquing it (including, where applicable, checklist forms to identify threats to internal and external validity), plus lists of additional research examples.<BR> *Research example boxes showing how studies are designed to address particular research questions.<BR> *In every chapter: bulleted chapter objectives and summaries, subheadings written as questions, a running glossary, and end-of-chapter discussion questions.<BR> *Instructor's Manual, provided separately, supplying teaching aids, answers to exercises, and links to online test bank items and PowerPoints.</DIV>