Donna M. Mertens – författare

"In an era when government policy emphasizes 'scientifically based research' (No Child Left Behind), this book provides an important resource in understanding what this means."Diane Browder, Snyder Distinguished Professor of Special EducationUniversity of North Carolina, Charlotte

"This is a superb book. I learned by reading it, and I found myself rethinking some of my own thinking about research on individuals with disabilities."James E. Ysseldyke, ProfessorUniversity of Minnesota

Learn how research can lead to improved skills and contribute to successful lives.

When face-to-face with the challenge of providing special needs children with a quality education, teachers and other educators are often met with the dilemma of inadequate research on the topic, or they are uninformed that a framework for critically analyzing and conducting special education research exists. Research-based practice is a powerful tool for success, as it can inform educators and others about educational strategies that work.

Research and Evaluation Methods in Special Education is intended to enable educators to design, conduct, and report research and evaluation in a way that transforms special education by addressing the needs of persons with disabilities as heterogeneous, cultural groups. This text provides practical guidance for:

This excellent resource provides an approach to research and evaluation that helps educators better understand and address the needs of students with various disabilities, including blindness, mental retardation, deafness, learning disabilities, and more.

"In an era when government policy emphasizes 'scientifically based research' (No Child Left Behind), this book provides an important resource in understanding what this means."Diane Browder, Snyder Distinguished Professor of Special EducationUniversity of North Carolina, Charlotte

"This is a superb book. I learned by reading it, and I found myself rethinking some of my own thinking about research on individuals with disabilities."James E. Ysseldyke, ProfessorUniversity of Minnesota

Learn how research can lead to improved skills and contribute to successful lives.

When face-to-face with the challenge of providing special needs children with a quality education, teachers and other educators are often met with the dilemma of inadequate research on the topic, or they are uninformed that a framework for critically analyzing and conducting special education research exists. Research-based practice is a powerful tool for success, as it can inform educators and others about educational strategies that work.

Research and Evaluation Methods in Special Education is intended to enable educators to design, conduct, and report research and evaluation in a way that transforms special education by addressing the needs of persons with disabilities as heterogeneous, cultural groups. This text provides practical guidance for:

This excellent resource provides an approach to research and evaluation that helps educators better understand and address the needs of students with various disabilities, including blindness, mental retardation, deafness, learning disabilities, and more.

In this groundbreaking first volume of SAGE′s Evaluation in Practice Series, best-selling author Donna M. Mertens explores the meaning of mixed methods evaluation, its evolution over the last few decades, and the dominant philosophical frameworks that are influencing thought and practice in the field today. Four chapters explore evaluation of the effectiveness of interventions, development of instruments, systematic reviews, and policy evaluations, while an additional chapter covers evaluation approaches often required in specific contexts including gender responsive evaluations, needs assessment, and evaluations in conflict zones. Practical in nature, the book guides readers’ thinking about the design of mixed methods evaluations through the use of illustrative examples and explanations for further applications.

SAGE’s Evaluation in Practice Series offers concise, practical books for students and professionals working as evaluators.

From distinguished scholar Donna M. Mertens, this book provides a framework for making methodological decisions and conducting research and evaluations that promote social justice. The transformative paradigm has emerged from—and guides—a broad range of social and behavioral science research projects with communities that have been pushed to the margins, such as ethnic, racial, and sexual minority group members and children and adults with disabilities. Mertens shows how to formulate research questions based on community needs, develop researcher–community partnerships grounded in trust and respect, and skillfully apply quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-methods data collection strategies. Practical aspects of analyzing and reporting results are addressed, and numerous sample studies are presented.

Student- and Instructors-Friendly Features Include:

*Commentary on the sample studies that explains what makes them transformative.

*Explanations of key concepts related to oppression, social justice, and the role of research and evaluation.

*Questions for Thought to stimulate critical self-reflection and discussion.

*Advance chapter organizers and chapter summaries.