AERA Announces Most Read Education Research Articles of 2018


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AERA Announces Most Read Education Research Articles of 2018

Washington, D.C., February 11, 2019—Research on the effect of private school attendance on student outcomes, the impact of teacher coaching on student achievement, the benefits of open and transparent education science, and more appears in the top 10 most popular journal articles published by the American Educational Research Association (AERA) in 2018. 

“Each of these articles exemplifies high-quality scholarship being published by AERA and being produced in the field of education research,” said AERA Executive Director Felice J. Levine. “These articles also demonstrate that rigorously produced research improves our understanding of pressing education issues, helping to inform evidence-based practices and policies that best benefit students, educators, and the public.” 

AERA publishes seven highly respected journals, which feature the fields' leading research. 

AERA used three measures to assess the popularity of journal articles: (1) the total number of times an article was downloaded in 2018; (2) the average number of times per month an article was downloaded (number of downloads divided by number of months an article was online); and (3) the number of downloads in the month when an article was downloaded most.

Open access links to the full articles are provided at no cost below, as well as a brief overview and explanation of the method used to rank the articles. AERA's overall top 10 list includes articles that appeared on at least two of the three measures.


Most Read Education Research Articles of 2018

Overview:

The following chart shows the 10 AERA journal articles published online in 2018 that appeared on at least two of three measures of “most read” and where they ranked in the top 10 within each measure.

For example, the article titled “The Effectiveness of Direct Instruction Curricula: A Meta-Analysis of a Half Century of Research” ranked #3 on the first measure and #7 on the second measure, but did not appear in the top 10 on the third measure.

Articles that appeared in the top 10 in all three measures are listed first, ordered by their average ranking. Articles that appeared on two measures are then listed, ordered by their average ranking. Articles not in the top 10 of a measure are denoted by "X."

  • Measure 1: Total Number of Article Downloads in 2018
  • Measure 2: Average Number of Article Downloads Divided by Number of Months Available Online
  • Measure 3: Number of Article Downloads in the Month the Article was Downloaded Most

Article


Measure 1 
Rank Score

 


Measure 2  Rank Score
 


Measure 3  Rank Score
 


1. Does Attendance in Private Schools Predict Student Outcomes at Age 15? Evidence from a Longitudinal Study

This study examined the extent to which enrollment in private schools between kindergarten and ninth grade was related to students’ academic, social, psychological, and attainment outcomes at age 15. After controlling for sociodemographic characteristics of children and families, the researchers found no evidence to suggest that low-income children or children enrolled in urban schools benefited more from private school enrollment.

Educational Researcher, published online July 2018

Authors: Robert C. Pianta, Arya Ansari

#1

#1

#1


2. The Effect of Teacher Coaching on Instruction and Achievement: A Meta-Analysis of the Causal Evidence

The authors reviewed the empirical literature on teacher coaching and conducted meta-analyses to estimate the mean effect of coaching programs on teachers’ instructional practice and students’ academic achievement. Although findings affirm the potential of coaching as a development tool, further analyses illustrate the challenges of taking coaching programs to scale while maintaining effectiveness.

Review of Educational Research, published online February 2018

Authors: Matthew A. Kraft, David Blazar, Dylan Hogan

#2

#5

#2


3. Open Education Science

Open Education Science is a set of practices designed to increase the transparency of evidentiary reasoning and access to scientific research in a domain characterized by diverse disciplinary traditions and a commitment to impact in policy and practice. The authors argue that each aspect of the scientific cycle—research design, data collection, analysis, and publication—can and should be made more transparent and accessible.

AERA Open, published online July 2018

Authors: Tim van der Zee, Justin Reich

#6

#2

#3


4. Advanced Placement: The Dual Challenge of Equal Access and Effectiveness

This literature review summarizes existing research on whether the AP program has achieved its dual goals of equal access and effectiveness. The extant literature suggests that, despite impressive gains in access to AP, significant barriers remain to its becoming a program that ensures equal access for all students and effectively prepares them for college coursework.

Review of Educational Research, published online July 2018

Author: Suneal Kolluri

#7

#4

#4


5. State Prekindergarten Effects on Early Learning at Kindergarten Entry: An Analysis of Eight State Programs

This study estimated the effects of eight state-funded preK programs (Arkansas, California, Michigan, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Carolina, and West Virginia) on children’s learning using a regression discontinuity design. Differences in effect sizes by domain suggest that preK programs should attend more to enhancing learning beyond simple literacy skills.

AERA Open, published online March 2018

Authors: W. Steven Barnett, Kwanghee Jung, Allison Friedman-Krauss, Ellen C. Frede, Milagros Nores, Jason T. Hustedt, Carollee Howes, Marijata Daniel-Echols
 

#5

#9

#5


6. The Effectiveness of Direct Instruction Curricula: A Meta-Analysis of a Half Century of Research

Quantitative mixed models were used to examine literature published from 1966 through 2016 on the effectiveness of direct instruction on reading, math, language, spelling, and other academic subjects as well as on other outcomes. All of the estimated effects were positive and all were statistically significant except results from metaregressions involving affective outcomes.

Review of Educational Research, published online January 2018

Authors: Jean Stockard, Timothy W. Wood, Cristy Coughlin, Caitlin Rasplica Khoury

#3

#7

X


7. Long-Term Trends in Private School Enrollments by Family Income

The authors used data from multiple national surveys to describe trends in private elementary school enrollment by family income from 1968 to 2013. Among the findings was that the private school enrollment rate of middle-income families declined substantially over the past five decades while that of high-income families remained quite stable.

AERA Open, published online January 2018

Authors: Richard J. Murnane, Sean F. Reardon

#4

#10

X


8. Intersectionality, Race-Gender Subordination, and Education

The authors unpack intersectionality as an analytical framework. First, they cite Black Lives Matter as an impetus for discussing intersectionality’s current traction. They also review the genealogy of “intersectionality” and provide their account of intersectionality’s utility for social analysis.

Review of Research in Education, published online April 2018

Authors: Angela Harris, Zeus Leonardo

#10

X

#7


8. Rethinking Connections Between Research and Practice in Education: A Conceptual Framework

Recent efforts to improve the quality and availability of scientific research in education, coupled with increased expectations for the use of research in practice, demand new ways of thinking about connections between research and practice. The conceptual framework presented in this paper argues that increasing research in educational decision-making cannot be simplified to an issue of dissemination or of motivating practitioners to access evidence-based research.

Educational Researcher, published online March 2018

Authors: Elizabeth Farley-Ripple, Henry May, Allison Karpyn, Katherine Tilley, Kalyn McDonough

#9

X

#8


10. The Long-Term Impact of Systemic Student Support in Elementary School: Reducing High School Dropout

This study examines the link between participation in a comprehensive elementary school student support intervention and high school dropout. Students who attended intervention elementary schools in a large, urban, high-poverty district during 2001–2014 were compared to students who did not attend intervention schools. Intervention students had approximately half the odds of dropout.

AERA Open, published online October 2018

Authors: Terrence J. Lee-St. John, Mary E. Walsh, Anastasia E. Raczek, Caroline E. Vuilleumier, Claire Foley, Amy Heberle, Erin Sibley, Eric Dearing

X

#8

#10


Note: "X" denotes articles not in the top 10 of a measure.

In addition to the preceding list of top 10 articles, AERA also released the top 10 articles appearing in each distinct measure. Click the links below to view complete lists.

About AERA
The American Educational Research Association (AERA) is the largest national interdisciplinary research association devoted to the scientific study of education and learning. Founded in 1916, AERA advances knowledge about education, encourages scholarly inquiry related to education, and promotes the use of research to improve education and serve the public good. Find AERA on FacebookTwitter, and Instagram.

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