ABSTRACT
Classroom Communication and Instructional Processes: Advances Through Meta-Analysis is primarily a collection of investigations related to effective instructional practices. In addition to offering generalizations bearing on classroom communication and instructional techniques, the meta-analyses included in this book reflect our commitment to designing curriculum and pedagogy based on the “best available evidence.” In an era of high-stakes testing and intense competition for resources, the criteria for what constitutes “best” evidence merits consideration. At issue are the qualities of research that make advice about educational techniques and strategies believable. In this chapter, we review one exchange between researchers regarding credible evidence, advance the rationale for meta-analytic summaries of instructional research, and consider the various audiences that will assess the believability of meta-analytic claims. Our goal is to illustrate the contributions meta-analysis can make to the development of curriculum, pedagogy, and educational policy.
