Research Design Issues in the Evaluation of Programs for the Gifted: A Case Study

Abstract

A rationale for the use of better research designs in the evaluation of programs for the gifted learner is outlined. Some definitions of research designs are presented along with the results of an evaluation of a summer program for gifted learners at Northwestern University. The differential role that research design plays in the evaluation of student proficiency, course products, and attitudes is examined through the use of a case study approach. The case study demonstrates how using a research design can provide information that permits an evaluator to make more interpretable inferences about program effects.