This book provides an introduction to the theories, methods, and applications that constitute the social network perspective. Unlike more general texts, this title is designed for those current and aspiring educational researchers learning how to study, conceptualize, and analyze social networks. The author′s main intent is to encourage you to consider the social network perspective in light of your emerging research interests and evaluate how well this perspective illuminates the social complexities surrounding educational phenomena. Whether your interests lie in examining a peer′s influence on students′ achievement, the relationship between social support and teacher retention, or how the pattern of relations among parents contributes to schools′ norms, the tools introduced in this book will provide you with a slightly different take on these and other phenomena. Unlike other approaches, this perspective accounts for the importance of relationships within formal structures, and the informal patterns of interaction that emerge, sustain, or recede. Relying on diverse examples drawn from the educational research literature, this book makes explicit how the theories and methods associated with social network analysis can be used to better describe and explain the social complexities surrounding varied educational phenomena.

This new edition of The Sage Handbook of Social Network Analysis builds on the success of its predecessor, offering a comprehensive overview of social network analysis produced by leading international scholars in the field. Brand new chapters provide both significant updates to topics covered in the first edition, as well as discussing cutting edge topics that have developed since, including new chapters on: · General issues such as social categories and computational social science; · Applications in contexts such as environmental policy, gender, ethnicity, cognition and social media and digital networks; · Concepts and methods such as centrality, blockmodeling, multilevel network analysis, spatial analysis, data collection, and beyond. By providing authoritative accounts of the history, theories and methodology of various disciplines and topics, the second edition of The SAGE Handbook of Social Network Analysis is designed to provide a state-of-the-art presentation of classic and contemporary views, and to lay the foundations for the further development of the area. PART 1: GENERAL ISSUES PART 2: APPLICATIONS PART 3: CONCEPTS AND METHODS

The Foundational Handbook on Improvement Research in Education is a pathbreaking effort to build a field of research committed to producing the practical knowledge needed to advance educational access, quality, and equity. This is research distinguished by the use of inclusive, iterative approaches to analysis, design, implementation, and evaluation to understand and address educational opportunities, needs, and problems grounded deeply in school and community contexts. Designed for researchers, students, and educators, the handbook elaborates the intellectual foundations, explores the organizational and policy contexts, reviews approaches, and examines methods of improvement research. It features contributions from a plural community of researchers with expertise in the learning sciences, instructional improvement, organizational and policy studies, and research methodologies, many with extensive experience collaborating with teachers, leadership, families, and advocates in local problem solving and design.

Mixed Methods Social Network Analysis brings together diverse perspectives from 42 international experts on how to design, implement, and evaluate mixed methods social network analysis (MMSNA). There is an increased recognition that social networks can be important catalysts for change and transformation. This edited book from leading experts in mixed methods and social network analysis describes how researchers can conceptualize, develop, mix, and intersect diverse approaches, concepts, and tools. In doing so, they can improve their understanding and insights into the complex change processes in social networks. Section 1 includes eight chapters that reflect on "Why should we do MMSNA?", providing a clear map of MMSNA research to date and why to consider MMSNA. In Section 2 the remaining 11 chapters are dedicated to the question "How do I do MMSNA?", illustrating how concentric circles, learning analytics, qualitative structured approaches, relational event modeling, and other approaches can empower researchers. This book shows that mixing qualitative and quantitative approaches to social network analysis can empower people to understand the complexities of change in networks and relations between people. It shows how mixed analysis can be applied to a wide range of data generated by diverse global communities: American school children, Belgian teachers, Dutch medical professionals, Finnish consultants, French school children, and Swedish right-wing social media users, amongst others. It will be of great interest to researchers and postgraduate students in education and social sciences and mixed methods scholars.

Social Network Theory and Educational Change offers a provocative and fascinating exploration of how social networks in schools can impede or facilitate the work of education reform. Drawing on the work of leading scholars, the book comprises a series of studies examining networks among teachers and school leaders, contrasting formal and informal organizational structures, and exploring the mechanisms by which ideas, information, and influence flow from person to person and group to group. The case studies provided in the book reflect a rich variety of approaches and methodologies, showcasing the range and power of this dynamic new mode of analysis. An introductory chapter places social network theory in context and explains the basic tools and concepts, while a concluding chapter points toward new directions in the field. Taken together, they make a powerful statement: that the success or failure of education reform ultimately is not solely the result of technical plans and blueprints, but of the relational ties that support or constrain the pace, depth, and direction of change. This unique volume provides an invaluable introduction to an emerging and increasingly important field of education research.

This book identifies key factors that drive the development and improvement of higher education research in emerging and advanced economies. In an increasingly interconnected world, knowledge production supported by strong research is a channel for the development of nations. The authors of this book argue that in order to drive knowledge production, leaders must strive to improve their understanding of how global research networks interact with one another, especially from the perspective of internationalization. This book is a useful resource for higher education researchers interested in knowledge production and dissemination as well as academic leaders and practitioners, students, and leaders interested in public administration policies and management.

This book constitutes the refereed proceedings of the 14th CCF Conference on Computer Supported Cooperative Work and Social Computing, ChineseCSCW 2019, held in Kunming, China, in August 2019. The 52 revised full papers and 10 short papers were carefully reviewed and selected from 169 submissions. The papers of this volume are organized in topical sections on: collaborative models, approaches, algorithms, and systems; social computing (online communities, crowdsourcing, recommendation, sentiment analysis, etc.); AI for CSCW and social computing.

Co-published by Routledge for the American Educational Research Association (AERA) Educational policy continues to be of major concern. Policy debates about economic growth and national competitiveness, for example, commonly focus on the importance of human capital and a highly educated workforce. Defining the theoretical boundaries and methodological approaches of education policy research are the two primary themes of this comprehensive, AERA-sponsored Handbook. Organized into seven sections, the Handbook focuses on (1) disciplinary foundations of educational policy, (2) methodological perspectives, (3) the policy process, (4) resources, management, and organization, (5) teaching and learning policy, (6) actors and institutions, and (7) education access and differentiation. Drawing from multiple disciplines, the Handbook’s over one hundred authors address three central questions: What policy issues and questions have oriented current policy research? What research strategies and methods have proven most fruitful? And what issues, questions, and methods will drive future policy research? Topics such as early childhood education, school choice, access to higher education, teacher accountability, and testing and measurement cut across the 63 chapters in the volume. The politics surrounding these and other issues are objectively analyzed by authors and commentators. Each of the seven sections concludes with two commentaries by leading scholars in the field. The first considers the current state of policy design, and the second addresses the current state of policy research. This book is appropriate for scholars and graduate students working in the field of education policy and for the growing number of academic, government, and think-tank researchers engaged in policy research. For more information on the American Educational Research Association, please visit: http://www.aera.net/.

This book synthesizes a wealth of international research on the critical topic of ‘fostering understanding of complex systems in biology education’. Complex systems are prevalent in many scientific fields, and at all scales, from the micro scale of a single cell or molecule to complex systems at the macro scale such as ecosystems. Understanding the complexity of natural systems can be extremely challenging, though crucial for an adequate understanding of what they are and how they work. The term “systems thinking” has become synonymous with developing a coherent understanding of complex biological processes and phenomena. For researchers and educators alike, understanding how students’ systems thinking develops is an essential prerequisite to develop and maintain pedagogical scaffolding that facilitates students’ ability to fully understand the system’s complexity. To that end, this book provides researchers and teachers with key insights from the current research community on how to support learners systems thinking in secondary and higher education. Each chapter in the book elaborates on different theoretical and methodological frameworks pertaining to complexity in biology education and a variety of biological topics are included from genetics, photosynthesis, and the carbon cycle to ecology and climate change. Specific attention is paid to design elements of computer-based learning environments to understand complexity in biology education.