Single-subject research (SSR) is an experimental research tradition that is well established in other fields (e.g., special education, behavior analysis) but has rarely been applied to topics in gifted education. In this Methodological Brief, Brandi Simonsen and Catherine A. Little from the University of Connecticut highlight the key features of SSR, describe typical SSR designs, and present examples to illustrate how each design could be applied to topics in gifted education.
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Simonsen, B., Little, C.A., & Fairbanks, S. ( 2010). Effects of task difficulty and teacher attention on the off-task behavior of high-ability students with behavior issues. Journal for the Education of the Gifted, 34, 245-260.
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Tieso, C.L. ( 2009). Looking back and moving ahead: Quantitative research in gifted education. In B. McFarlane & T. L. Stambaugh (Eds.), Leading in gifted education: The festschrift of Dr. Joyce VanTassel-Baska (pp. 423-434). Waco, TX: Prufrock Press.
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Wolery, M., Busick, M., Reichow, B., & Barton, E.E. ( 2010). Comparison of overlap methods for quantitatively synthesizing single-subject data. Journal of Special Education, 44, 18-28.