MACM: An Embarrassment of Riches in
Search of Order
A limitation of the Walberg model is the macro
focus on monolithic domains, domains that fail to convey the
richness, multivariate complexity, and specificity needed for
scientifically-based applied research and intervention.
A review of the literature reveals a burgeoning of MACM
research during the past 30 years. The primary MACM variables
identified in the current review are listed and briefly defined in
Table 1. Table 1 reveals a richness of variables lurking
beneath Walberg's broad domain of student
characteristics.
A review of this extant literature reveals that
most student characteristic related research has focused on single
behaviors or traits in isolation, have studied the same
characteristic at different levels of generality (e.g., motivation
vs. intrinsic motivation), or have not been integrated into an
overarching taxonomy or model. The diversity of behaviors and
traits listed in Table 1 suggests an “embarrassment of
riches” in our understanding of MACM
variables.
