A focus group of 49 teachers revealed that teachers do use research, but they seek it out under very specific conditions. They also use different criteria than researchers use to judge the quality of research. For teachers, important factors include an ethos of localized learning, a shortage of time, and the primacy of local context. Researchers…

Intended to provide the novice media researcher with an introduction, review, and current thinking on media-related research, this article traces the historical emphases and development of such research, discusses its positive and negative aspects, and presents recommendations by practitioners and researchers, as well as directions for future…

Sixty-seven persons responded to a survey regarding their perceptions of the most influential research papers, position papers, research reviews, and books in special education. Strong evidence was not found to conclude that any publications, with the exception of a 1968 paper by L. Dunn, could be designated as seminal works. (JDD)

An evaluation of the extent to which research influences decision making in vocational education and training (VET) at the policy level necessitates consideration of these three areas: (1) decision making; (2) research; and (3) linkages. First, the impact of research on decision making incorporates these two elements: (1) use; and (2) influence.…

Reviews recent and current research and development projects in the United Kingdom dealing with online information systems. Main areas of research (systems design, impact on user behavior and organizational structure, ergonomics and bibliographic factors) and research techniques (features analysis, transaction log analysis, surveys and comparative…

Twenty primary school teachers using the resource room model with low performing, mildly intellectually handicapped, or learning disabled children in Queensland (Australia) were surveyed on their use of teacher effectiveness research in teaching procedures and functions. Effectiveness research was found to be generalizable to special and remedial…

Describes the design and operation of a prototype online catalog; reviews research which evaluated the system in terms of types of searches and success rates; and offers suggestions for enhancing subject access, including automatic stemming, synonym tables and cross-reference lists, and relevance feedback mechanisms. (CLB)

Discusses issues relating to the reliability, validity, utility, and information value of unobtrusive testing of library reference services; provides suggestions for practical applications of these criteria; applies study findings to library decision making and planning; and identifies topics for further methodological refinement. (Author/CLB)

Staff members of a state literary resource center surveyed their practitioner clients to determine how they viewed research and the kinds of uses they made of it. Mail surveys were sent to all of the 404 adult education and English as a second language program directors in the state, and followup telephone interviews were conducted with 16 of the…

Discusses why Japan has participated in the international cooperative studies sponsored by the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA). Asserts that Japanese educators want to compare not only content acquisition but also measures of cognitive learning. (CFR)

Contends that, although surveys of international achievement have been of interest to the U.S. educational community, these studies are now receiving attention among policymakers. Asserts that significant changes are occurring in world economy and that international achievement comparisons are receiving coverage in the U.S. media. (CFR)

This report is the product of a symposium which examined the current knowledge base of technology use in special education and identified aspects ready to be transferred into the practical setting. Presentations revolve around students with low-incidence disabilities: severe physical and severe cognitive impairments, and those impairments in…