This theme issue discusses the misuse of evaluation. The eight articles all discuss instances in which the evaluation process or evaluation findings were misused. Misuse is usually not the result of methodological issues but rather is an issue of human relations and sometimes of political pressure. (SLD)

Fourteen research reports related to mathematics education are abstracted and analyzed. Five studies deal with aspects of mathematics instruction, and there are four reports each on mathematics achievement and on two cognitive processes. The remaining items concern calculators, attitudes, and aptitude-treatment interaction. Research related to…

This special double issue focuses on the issue of alternative assessment and its place in educational reform. "Alternative Assessment: A National Perspective" (T. Stefonek) emphasizes that the fundamental purposes of new assessment methods are grounded in educational goals, meaningful outcomes, and curricular and instructional programs…

Story telling is defined as a kind of journalistic documentation, based on directly observable referents, and used to contribute to an understanding of educational problems. In the area of educational research, story telling is part of the genre which includes case studies, ethnography, and ethnology. Story telling describes an environment in…

The purpose of this report is to describe the present education system in Spain as it relates to lifelong education. The report identifies criteria and methodological problems in educational planning aimed at transforming school systems along the lines of lifelong education. It then describes how these principles have been incorporated in the…

One of a series of sixteen knowledge transformation papers, this paper represents a comprehensive study of the nature and types of impact evaluation available to vocational administrators, researchers, and evaluation experts. After explaining the concepts of the CIPP (context, input, process, product) model, of summative evaluation and the value…

Articles in this volume focus on the following: student counseling and other factors determining course choices of university students; a focus on unspecific diagnoses of students with learning disabilities; self-evaluations aimed at improving the quality of schools; relationship of academic goals and the use of different learning and study…

This document consists of the first 10 articles of volume 8 of the electronic journal "Practical Assessment, Research & Evaluation" published in 2002-2003: (1) "Using Electronic Surveys: Advice from Survey Professionals" (David M. Shannon, Todd E. Johnson, Shelby Searcy, and Alan Lott); (2) "Four Assumptions of Multiple Regression That Researchers…

Data from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) 1997 Arts Assessment in Music, which covered eighth-grade students only, regardless of whether they had received instruction in music, show that student involvement in a variety of musical activities (playing an instrument in particular) is positively related to student music…

This collection of abstracts is part of a continuing series providing information on recent doctoral dissertations. The 34 titles deal with a variety of topics, including the following: an evaluation of college-level dictionaries for use in freshman composition; peer feedback during the writing process; the effects of formal, traditional grammar…

The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) 1998 Civics Assessment found that 12th-graders who participated in volunteer service had higher scores than those who did not. Furthermore, 12th-graders who worked 6 to 15 hours a week had higher scores than those who either worked longer hours or did not work at all. (Contains two tables and…

Recent research (1978-1982) on student evaluations of teaching is reviewed, including: influence of background variables pertaining to the student, the teacher, and the learning environment; the dimensions of the teaching being evaluated; the validity of students' evaluations; the "Doctor Fox" effect and its implications for validity; the…

This report summarizes Scottish research during 1995 which aimed to assess the take-up, knowledge, understanding, and use of the National Record of Achievement (NRA) in all sectors. The survey found a lack of awareness of the NRA among employers and colleges. One recommendation from the report is for future development and promotion of the NRA in…

This document consists of papers published in the electronic journal "Practical Assessment, Research & Evaluation" during 2000-2001: (1) "Advantages of Hierarchical Linear Modeling" (Jason W. Osborne); (2) "Prediction in Multiple Regression" (Jason W. Osborne); (3) Scoring Rubrics: What, When, and How?"…

Articles in this volume focus on the following: teacher evaluation and quality management in education; steps toward a comprehensive and systematic staff evaluation; opinions of university students on teaching methods at science faculties; design of a scale to assess the ability to jump for the use in elementary school physical education; effects…