When people interpret the outcome of a research study, do they consider other relevant information such as prior research? In the current study, 251 college graduates read a single brief fictitious news article. The article summarized the findings of a study that found positive results for a new drug. Three versions of the article varied the…

In the United States, increased pressure through accountability policy and through the production and dissemination of scientifically based research are intended to create conditions for improving research use. Concurrently, researchers, education agencies, and funders have mounted efforts to strengthen relationships between research and…

In this technical report, the Center for Research Use in Education (CRUE) presents the methodological design of a large-scale quantitative investigation of research use by school-based practitioners through the "Survey of Evidence in Education for Schools (SEE-S)." It documents the major technical aspects of the development of SEE-S,…

How is the usefulness of research assessed as university research becomes more and more commodified? The question is addressed through an analysis of how the results of a particular research project were received in a large private company that had provided the main funding for a research project on gender and top management, a project based on…

A study compared the influence of four missing data techniques on three published analyses of the High School and Beyond data (reexamining public- versus private-school achievement). Results indicated that use of data-replacement techniques affected the conclusions of the three studies examined. A small positive effect favoring private schooling…

The Education Commission of the States conducted interviews in six school districts in five different states (California, Colorado, Iowa, Maryland, and Texas) to understand how districts can use data most effectively. These districts had used data to dramatically improve student achievement. Districts that make wise use of data have strong…

Describes research in two different domains: novices learning programing, and school pupils interpreting Cartesian graphs. Findings in each domain are discussed, but the main focus is an examination of the extent to which general principles and issues apply across both domains. Research implications for instructional design are discussed.…

This study analyzes the ways in which school boards assess and utilize evaluation data and their attitudes toward testing. Interviews with 27 school board members from 10 districts indicate that board members tend to rely on informal working knowledge over formal information, and on district administrators' judgments. Findings suggest that simple…

Teachers' stories were used to report the findings of a phenomenological (qualitative interview-based) study of experiences in teaching American Indian children. Avoiding academic discourse closes the gap between the reporting of research findings and their implementation into classroom practice. Contains 18 references. (Author/SAS)

This report presents findings from a national examination of the organizations that sponsor, oversee and hold accountable U.S. charter schools. Its primary aim is to describe and characterize these crucial but little known organizations: What do they look like? How big are they? How do they go about their work? The results of this inquiry is a new…

To determine the factors that influence interpretation of a research study description, 8 descriptions of research studies were interpreted by 320 undergraduate students in psychology, mathematics, and economics statistics and research methods classes at the University of Victoria (British Columbia, Canada), Millersville University (Pennsylvania),…

Basic issues concerning interpretive research, and theories and methods of using interpretive research to study teaching are discussed. The concept of interpretive research may also be known as ethnographic, qualitative, participant observational, case study, symbolic interactionist, phenomenological, or constructivist. Interpretive research…

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)

The Community College Student Experiences Questionnaire (CCSEQ) is designed to determine how community college students spend their time and the quality of effort that they put into the learning process. This updated manual describes elements of the CCSEQ and presents findings from 56 community colleges that have administered the questionnaire as…

This report analyzes surveys and studies using a management information system developed in 1985-86 by the Sacramento (California) school district. Objectives were to facilitate policy decisions and to provide a database for assessment of student achievement, district progress, and the district's long-range plan. The report is presented in nine…