Insights into aspects of teachers' planning reported here were gathered as part of a broader project examining aspects of the implementation of the Australian curriculum in mathematics. In particular, responses of teachers to a survey of various aspects of decisions that inform their planning are discussed. While there is diversity in processes…

The final versions of nationally developed standards for science education have recently been published for use by practitioners, and it is obvious that these standards will have some influence on how science education is conducted. The effects of the standards on teaching and curriculum development can be anticipated, but their effects on…

A description is given of a college course in survey research and attitudinal measurement offered by the School of Education at the University of Louisville. The graduate level course focuses on the principles of social research; survey research methods; and data analysis, interpretation, and application. National survey data are used to teach all…

This paper comprises a revision of an earlier model of planned school change developed by the authors. The revision is based on data from several large school curriculum projects. A model explicates interactions between the roles of school-related personnel and stages of change. Eleven major stages have been subdivided into critical points, around…

This study was designed to test a less labor intensive data collection methodology than the extensive interview system developed by the University of Michigan currently used to show the relationship between faculty rationale and course description. Subjects (N=210) were randomly selected faculty members each of whom was responsible for teaching…

The instructional information system (IIS), a method by which instructionally relevant information can be collected, stored, processed, and reported to various users in a timely manner, has considerable potential to improve instruction. To better identify the circumstances in which the IIS will succeed, it is necessary to know more about how…

A job opportunity-based curriculum planning model was developed for high school vocational agriculture programs. Three objectives were to identify boundaries of the geographical area within which past program graduates obtained entry-level position, title and description of position, and areas of high school specialization; number and titles of…

This paper reports on the design and results of a paired sample survey of 226 graduates and 110 of their employers in one professional area at a university. This study was designed to explore the usefulness of a method of data collection for paired surveys and the potential benefits of surveying both graduates and employers. Survey development and…

An approach is described for teaching undergraduate sociology students social research skills through student use of packaged computer programs while carrying out their own research projects. Two back-to-back courses focus on training in data collection methodologies, followed by training in data analysis using the computer. In order to meet the…

Two different methods for collecting course-specific data on class learning and growth are discussed. The first, Item/Student Sampling, is directly dependent upon assessing class performance both prior to and following instruction. This procedure relies on multiple matrix sampling techniques. The second method, referred to as Self-Report of Course…

As part of a graduate research course, nine students formed a research team to carry out all aspects of a multimethod research study, including design, data collection and analysis, interpretation, and presentation of results in a final evaluation report to a local school corporation. Benefits and challenges were noted by both the instructor and…

The need to teach student teachers to be reflective in solving problems and planning teaching events has led to an interest in developing appropriate data collection procedures for interns learning to perform self-evaluations. A study of 15 undergraduate student teachers was conducted to determine the extent to which they could perform unaided…

It has been difficult to define the work of curriculum directors for a variety of reasons related to educational structures and policies. Through the use of qualitative methodology, this study provides an in-depth analysis of the work of four exemplary curriculum directors in an effort to define their duties and responsibilities, identify the…

The Model Secondary School for the Deaf is exploring research areas in which computer-assisted instruction (CAI) plays a major role. Research in the area of learning styles and strategies of deaf adolescents is being aided by CAI data gathering systems. Also under investigation is the use of CAI and visual thinking for deaf adolescents. Curriculum…

The Research and Development Center for Teacher Education has launched a national study of change at the high school level, involving visits to a national sample of 18 high schools by 2-member research teams who conducted interviews with various constituencies to determine: (1) the types, sources, and purposes of changes in high schools; (2) the…