The appropriate implementation of innovation is a crucial factor in improving educational practice. In the implementation process, there is, however, often a lack of interaction between designers and practitioners that would enable the latter to become competent enough to implement theoretical knowledge into practice and to have an ongoing support…

In January 2011, a Joint Committee of representatives from the U.S. Department of Education (ED) and the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) began work to establish cross-agency guidelines for improving the quality, coherence, and pace of knowledge development in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education. Although the…

This article describes the design and development of a professional development program based upon research on the competencies necessary for online teaching success conducted at Penn State University in 2009-2010. The article highlights how the results of this research are being aligned with various professional development courses comprising the…

Business students are increasingly seeking international experience in short-term, study abroad programs to enhance their intercultural knowledge, intercultural communication skills, and global perspectives to be more competitive in the global arena. Intuitively, universities initiating these programs and the students sojourning abroad believe in…

This guide is designed to help districts and schools evaluate reform efforts related to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), including School Improvement Grants. It includes practical, how-to tips for conducting program evaluations, whether one takes a "do-it-yourself" approach or seeks outside assistance to evaluate reform…

The authors present a plan for vocational education research that could help decision makers focus on critical research areas. The plan is described in a schematic format that highlights the critical nature of vocational education research planning. A blending of policy and programmatic considerations is suggested. (Author/CH)

The purpose of this paper is to outline a set of principles to guide research on the early education of Hawaiian children. The paper discusses what R. Tharp and R. Gallimore term a "climax program," or combination of program elements which produces a desired social outcome. How research efforts can be structured to contribute to the…

The document presents a conceptual framework and program plan for R&D in career education prepared for the National Institute of Education, based on a fundamental premise that R&D requires a focus on operationally definable problems. The focus suggested is the responsiveness of career education to the problems experienced by individuals as they…

"Learning how to learn--in classrooms, schools and networks" (LHTL) was a major school based development and research project within the ESRC Teaching and Learning Research Programme. As such it was expected to work towards fulfilment of TLRP aims to work for improvement in learning outcomes, in authentic learning and teaching contexts,…

The Experimental Schools (ES) program is one of a series of federally funded projects designed to stimulate and study planned change within local educational agencies. This paper presents the goals and methods of the ES program and of research being conducted under its jurisdiction. It considers exclusively issues in the design and implementation…

Three professional development models are described which use research as a basis for the content and the process of program design and implementation. These are: (1) the research-based planning model; (2) the research-based problem solving model; and (3) the research-based data collection model. (JN)

This report explores the field research experience of the Documentation and Technical Assistance Project, an activity of the Center for New Schools in Chicago, Illinois. Using ethnography as a major research tool, DTA studied nine school sites, documented information on how the schools solved problems to bring about school improvement; and…

Elements of a proposal submitted to the U.S. Office of Education under improved research coordination, productivity, and utilization are discussed. The proposal seeks to structure, focus, share, inform, and to simulate the development of a coordinated research program in industrial arts through a national research management system. The research…

The curriculum for this 2-week workshop on educational research development and evaluation is designed to increase participants' skills in project development and proposal writing and increase their knowledge of research and evaluation methods. Geared toward adult professionals who are skilled and motivated, the curriculum helps participants to…

This executive summary highlights key elements of a paper produced by the National Center for Research in Vocational Education for persons interested in maximizing benefits from research and development in vocational education. This summary describes the legislative background, conceptual model, essential framework, and operational guidelines for…