Using a case study, the complex challenge of making mathematics education research accessible to secondary mathematics teachers was addressed with two questions. How can we design a method that will meet the challenge of making research usable for mathematics teachers? And what would this method be? To address this challenge we describe a process…

The improvement of instructional methods or the solutions of problems of an instructional nature requires information that is not usually part of the Canadian common experience and must be discovered by means of research. Types of fundamental and applied research are discussed, including action, developmental, evaluation, and diagnostic research.…

The Focus on Teacher Project worked in the field of primary teacher staff development. Its aim was to produce, from a platform of school-based research, INSET materials to suppport improvement in primary classroom teaching. The focus was specifically on teaching, rather than on other aspects of a teacher's professional work. The materials to be…

The concept of a problem-focused coursework model, the main inservice vehicle examined in this research conducted at Simon Fraser University in British Columbia, incorporates traditional university input with training in implementation skills for teachers. The study examined the impact of a problem-focused model of coursework on the instructional…

The University of Guelph's Office for Educational Practice, an administrative unit for instructional development that relies on faculty volunteer leadership and participation, is described and discussed in the context of research on improvement of instructional effectiveness. (MSE)

The National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER) was commissioned by the Department for Education and Skills (DfES) to conduct a study of primary, secondary and special maintained schools in England to assess the use of data in teaching and learning. The study sought to identify how data is used to promote learning in primary, middle,…

Reports on activities and concerns of the Soviet Union's Academy of Pedagogical Sciences in conjunction with educational reform. Calls for systematic improvement, of which "the pedagogy of cooperation" is only a part. Emphasizes creative teaching methods and better coordination between research and classroom practice. Reviews individual…

Adult literacy program outcomes have been disappointing. A number of principals and methods from cognitive and neuropsychological research can be used to make literacy instruction more effective, including the following: improving cognitive function; fast reading; reading practice; literacy as a motivator; and improving use of class time.…