Education policy continues to press for increased use of research evidence in decision-making, yet decades of research point to weak links between research and practice. We see evidence-informed improvement not as a problem with schools, but with a larger evidence-use ecosystem. As a step toward building and strengthening multidirectional paths…

This study investigates the decision-making inputs, processes, and practices around the acquisition of technology to facilitate teaching and learning at institutions of higher education. The goals of this study were four-fold: to understand the factors and sources that influence decisions about educational technology (EdTech) acquisition and use…

Use of the results of investigator-initiated research in dental health services policy and administration, and the relationship between the researcher and decision making or implementation based on his findings, are examined. (MSE)

Discussed are two constraints that should be kept in mind when using research findings: (1) a recognition that researcher and practitioner work in different contexts; and (2) research findings should not be regarded as prescriptive, but rather as suggestive of ideas which may aid decision making. (RM)

Educational research and evaluation have had less impact on policy and decision making in education than hoped for, since research and evaluation represent fundamentally different kinds of endeavor than policy and decision making do. Evaluation has more impact than research because it is a more administrative activity and is more integral to…

A literature review concerning the relationship of institutional research and the institution's decision-making process reveals a wide range of opinion. A recurring theme is the precarious position of the researcher in the unique organization of higher education. Most sources agree that the institutional research office must be perceived as…

This report is among the first to gather data on what really works to increase under-represented students interest and success in quantitatively based occupations. The report also compiles specific recommendations based on that data. Data from a variety of sources show that although African American, Hispanic, and American Indian students who go…

Discusses a shift in administration and decision making at colleges and universities since 1975 towards substantially more use of data and analysis to respond to such constituencies as federal agencies, state legislators, students, and donors. Urges the use of research to respond to new policy questions, such as appropriate rates of withdrawal…

An analysis of the rationale, concepts and procedures for designing and implementing a model of decision-making for teachers engaged in developmental research is presented. The decision-making model is conceptualized as the intersection of four sets of data sources derived from the performance of preactive/planning tasks,…

Describes method of analysis of textbook indexes and bibliographies. Data can be used for studying the discipline, teaching, evaluating textbooks, and making administrative/personnel decisions. (Author/KC)

There are a wide variety of areas in the field of education in which policy studies are needed for the guidance and enlightenment of state policy makers. While there is not an absence of data in these areas, data are limited in scope, are of questionable validity, or are insufficiently powerful to effectively guide the formation of public policy.…

The academic community and the support base for higher education are seen as two seemingly opposing forces. Institutional research is proposed as a third force which, in its role of intermediary and articulator, can re-energize the planning-management systems of higher education. (Article originally published in 1972.) (AF)

The evolution of college and university planning is examined through a review of theory and a case study of DePaul University (Illinois). The discussion focuses on the evolving role for institutional research in strategic decision making and the new skills and knowledge researchers need to support strategic planning more effectively. (MSE)

The forms of knowledge that are relevant to education are diverse as well as complex. In 1995 the CERI, the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science, and the Belgium Flemish Ministry of Education held a conference in Maastricht to examine ways in which educational research-and-development systems functioned in various countries.…

The concept of knowledge utilization and the nature of practical decisions are analyzed to investigate how research knowledge and effective teaching practice are related. It is argued that the personal commitments of teachers, common sense, and normative requirements can also be valid bases for action. The author points out that an over-reliance…