This report discusses the most relevant issues concerning using student test results in OECD countries. Initially the report provides an overview of how student test results are reported in OECD countries and how stakeholders in these countries use and perceive of the results. The report then reviews the literature relating to using student test…

Background: Active Support (AS) is an approach for promoting increased engagement in activities by people with intellectual disability (ID). Method: We critically reviewed the available research on AS, and added a commentary to help guide future research and practice. Results: Despite weaknesses in the research design of some studies, there is…

This article explores the applicability of interdisciplinary research on the implementation of technological innovations to the field of e-learning research. Arguing that there are important ways in which e-learning systems can be treated as "technological innovations," this article presents a review of several key theoretical and research design…

Defines effective educational research in developing countries as that which influences educational aims. Descriptions of studies analyzing educational research effectiveness, recommendations for institutions doing educational research to increase their effectiveness, and recommendations for future effectiveness studies are included. (AM)

Research on teaching can be concerned with teaching in general or it can be conducted with a single kind of subject matter. Which kind of research is more advantageous? This issue arises in the planning of programs of research on teaching. The generic approach looks for uniformities, concepts, and principles that apply across all or many subject…

The popularity of using qualitative, or ethnographic, research methods to improve educational practices is increasing. However, an examination of how research findings are translated into policy is necessary to assess accurately the extent to which this goal can be realized. This paper assesses the efficiency of four strategies for increasing…

Describes a study that obtained assessments of the status of research in library and information science from leading researchers in the field. Five key issue areas affecting the status of research are identified and specific recommendations are offered to address these issues and improve the status of research in this area. (31 references)…

Intended to provide the novice media researcher with an introduction, review, and current thinking on media-related research, this article traces the historical emphases and development of such research, discusses its positive and negative aspects, and presents recommendations by practitioners and researchers, as well as directions for future…

Describes the social and educational factors affecting the generation of high quality educational research and the degree of its utilization in developing countries. Examples of imaginative and appropriate research from several countries are included. The author recommends increased flexibility and imagination in future research designs. (AM)

A study examined 20 years of research represented in the National Reading Conference (NRC) Yearbooks with the purpose of creating an NRC Yearbook database. The study analyzed overall trends in research topics and paradigms used by individuals whose work was reported in the NRC Yearbook between 1975-1995. The analysis was guided by the following…

A former editor of this journal, 1977-81, selects an outstanding article from his tenure that analyzes the journal's influence on Canadian educational research. Mapping the journal's shifting emphasis over 25 years, the article selected synthesizes central elements shaping the nature of research and examines descriptive, analytic, and…

Provides a detailed introduction to the variety of purposes for which evaluation research may be used and to the range of methods currently employed in the practice of that field. Uses specific examples, where appropriate, to provide concrete illustrations of both the goals of evaluation researchers and the methods used. (Author)

Perhaps no facet of long-term care (LTC) research has received as much attention as the evaluation of community-based LTC demonstrations. Recent thinking has called into question the validity and policy relevance of the findings of these studies, yet their efforts will continue to receive strong financial backing. The time has come for LTC…

Argues that experimental and field research can now demonstrate causal relationships between teaching techniques and learning, and that effective teaching practices can be taught. Urges, therefore, that improving teacher education be given high priority. (MCG)

Presents several significant issues in science policy for the field of aging. Discusses the relationship between the public, funding agencies, and researchers as well as the setting of priorities, the independence of scientists, and the translation of research into policy and practice. (Author)