Many of the researchers in research-practice partnerships (RPPs) are drawn to them because of frustrations that their work--while esteemed by academic colleagues--too infrequently influences education policies or practices. Many district partners in RPPs also have backgrounds as researchers, and they too want to see research address stubborn…

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)

The goal of scaling up of educational innovation is to produce robust, effective, replicable outcomes. This report addresses requirements to support scale-up of scientifically vetted innovation (or new ideas that are built on the findings of quality research and development). In this report, a number of issues are considered: the context of…

The current challenge in distance education is to determine the ways in which research can assist practice in fostering communication. Research in distance education may be broken down into three approaches: (1) practical and descriptive studies that give little attention to conceptual underpinnings; (2) application of conceptual models from…

The Federal Republic of Germany's educational system became a matter of major national concern in the early 1960's, drawing new attention to the need for educational research. Sociological and economic questions joined the pedagogical and psychological concerns previously central to research; the character of the educational system was added to…

This chapter examines, from four perspectives, the ways in which educational research, development, and evaluation activities in the United States are organized, controlled, and supported, and considers whether research can be properly used to shape educational policy and practice. First, the size and historical development of the research and…

Examines trends in social science research on biotechnology and agriculture. Discusses role of private industry's biotechnology "hype" in defining social science research policy in universities. Suggests that widespread promotion of biotechnology as "revolutionary" contributed to lack of academic scrutiny. Examines social…

In this speech, the authors contend that the adoption of a marketing approach by the disseminators of educational research and development product might well lead to a more effective way of getting products into use by educators. The marketing concept as defined comprises the planning of a coordinated set of products and programs to serve the…

Explores what focus groups are, how they have been utilized by researchers, and some of the practical and theoretical implications for incorporating focus groups in the design of educational research. Includes verbatim transcripts from interviews and specific examples of various focus groups. (MJP)

Australian education and training and vocational education and training (VET) research are in a state of crisis. Both the higher education and VET sectors are now squeezed and subject to contradictory objectives, multiple accountabilities, heightened expectations, and diminished resources in an environment of uncertainty and frustration. The…

Examines issues, especially definitional issues, in the practical application of effective naturalistic instructional (NI) practices in the instruction of young children with disabilities and their families. Suggests guidelines for describing independent and dependent variables in the procedural and contextual features of research into NI. (DB)

Several developments growing out of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) are reviewed, with a discussion of their extension and application to other projects. These developments include: (1) complex matrix item sampling designs; (2) performance-based items in large-scale assessments; (3) vertical scaling; and (4) innovative…

A review of recent literature and commission reports identifies persistent problems in two areas of educational administration: research and preparation programs. The two problems are linked in that they are often supervised by faculty who direct but do not themselves perform research. Two areas of research needs are the poor research skills of…