Despite decades of research related to teaching and learning, the findings have made little impact on classroom teaching and learning. This paper briefly describes the four existing methods to close this gap, with more extensive analyses of the limitations of one of the four methods, which is to consolidate and distill robust laboratory findings…

Nineteen articles on the status of the relationship among educational research, policy, and practice around the world are collected in the 1985 edition of the "World Yearbook of Education." Contributors address the development of national policies on educational research in countries in North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia, and…

Purposes and functions of regional research and development (R&D) services sponsored by the National Institute of Education (NIE) are described, based on a task force's assessment of R&D services provided by regional laboratories. The historical context of the following questions are addressed: whether the conduct of R&D constitutes a…

The funded research program of the Scottish Education Department (SED) plays a dominant part in educational research in Scotland. This program includes developmental projects, but mainstream curriculum development has been guided by national committees influenced by Her Majesty's Inspectorate. Negotiations for research within SED's program are…

The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) is developing a certification process, rather than a test, to confer distinction on experienced teachers who meet demanding standards. The role of performance assessment in this voluntary certification is discussed, and the research goals of the NBPTS are described. (SLD)

Fitting educational research to Latin America's developmental needs is a political issue involving differences in perspectives of Latin American and United States researchers, Latin American governments, and agencies concerned with development outside Latin America. A comparison of ERIC's "Current Index to Journals in Education" with the…

Research plays a necessary and highly valued role in the process of educational reform which has been modifying Sweden's educational system since the 1950's. The fixed resources available to universities for research and the flexible resources allocated to universities and other agencies by four major funding organizations are described in this…

In this article, we explore a series of issues and tensions raised by the papers in this Special Issue of "Environmental Education Research." This papers focus on developments in environmental education and ESD research in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. In order to provide an alternative framework for contextualising and understanding…

The Danish government has awarded more direct control over funding of basic research to a higher education agency of the ministry of education, representing a step toward increasing both the quantity and quality of graduating scientists. However, new problems have arisen from this shift in policy. (MSE)

Analysis of the role of research councils and the awarding of research grants suggests that they have become part of the reward system of the scientific community. It is proposed that research councils must become entrepreneurial, seeking both resources and a role in strategic networks, or face obsolescence. (MSE)

Funding practices of Canada's Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, the principal source of funds for university-based research and scholarship in those disciplines, are examined. In the current competitive environment, the council uses varied evaluation activities, from peer-based grant adjudication for operational purposes to program…

High-performance computing refers to the use of advanced computing technologies to solve highly complex problems in the shortest possible time. The federal High Performance Computing and Communications Initiative of the Advanced Research Project Agency (ARPA) attempts to accelerate availability and use of high performance computers and networks.…

Australia's Cooperative Research Centres Program, a system of 52 research and development (R&D) units, links researchers from public and private sectors, helping industry and scientific community coordinate research efforts. The program represents 6% of the national R&D effort and spans six major R&D and industry sectors. (MSE)

A Public Health Service's demonstration project brought together four historically black colleges and universities, public funding, and professional research administrator expertise to determine the impact of establishing a campus-sponsored research office. The program was found successful and may be useful for other small and midsized…

The National Science Foundation practice of using scientifically qualified program directors, some from university laboratories, to make grant-giving recommendations independent of external peer reviewers is compared with the practice of other agencies. A recent policy of allowing program directors to make some small grants without external peer…