This monograph analyzes the philosophical foundations of research into the administration of educational organizations. The first part reviews past debates about the philosophical foundations of research in educational administration, focusing on three contending schools of thought: the empiricists, the phenomenologists, and the critical…

Loose coupling implies the tying together of subsystems in such a fashion that neither can do without the other but neither has much control over the other. The idea of loose coupling, introduced by Karl Weick, is examined in relation to educational administration and organizational analysis in general. The concept employs both a particular theory…

Perceptions and attitudes have been identified as being influential components for the development of an effective precollege science education program. A carefully planned and implemented public relations program is advocated in this paper as a means of developing accurate perceptions and positive attitudes. The paper offers the process of…

Formal and functional similarities in a learner's first and second languages (L1 and L2) facilitate the perception of cross-linguistic equivalence between individual items (phonemes, morphemes, words, and phrases). The beginning foreign language learner makes frequent use of these perceived equivalences when he learns to understand L2 items. This…

This paper discusses the concept of a family system in terms of an interactive system of interrelated, interdependent parts and suggests that VHS movies can act as perturbations, i.e., change promoting agents, for certain dysfunctional family systems. Several distinct characteristics of a family system are defined with particular emphasis on…

Discussion reflects on the notions of the constructionist viewpoint in development, of integration, and of individual uniqueness, by drawing on studies of mother-infant interaction, the development of 24-hour infant state organization and regulation, and life span development. The logic of construction by which an individual shapes his or her…

Developers who use the systems approach to training begin developing a lesson by identifying the skills and knowledge to be learned and the kinds of learning experiences required. The next step is to develop instructional segments. These segments include all instructor and trainee activities required to master the skill. Learning segments include…

The Systems Thinking and Curriculum Innovation (STACI) project is a multi-year research effort intended to examine the cognitive demands and consequences of learning from a systems thinking approach to instruction and from using simulation-modeling software. This study tests the potentials and effects of integrating the systems approach into…

This description of a method for using task analysis information to derive skill and knowledge requirements in the development of a training course begins by considering two important aspects of deriving skill and knowledge requirements. First, it is argued that task description is an important part of system design and training development in…

The Systems Thinking and Curriculum Innovation (STACI) Project is a multi-year research effort intended to examine the cognitive demands and consequences of learning from a systems thinking approach to instruction and from using simulation-modeling software. The purpose of the study is to test the potentials and effects of integrating the systems…

Designed to provide a broad introduction to the subject of educational objectives, this booklet discusses an objectives-based approach to course design, highlights the key role played by educational objectives in any systematic approach to course or curriculum design, distinguishes between the terms "aims" and "objectives," and…

Despite substantial efforts to stimulate innovation in the public schools, little long-term change has been noted by observers. No firm data have been obtained to describe the innovative behavior of school systems longitudinally. The extensive literature has reinforced a permutational view of educational change as dependent on the given…

The literature on instructional design argues that curricula, educational materials, and instructional strategies are best created using a systems approach, and models for the systematic design of educational programs have proliferated over the past decade. However, these models are prescriptive and not based on research into how designers…

This guidebook presents definitions, components, examples, evaluation criteria, and aids for the development and evaluation of Learning Activity Packages (LAP), which are sets of integrated, competency based instructional materials aimed at developing proficiency in one or more topics of instruction. The first chapter sets forth definitions, in…

Research and clinical support for the connections between alcohol abuse and the family milieu have generated increased interest in family treatment approaches to alcoholism. In assessing the "alcoholic family," the clinician must consider numerous aspects of family interaction which have been linked to abuse and to treatment outcomes.…