Action learning is a process of learning and reflection that happens with the support of a group of colleagues ("set") working with real problems with the intention of getting things done. This guide is for those who want to practice action learning. It can be used to introduce the concepts of action learning to others and as a manual…

This paper outlines reasons why current school improvement efforts in the Miami-Dade (Florida) school district are inadequate and offers an approach that will both build on the formal structure already in place and add a methodology to make it more effective. The text focuses on the field of system dynamics and how this method of analyzing…

This data brief focuses on statistics related to employment of scientists and engineers in 1995. The data is presented in four charts that provide information on: (1) the number of employed scientists and engineers by broad occupation and broad field of highest degree in 1995; (2) percentage distribution of employed scientists and engineers by…

This data brief reports on statistics related to the federal academic science and engineering obligations. The data is presented in one chart and two tables that provide information on federal science and engineering and science and engineering research and development obligations during the fiscal years 1986-1996, federal academic science and…

This workbook presents suggestions for people who yearn to build strong, active, involved communities. It discusses how organizers can conceptualize networks and the practices that will help to bring this about. The guide discusses issues that arise in the first stages of community development, beginning with basic questions about understanding…

This booklet provides an overview of the policy and status of early childhood education in Portugal and includes the text of Law 5/97, the Framework Law for Pre-School Education, as well as the Curriculum Guidelines for Pre-School Education adopted by Portugal's government. Two of Law 5/97's nine main goals are: (1) to promote the child's personal…

There is a crisis in the current development of research resources in social work. The contributions of practice-relevant research to the knowledge base of social work practice lag far behind the growth of the profession and professional education. This report describes the status of research development in social work, summarizes current issues,…

A combined interview with two educators active in peace education in Ireland, North and South, is presented in this document. Maura Ward and Paul Rogers work within the Joint Peace Education Programme of the Irish Commission for Justice and Peace and the Irish Council of Churches. In the interview, Ward and Rogers each discuss their experiences,…

The phenomenon of technological development has assumed great importance in the contemporary world. It is reflected in unprecedented growth in productivity with accompanying labor saving, in improvement of quality of products, in the launching of new products and services, and in the development of new branches of activity. This document reports…

Much has been learned during the past 2 decades about school learning environments; researchers have developed a variety of measures of perceptions of learning environment characteristics. However, most of the studies on this subject have used the whole school as the unit for the research. This study examined the relationships among school-level…

This document addresses the role of what is termed "general education" in the present university system. The teaching of the liberal arts is of primary importance in order to preserve an accurate knowledge of the past. If universities do not satisfy this need, the population will be easy targets for business and political communities peddling an…

A revitalized role of educational planning is called for in order to make education systems effective instruments for social change. This trend is persuasively articulated in the movement for educational reform currently engaging governments in several Asian countries. This booklet is an attempt to give an observer's personal assessment of the…

This report presents the findings and recommendations of the Governor's Commission on Higher Education for the Portland Metropolitan area. The Commission found that Portland needs educated citizens, that Portland's postsecondary education facilities are deficient particularly in systematic coordination, and that area strengths provide an…

The Critical Decision Method (CDM) is a structured interview method for eliciting expert knowledge. The method was used in a study of computer programmers who were experts at debugging complex computer systems. Fifteen programmers who were identified by their supervisors as experts were asked to describe an experience in which their expertise made…

The shortage of administrators within New England and recommendations aimed at alleviating that shortage are documented. In late 1987, the New England School Development Council (NESDEC) Board of Directors conducted the first regional survey of the New England administrative shortage issue. Sixty individuals (current and retired superintendents,…