The concept of knowledge utilization and the nature of practical decisions are analyzed to investigate how research knowledge and effective teaching practice are related. It is argued that the personal commitments of teachers, common sense, and normative requirements can also be valid bases for action. The author points out that an over-reliance…

Of all cognitive styles, field dependence/independence (FD/I) is by far the most researched and has the greatest application potential to educational problems. Briefly stated, the FD/I dimension refers to people's ability to experience and interpret their environment in terms of a global versus analytic continuum. Field dependents are likely to…

The drawbacks of the common practice of using check-lists for teacher evaluation include inadequate measurement that emphasizes evaluation only, lack of objective data gathering techniques, and lack of reliable and consistent teacher performance criteria. An inservice program for school principals was designed to improve their observation and…

In contrast to early research (such as Coleman's) that concluded schools could not override influences of the home environment, more current research indicates that schools can make a difference. This paper summarizes those research findings (emphasizing the limitations of the research from the practitioner's perspective) and relates them to new…

PROTEACH, an extended preservice teacher preparation program at the University of Florida (Gainesville), is a five-year program that culminates in a master's degree. Four papers describing PROTEACH are included. "PROTEACH: An Extended Preservice Teacher Preparation Program" (David C. Smith) provides an introduction to the program's…

This study examined the roles, functions, and effectiveness of a group of teachers who became Instructional Leaders (ILs), assuming major responsibility for assuring the implementation of a voluntary school improvement program within their respective schools. The program, called SITIP (School Improvement Through Instructional Process), and…

After advising teachers to become knowledgeable and active in educational research, the author lists suggestions for classroom research by the teacher and sources of information concerning research in mathematics education. (SD)

The Research Utilization through Learning Experiences Project (RULE) studied the impact of planned interpersonal meetings as a vehicle of research utilization. Results indicate enthusiastic endorsement of site visits as a means of gleaning new information. Evaluation of the outcomes indicate that visits led to identifiable changes in program…

In the series introduction, Roblyer (2005) presents a conceptual framework for improving typical research on educational technology. This commentary is intended to extend and deepen Roblyer's very brief discussion of one particular type of research--studies of technology-based instructional designs--that she describes as "almost…

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…

Educational research is designed to generate valid and reliable information needed by decision-makers. The issue of research utilization is of utmost importance, especially as it relates to the federal government; however, much of the research has not found its way into the policymaking process. This issue precipitated a survey of 141 Mid-South…

The focus of this book is on the planning of a comprehensive system of staff development and the governance, design, and implementation of specific programs within that system. Much of the book consists of recommendations that are based on the study of a wide range of staff development programs, research on teachers and teaching, information about…

To assess the extent to which the results of implementation studies relating to elementary and secondary schools were generalizable to vocational education contexts, a study of two specific curriculum innovations in vocational education was undertaken in Western Australia. It was designed to yield information about the context of curriculum…

Interactive computer networks, long available to members of the scientific and business communities, now are being introduced by departments and schools of education to enhance and continue the education of teachers. Electronic networking, linking beginners with other beginners and with their former university-based teacher educators, provides a…

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…