A SYNOPSIS OF CHARACTERISTICS AND COMMUNICATIONS BEHAVIOR OF ADOPTERS OF NEW FARM IDEAS, AND AN INTRODUCTION TO HOW AN AGGRESSIVE MARKETING PROGRAM CAN BE KEYED TO THE DIFFUSION PROCESS AND ADOPTION STATUS OF FARMERS IS PRESENTED. THE DIFFUSION PROCESS INVOLVES THE SPREAD OF NEW IDEAS FROM THE SOURCES OF DEVELOPMENT TO THE ADOPTER THROUGH…

Both linking agents and training consultants can help school systems solve some difficult problems: how to learn about current research and successful programs, and how to adapt and implement promisisng programs. After a successful initial experience obtaining technical assistance from the Network of Innovative Schools, Inc., the Chelsea Public…

Researchers asked chief state school officers in 50 states and 6 territories about their opinions of the essential components of community education, their perceptions of current and future state department roles in community education development, and their recommendations for implementation of the state roles. The 51 respondents ranked the three…

This handbook, prepared as part of a technical assistance program to the states funded through the Children's Bureau of the Administration for Children, Youth, and Families, is a reference designed to provide caseworkers with both a conceptual framework and practical methodology to secure permanent placements for children who are in foster care.…

This paper reviews a number of past studies in the field of diffusion research, describing the major features of each diffusion model and discussing its value for predicting the spread of educational innovations. Following this review, the author presents a new autocatalytic diffusion model based on the mathematical models of epidemiologists and…

This study conducted in a North Indian community development block is concerned with the adoption of nitrogenous fertilizers by farmers as related to (1) some of their socioeconomic characteristics, and (2) use of information sources and communication channels at different stages in the adoption process. The main objectives were: (a) to assess the…

In education, the road from research to practice is a long one and includes research, development, and application. The notion of a continuum from research to practice was recognized in 1965 when the provisions of the Cooperative Research Program were incorporated into the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. Since that time, however, total…

This study examines the use of group methods in adoption practice. Already in use during intake and post-placement, group methods are now proving relevant in the adoptive study of applicant parents and in the improved knowledge and effectiveness of service delivery. In the form of a seminar for applicants, this adoptive study explores the…

Attitude changes in those who receive messages can be affected by the conditions of explicitness and effort under which the messages are transmitted. Messages produced under conditions of "publicness" will change more attitudes among receivers than those produced under more private conditions. Likewise, subjects who receive messages under a…

Representatives of 13 states and of the United States Office of Education developed this handbook to assist educators in the administration of Education Fairs. Such fairs are a valuable means for providing for the diffusion of educational innovations and should be designed to demonstrate the effectiveness of new and exemplary practices. Chapter I…

This speech discusses ways of using school resources more efficiently, premised on the understanding that putting more money into a system does not necessarily make that system better. The author suggests the creation of a search-and-plan group of selected educational, community, and student personnel that would share ideas with other districts,…

This report deals with the developmental history of the Science Curriculum Improvement Study (SCIS). Description of the project and its origins as well as summative evaluation are briefly discussed. Diffusion of the project and subsequent adoption are also treated and its future potential evaluated. (CP)

Short comments introduce each section of this bibliography designed to "introduce the teacher who wishes to do research in some aspects of change in science education to the relevant literature." The emphasis is on science education in England and Wales, but a large number of the entries are of United States origin and concern U. S.…

The purpose of this study was to determine what variables among a selected number of teacher characteristics and teacher perceptions of school environment contribute to the successful installation of Science - A Process Approach (SAPA). Success in installation was determined by the number of exercises used and by proficiency on SAPA Competency…

Decisions about techniques for modifying human behavior are usually made either wholly within the sphere of specific training techniques or within the sphere of non-training techniques (i.e., Madison Avenue, change agent, or market research strategies), rather than considering both modes as possibilities. In this paper, specific techniques from…