Evidence-based practice (EBP) has increasingly been put forth as a new paradigm of social work practice. One of the critical elements of EBP is the ability of consumers of research to be able to critically appraise research evidence. The purpose of this exploratory study was to examine the extent to which an introductory MSW research methods…

Our goal is to deconstruct the text formed by practitioners' narratives about the use of the claim "It's research based" to understand both how this claim is used and received by practitioners and how it may impact on teachers' attitudes. We map a range of differences in these narratives about what is "real" (research versus…

The concern that educational research is often divorced from the problems and issues of everyday teaching practice, is strongly influenced by the chosen paradigm in which the research is framed. Modelled on design-based research methods, this paper presents the development of a theoretical research framework that accommodates complex…

In an effort to improve spelling instruction in the elementary and middle schools, this booklet presents answers to 12 of the most commonly asked questions about spelling, based on a review of spelling research and a polling of authorities in the field. The booklet answers questions such as: (1) What is the most important single factor in spelling…

A project for studying ways to optimize utilization of evaluation products in public schools is reported. The results indicate that the negative picture of use prevalent in recent literature stems from the unrealistic expectation that local decision-makers will behave in a classically rational manner. Such a view ignores the political settings of…

The activities of the various parts of The National Foundation for Education Research are described in this article. This foundation is divided into a Publishing Company; a Guidance and Assessment Service; and an Information Division, which itself is divided into a press office, newsletter, exhibitions office, information office, library, and…

This volume presents a collection of papers and research reports by young black psychologists. These papers were presented at the Third Conference on Empirical Research in Black Psychology, whose purpose was to promote a research orientation in the field of black psychology. The papers deal with issues such as the following: race and social…

In this response to Diana Slaughter-Defoe's, "What Shall I Tell My Children Who Are Black?," Mary Beth Gasman comments on the lecture from the perspective of someone doing research in the field of higher education. Gasman comments that Slaughter-Defoe's understanding, and interpretation of past research, especially the Moynihan Report…

The basic position taken in this paper is that the data collected under the Title I evaluation and reporting system can be used more effectively than they have been traditionally in making decisions about Title I programs, and that other types of data can and should be used in shaping and improving Title I programs. This paper combines information…

The paper suggests the application of a research and development (R and D) process in an ongoing project at the National Technical Institute for the Deaf. Four phases/stages of the process are discussed: research, development, implementation, and maintenance. It is pointed out that the objective of the project has been to train normal hearing…

The vast amount of literature on curriculum and instructional design does not establish a clear frame of reference to help teachers utilize and operationalize concepts and information. Four specific problem areas are of special concern in the literature: (1) the terminology and definitions are confusing; (2) the place of the classroom teacher is…

Jean Piaget's theory of cognitive development and David Ausubel's assimilation theory of learning are explicated and selected research involving both theories is reviewed in this paper. The two theories are compared on selected dimensions to demonstrate that they are compatible and that, in conjunction with one another, they form a strong…