The pilot study reported here applies content analysis techniques to twenty interviews carried out in preparation for mediated searches as part of the "Uncertainty in Information Seeking" project. The tools used in the analysis (Atlas.ti and TEXTStat) are described and their contribution assessed. TEXTStat, a free program, was used to…

This introduction to a symposium on the status of research in instructional technology discusses the ongoing debate among developmental researchers as to the instructional effectiveness of media. The controversy dates from the publication in 1983 of an article by Richard E. Clark, who presented the position that media do not really contribute to…

An index that measures the degree of comfort a researcher has relative to statistical inference application is proposed. The index is calculated by selecting and weighting components inherent in the conduct of hypothesis tests and confidence intervals, and its values range from zero to one. To organize the components of the index, inference…

This manual discusses major differences between academic and commercial educational research (CER) and provides suggestions to help researchers who want to conduct CER. The paper is based on the experiences of the TAFE National Center for Research and Development Ltd in Leabrook (Australia). Focus is on describing how to apply for grants and how…

The susceptibility of observations of adult-child interactions to bias due to the physical attractiveness of target persons was examined. Facial features of target persons were occluded in one version of a videotape and unoccluded in another, otherwise identical version. Using a global rating system and a molecular coding strategy, 38 trained…

Covert checks of observational methodology reveal declines in reliability of observations. This appears to be particularly true when complex codes are used to track social interaction. The present study was undertaken to see whether reliability could be maintained through a combination of technological advancements and the development of improved…

This brief note is a description and invitation to educators, practitioners, and researchers to participate in AEDNET, a special network of electronic mail created for people in adult education. The description of AEDNET provides a history of the network and lists current and future benefits of AEDNET. Information is then presented on joining…

This essay discusses the scholarly ethos in schools of education, the social milieu within which educational research is generated, taught and/or ignored. Ethos is defined as the central character of an institution, i.e., the modal characteristics and norms of the teacher education subculture. What students learn about research is far more a…

Though teaching and research are the core activities of the academic profession, little evidence exists to link these two core areas, and faculty are torn between the competing obligations. Initial steps taken to describe the scholar, to develop a model, and to investigate the potential of moving toward a separate integrated entity are presented.…

Qualitative measures were developed within a Principal-Teacher Interaction (PTI) study by the Research and Development Center for Teacher Education, University of Texas at Austin, concerning the role of the principal and process of change as it occurs in school settings. Methodologies for data collection and analysis included quantitative measures…

This paper addresses the issues involved in the current applications of computers, both microcomputers and mainframe, by local (LEA) and state (SEA) education agencies' evaluation-research-assessment departments. The results of a recent survey of randomly selected local and state evaluation units are presented (20 LEA/20 SEA), as well as an…

Religiosity is a complex concept and difficult to define for at least two reasons. The first reason is the uncertainty and imprecise nature of the English language. Colloquially, in "Roget's Thesaurus" (Lewis, 1978), religiosity is found to be synonymous with such terms as religiousness, orthodoxy, faith, belief, piousness, devotion, and holiness.…

This report analyzes the articles published in "Research in the Teaching of English" during the first ten years of publication, a period that represents the influence of two editors. Among the findings were that studies related to composition have been most numerous, followed by studies related to language. Studies related to literature have been…

The relationship between advancement in academic rank and various kinds of professional associations was empirically explored. Ten percent of the active research faculty at a large university were surveyed. Using statistical analyses, academic rank was correlated separately with two types of associations: five internal affiliations one might hold…

Reports results of a content analysis of higher education research projects in the U.S. and Canada in 1972. Interprets data on kinds of research, who does it, financial support, and dissemination. (JT)