This report is based mainly on two studies that sought to describe the prevalence and extent of student support services in further education (FE) colleges in England. Information for the studies was gathered from a 1991-92 survey of 80 colleges and 5 regional workshops on the development of learner services in FE colleges. Additional insights…

This paper discusses the effectiveness of the Preparing Future Faculty (PFF) program in equipping graduate students for the realities of the academic job market. It reviews the experiences of Duke University (North Carolina) with the PFF program and the effect that PFF has had on preparing graduate students to enter the job market as new faculty.…

This paper provides answers to frequently asked questions about the Preparing Future Faculty (PFF) program, a collaborative program that brings together clusters of doctoral and partner undergraduate institutions to plan programs that introduce graduate students to faculty life in a variety of campus environments. It discusses what new faculty…

This paper discusses the Preparing Future Faculty (PFF) program and its effects on the graduate students that have participated in it, and has some suggestions for graduate students wishing to create a PFF program at their own schools. The PFF program was initiated in 1994 to bring together clusters of colleges and universities to plan programs…

This study investigated the influence of role expectations, as defined by tenure status, on medical school faculty attitudes toward professional development activities. A total of 226 full-time faculty within a medical school completed a 15-item professional development goals questionnaire. The study found that full-time faculty perceptions of…

A 1996 project examined student aspirations, experience, and outcomes to identify barriers to participation in and effective delivery of vocational education and training (VET). The sample of 4,000 students in Victoria, Australia, finished their schooling in 1991. Findings indicated the following: 37 of 81 interviewees were focused and cautious…

The relationship between servicemembers' participation in the U.S. Armed Forces' off-duty voluntary higher education programs and retention of enlisted personnel in military service was examined through a review of existing and new data. The primary data source was a 1992 Department of Defense-sponsored survey of a stratified sample of…

A project explored the possibility of creating a collaborative approach to parent involvement with their children's education. Participants in the family literacy program were 19 African-American adolescent mothers from low-income backgrounds whose children attended an early intervention program. Parents' beliefs about learning and literacy were…

These hearing transcripts present testimony concerning the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), which since 1965 has provided the bulk of federal aid to elementary and secondary schools and related programs. Much of the testimony was from Michigan school administrators, teachers, and educational specialists who…

Considerations in conducting attitude surveys concerning bilingual education are discussed. An introductory section examines briefly the history of the controversy over bilingual education, legislative initiatives, and some previous opinion research. Specific kinds of information needs relating to public opinion are then noted and problems arising…

This paper, based on field research and a literature review, examines the beliefs about education as held by people in developing countries. Parents and students in disadvantaged third world areas value education for the sake of learning, not just to improve chances of modern-sector employment. A study in four Mexican rural schools found that when…

One segment of a larger study examined literacy activities occurring within the homes of immigrant families in Chicago's Mexican-American community. During the first year and a half of fieldwork, literacy practices seemed minimal and infrequent. However, further analysis indicated that such practices were occurring, and were woven into the fabric…

This paper describes a study which examined the similarities and differences in the reactions to a naturalistic account between an internal participant audience and an audience external to the evaluation context so that some notions about generalizability of such material could be developed. A second aim of the study was to examine the…

The importance ascribed to creative activities varies cyclically, as currents of thought swing from progressive to conservative and back.

This study analyzes the results of the increased access of students to postsecondary vocational education, especially in two-year colleges, in terms of completion rates and job placement. Data examined include the following: (1) initial enrollments in higher education; (2) fields of study in postsecondary education; (3) progress through…