Explores whether the fiscal section of this National Center for Education Statistics survey duplicated any data collected by the Office of Library Programs and how selected definitions in the fiscal section should be revised to address problematic responses to certain items. (Author)

Examines differing concepts and definitions of lifelong education, contrasting a maximalist position with a pragmatic problem-solving approach. Identifies the complex interplay among three purposes--economic development, personal development, and social inclusion, and suggests that all three contribute to development of a highly skilled work force…

Content analysis of nursing articles revealed that 184 used primary health care in a manner consistent with the World Health Organization definition; 70 did not. Curricular applications of these different interpretations could lead to different learning environments for nursing education and thus affect nursing practice. (SK)

Presents responses of 5 scholar/educators to the question of how literacy will be defined. Discusses societal changes that will impact the definition of literacy; judging credibility of sources; the claim that definitions will become more standardized; a historical view of literacy that includes the complexities of technology; and defining…

Responds to John Wilson's article "Philosophy and Education Research: A Reply to David Bridges et al." Discusses three observations: (1) different recollections of the pretensions attached to conceptual analysis; (2) the supposition of establishing meaning of a word without a theory of meaning; and (3) rhetorical and persuasive functions…

This article presents a brief review of some new school science reference works. Two of the sources are traditional, while one is considered experimental. The two traditional reference works reviewed are "The American Heritage Children's Science Dictionary" for upper elementary grades, and "The American Heritage Student Science Dictionary" for…

The field of rhetoric has generated studies of definitional disputes and of the relationship between definition and power. Informed by the idea of collective definition created over time, these studies raise an important theoretical-practical question about definition and contestation that may be approached through a concept of authority.…

By the end of the 1990s, the topic of spirituality as distinguished from religion was being discussed in higher education conferences and publications. Using qualitative research methods, this study examines definitions of spirituality in higher education literature. The researcher argues that (1) the emerging discussion of spirituality can be…

The purpose of this study was to assess the degree to which behavioral intervention studies conducted with children diagnosed with autism operationally defined the independent variables (IVs) and evaluated treatment integrity (TI). The study replicated the criteria from Gresham, Gansle, and Noell (1993) and focused exclusively on research studies…

The educational enterprise is awash in standards, but little attention is paid to what the term really means. Without carefully crafted, widely accepted definitions of standards, standards projects are rife with problems and frequently fail. The absence of careful definitions typically leads to confusion, rejection of standards, and can actually…

Current literature indicates a discrepancy between school counselors' reported desires for clinical supervision and their actual participation. To bridge this gap, peer supervision has been suggested as a viable alternative. However, a lack of definitional clarity makes it difficult to distinguish this activity from both clinical supervision and…

With the reality that school districts and states are now being required to report high school graduation rates under the "No Child Left Behind" (NCLB) Act, the accuracy of dropout data is becoming a major issue. For more than a decade, the official dropout figures came from a consensus definition used by the National Center for…

In the debate about whether the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) is "fully funded," 6 different definitions are used. The purpose of this article is to explore the implications of using each of these very different definitions. The 1st definition is that the law is fully funded because of large percentage increases in the federal appropriation.…

This paper elaborates on components of a working definition of developmental dyslexia proposed in 1995 by G. R. Lyon. The 2003 revised definition, based on converging scientific evidence, was developed by a working group of the International Dyslexia Association. The new definition notes the condition's neurobiologic origin and typical presence of…

Today, there is increasing concern about the health of "basic research", yet considerable disagreement about its definition. This paper examines the way in which the term is used in everyday practice. Drawing upon interviews with British and American scientists and policy-makers, we identify six different definitions currently in use.…