Reviewed 319 doctoral theses in educational administration completed at the University of Alberta between 1958 and 1990. The proportion of descriptive studies increased whereas the proportion of relational studies declined. The proportion of studies using case study strategies, interviews, and multiple methods of data collection also increased.…

Discusses effects on graduate sociology education of trends emphasizing quantitative methods and the positivist tradition at the expense of social theory and interpretive sociology. Argues that failure to develop sociology's interpretive tradition has allowed the style and intellectual creativity of sociological work to suffer. Urges greater…

Critiques the present state of research in educational administration, discusses difficulties involved with developing and codifying a knowledge base, and presents possible solutions and faculty-oriented improvements. Although education and educational administration are concerned with applying concepts from many fields, education still requires…

Explores the use of outdated reference materials in history instruction and the inadequacy of bibliographic training for history graduate students. Describes the explosive growth in the availability of reference works and their changes in form. Observes that historians still rely primarily on written reference works. Offers a taxonomy of U.S.…

Statistical significance does not necessarily make research meaningful. The problems and implications must be significant and valuable, and the research process should not be emphasized more than product. Qualitative methods and better reporting of conclusions would enhance significance. (SK)

In higher education, there is distinction between what is valued as scholarship and the pragmatic needs of the larger world. In the dominant view of scholarship, research and theory are superior to practice. An alternative view is that, in many fields, knowledge emerges from the complexity and rigors of practice. (Author/MSE)

Describes the first author's graduate work and dissertation which fell in a crack in time, that period where her institution moved from nearly an exclusive use of quantitative approaches to an awareness and acceptance of both qualitative and quantitative strategies. Discusses implications for graduate students and faculty. (RS)

Surveyed 32 master's degree programs in rehabilitation counseling to determine inclusion of curriculum content on learning disabilities before 1981 and alterations in curriculum after 1981 when eligibility for vocational rehabilitation services through state and federal vocational rehabilitation systems were extended to persons with learning…

Uses model of family development to identify and clarify factors contributing to formation and maintenance of "professional family." Defines "professional family" as professional community formed during graduate training that can provide informal source of continued learning throughout one's career. Offers recommendations based on model to…

Discusses literary and compositional theory and their pedagogical implications. Explores the disjuncture between theory and practice to argue for a reconceptualization of the nature and role of writing in the graduate curriculum. Touches on writing in graduate literature courses; invention, tradition, and individual talent; and academic genres.…

Explored the role of values in student affairs graduate education and professional practice by surveying nonteaching practitioners (n=34), teaching practitioners (n=19), and professors (n=14). Subjects supported values education as a major component of student affairs graduate programs. Most agreed it was important to define the essential values…

Many British academics have trained in circumstances outside the mainstream of British higher education. They appear to have avoided the formal and informal restrictions applied to the mass of students. An associated issue is the lack of any clear purpose in graduate study in Britain as employers continue to recruit recent graduates with little…

Indicators such as the National Assessment of Educational Progress, the Scholastic Aptitude Test, secondary school standardized tests, and state assessment programs all ignore the value added by America's postsecondary education system, including community colleges, trade schools, and universities. Spending and participation levels for U.S. higher…

Discusses the results of the Modern Language Association's 1990 survey of doctorate-granting departments in English and other languages regarding doctoral study. (HB)

Considers the Modern Language Association's 1990 survey of doctorate-granting departments in English and other languages regarding doctoral study. Analyzes the survey results in depth, including institutional characteristics, numbers of applicants, number enrolled, degrees granted, and program trends. (HB)