Many current problems in teacher supervision arise from epistemological errors. Research-based models wrongly assume that supervision is a deterministic process. Therefore, the theoretical perspective should be rejected in favor of a practical one, which would emphasize "reflection-in-action" directed toward specific real problems. (MCG)

The structure and process of college institutional research is compared with three different ways in which science is conceptualized. It is concluded that, although institutional research has much in common with science, it is distinct because the dynamic nature of institutional research prevents development of a cohesive body of knowledge.…

A discussion of the relationship between theory and practice in professional continuing education considers the different kinds of professional knowledge (according to its generalizability or explicitness), modes of knowledge (replication, application, interpretation, association), and the contexts of knowledge use. (MSE)

The development of professional gerontology instruction is examined in the context of previous research on the development of professional education more generally through six stages: apprenticeship, knowledge generation, knowledge classification, knowledge teaching, formalization of teaching, and improvement of the profession. Implications for…

Content analysis of five scholarly journals in the field of higher education from 1986-88 focused on the methodologies and topics of research reported there. Distribution of articles among 4 paradigms (functionalist, radical structuralist, interpretive, radical humanist), along 2 dimensions (social science, sociology), and according to 11 sets of…

A computer-based bibliometric study tracking the growth of dissertation and book production in social work from 1959-88 is reported. Potential applications of online bibliometric analysis are discussed, including its use in evaluation of scholarly productivity, study of social work history, and management of knowledge development processes in…

After an introduction by Derek Allison describing the rationale of this inquiry and the preliminary research performed, three reflections on the current status of the educational administration field are presented. Goldwyn Emerson urges those in educational administration to borrow knowledge and methods from related fields and suggests that…

A pedagogical model of hypertext authoring is presented. The model encourages self-regulated, constructive thinking to create knowledge by manipulating corresponding screen representations. One application of the design-oriented model is described, with screen illustrations. (MSE)

Professors of educational administration are being pressed to hold one of three conflicting viewpoints about knowledge and practice: "behavioral science,""symbolic," or "critical." Using Rein's notion of stories, the author urges professors to debate these viewpoints among themselves but use stories to study…

Several different philosophical approaches to general educational development in higher education are discussed and compared, including (1) positivist epistemology, a pragmatic, empirical perspective; (2) development of curricula promoting interpretation based on understanding; and (3) critical theory, which espouses development of people in…

Constructive-developmental theory, with its emphasis on epistemology and cognitive complexity, explicitly links learning and developmental growth. One model, which identifies five shifts in perception throughout the life span, describes some of higher education's values and objectives. The theory offers a promising direction for student evaluation…

A discussion of reform in Australian higher education in the current context of rapid social, economic, and administrative change looks at several areas of concern: the direction of the institutions; an imbalance of management and substance; and a new conformism that encourages generic institutions based on an international model and inhibits…

A year-long study of knowledge development in 40 college students focused on the relationships between the historical and philosophical dimensions of the curriculum, teaching method, and quality of learning. Student exposure to the discipline's history and philosophy, discussion-based instruction, and personally meaningful topics were seen as most…

This paper discusses the implications of Piaget's theory to science education. The first section of the paper, "What Science Teachers Need To Know: Scientific Knowledge and Its Source," describes three sources of students' knowledge and corresponding educational practices. The second section, "Functions of Intelligence," discusses the concept of…

Feminist teaching practices, by questioning traditional epistemology and distribution of power, offer special advantages in the culturally diverse classroom, where the valuing of different perspectives is essential. A study of two feminist teachers demonstrates how they attempt to create new kinds of classroom cultures through mastery, voice,…