The study presented in this article evaluates the relative scientific contributions of 180 psychology departments in Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States based on the citations of and the publications by the faculty members of those departments. Data are presented for the top 100 departments. (Author/EB)

Uses data-envelopment analysis to investigate UK university economics departments' technical efficiency as producers of research, highlighting the role of external funding. The data set is an extended version of that employed by the 1989 Universities Funding Council peer review. DEA contributes positively to developing meaningful indicators of…

Johnes and Johnes demonstrate use of data-envelopment analysis to construct an efficiency frontier comparing different UK university economics departments' efficiency without having to assign uniform weights to inputs and outputs. Since desirability of departmental goals cannot be compared, DEA's usefulness is limited to comparing relative…

This rejoinder to K. K. Fung's critique of the authors' data-envelopment analysis (DEA) article argues that eliminating inefficiency by competition requires perfect information, not just freedom of entry and exit. DEA provides the necessary information, but is not intended as a mechanism to replace peer review. (MLH)

Discusses how teachers put together a science department portfolio of student work representing National Curriculum levels. (MKR)

Argues that contingency theory offers a useful basis for considering the work of subject heads of department in (British) secondary schools, particularly if heads are actively trying to influence the quality of teaching and learning in their curriculum areas. Develops a provisional model to shed light on how department heads actually work with…

This article is a review of the literature concerned with leadership effectiveness in higher education at departmental level. The literature derives from publications from three countries: the UK, the USA and Australia. Surprisingly little systematic research has been conducted on the question of which forms of leadership are associated with…

The second edition of the rolling five-year plan of the University of Strathclyde is based on the use of a university policy directional matrix. The advantages of this method and some of the work to be carried out to refine the indicators before they are used again are summarized. (Author/MLW)

The Nonstatutory Guidance for Information Technology Capability identifies the information technology (IT) coordinator as key in implementing IT across the whole school and assigns the position a management role. A survey of secondary school IT coordinators across an English local education authority shows that coordinators deal principally with…

Interviews with 90 secondary teachers in 10 English schools identified contextual influences on teacher professional development and elements of leadership. Links between professional development and school policies and philosophy produced different results. In one school, professional development served to support the performance management…

Discusses the subtle and not-so-subtle ways in which science department heads (HoDs) encourage optimal work from a traditional mix of teachers. (Author/WRM)

Describes the background of schemes to rationalize earth science departments in the United Kingdom. Discusses the rationale of these schemes and the controversy they have caused in the academic community. (CW)

Focus is on the allocation of academic staff between university departments. General principles of staff allocation, techniques for allocation, and practical problems in implementing a given method are discussed. Decentralized decision making and allowing some freedom of choice are considered. (Author/MSE)

Summarizes a United Kingdom study investigating differential school effectiveness. Measures overall school effects versus departmental differences in effects on 16-year-old students' General Certificate in Secondary Education performance, the internal consistency of departmental effects across six subject outcomes, and the stability of school and…

Acknowledges the importance of the secondary department head's role in schoolwide change and outlines tensions and middle-management dilemmas. Analyzes the dynamic between leadership and culture within the departmental context. Heads of departments play a major role in managing cultural change and can make a difference in departmental performance.…