Comparison of two studies in the United Kingdom and Switzerland regarding the efficacy of vocational education research and development highlights the importance of more rigorously establishing what happens to research results. Steps must be taken to ensure that such projects have a positive impact on practice and justify their costs. (SK)

Reviews noteworthy preliminary results from four current IEA research projects on science and mathematics education and achievement, classroom environment, and written composition. Summarizes the achievements of the IEA with regard to research instruments, research findings, policy impact, and the infrastructure of educational research. (SV)

Examines three international comparative research projects in higher education, commissioned by the Center for Higher Education Policy Studies (Netherlands). Develops a model of the influence of research on various stages of the educational policy process, focusing on three uses of research: enlightenment, political decision making, and problem…

This article discusses teachers' ability to discriminate between effective and ineffective practices in terms of some etiological macrosystem influences and possible sequelae in practice that determine likely outcomes for teaching children and youth with disabilities. The relationship between high discriminative ability and efficient and effective…

Perhaps no facet of long-term care (LTC) research has received as much attention as the evaluation of community-based LTC demonstrations. Recent thinking has called into question the validity and policy relevance of the findings of these studies, yet their efforts will continue to receive strong financial backing. The time has come for LTC…

This yearbook contains papers, written by prominent educators, on the use of research in teaching. Also examined are the questions of how the education profession obtains its knowledge, how that knowledge is translated into practice, and how that practice becomes artistic. Chapters are written on: (1) use of research by various professions; (2)…

Three papers and two responses comprise this section comparing the degree to which research is utilized among various professions. Christine H. McGuire, in "Diffusion and Application of New Knowledge in Medicine," states that, because the medical profession must serve people with clearly perceived problems, these practitioners are under…

A study reviewed 88 doctoral dissertations written during a 4-year period in the 1980s on the use of feedback for performance improvement. The purpose was to sugget applications of the findings to teaching improvement in postsecondary education, and to determine the extent to which faculty development centers contribute to this research.…

Research discoveries over the past 15 years concerning reading comprehension have had a significant impact on reading instruction, particularly schema theory. This theory, based on prior learning, which states that the reader uses the text to construct a meaning within his or her own mind, affects what teachers can do to help students improve…

Because vocational researchers and practitioners have not been able to reach a consensus concerning criteria for judging excellence in vocational education and have been unable to agree on exactly which factors lead to successful programs, research in vocational education has had limited impact on improving practice. Two sets of research findings…

Historically, teaching has been considered an art, not a science, and therefore not subject to scientific analysis. However, there now exists a body of knowledge and a fresh set of conceptions about teaching upon which to base teacher education. Recent and numerous advances in pedagogical knowledge can now be used to provide teacher education with…

The distance between educational researchers and classroom teachers benefits disinterested observation, but dispossesses the researchers of participatory modes of understanding. In attempting to resolve this problem, some researchers have developed the theory and practice of teachers as researchers, similar to Kurt Lewin's action research. Lewin…

Intended to aid schools, colleges, and departments of education in the implementation of inservice teacher education programs or in the expansion of existing programs, this monograph presents current research findings on the role of the university in teacher inservice education. It outlines a step-by-step process for making such programs an…

Ways of implementing educational innovations produced by research into practice in the schools are considered. It is stated that the most effective tool for accomplishing this is inservice teacher education. The characteristics of an exemplary inservice teacher education program are outlined and discussed. The suggestion is made that teacher…

This paper explores what is known and what is needed in the areas of (1) experiential learning and experiential education and (2) extending experience-based career education (EBCE) to groups not currently served by such a program. Following the introduction, the paper contains eight sections. Section 2 provides a discussion of what the experts are…