Inspired by Freire's principle of dialogue, in this article we present a series of dialogues and critical syntheses between a science teacher-researcher with 35 years of experience and an early-career science teacher-researcher. We explore being in-between academic research in science education and high school teaching. Following Anzaldúa's…

This commentary on the special issue on data use highlights the distinctions between data systems intended to improve the performance of school staff and those intended to hold schools and districts accountable for outcomes. It advises researchers to be alert to the differences in the policy logics connected with each approach.

This article presents the authors' review of "Globalizing education, educating the local: how method made us mad," by Ian Stronach. In the opening chapter of their highly influential 1997 book "Education Research Undone: The Postmodern Embrace," Ian Stronach and Maggie MacLure draw upon the work of Derrida to argue for…

Furlong and Oancea's influential framework for assessing the products of applied and practice-based educational inquiry raises some important issues about the criteria by which research should be judged. They begin by outlining the current significance of the issue, and some of the uncertainties surrounding the definition of applied and…

The role of the researcher is reviewed, along with definitions of the higher education research constituency, the structure of higher education research, and the emphasis on research strategy. Researchers are encouraged to develop concept and theory first, and to deal with real issues involving practitioners and constituents. (Author/LB)

After reviewing the implications of nonreflective and reflective stances, the conclusion is that applied researchers adopting a social action perspective actually maximize their obligations as scholar-scientists even though a nonneutral posture is assumed. (Author/BW)

Describes the purposes and roles of institutional researchers: (1) describe the institution, (2) analyze alternatives, (3) present the best case, and (4) supply impartial evidence, noting three dualities internal vs external demands; academic vs administrative culture; and institutional vs professional role that are particularly relevant. Also…

The research administrator's role is changing rapidly and becoming more demanding. Training will be restructured to promote professionalism, and administrators should spend some time considering their profession's nature and purposes. Four tasks are proposed: safeguarding staff's creative time, getting long-term resource commitments, fostering…

Presents a methodological model for orienting teacher researchers. The grounded theory approach is examined, noting it may not be a valuable paradigm. An alternative is proposed which uses quality criteria for professional action as the criteria defining research. Teacher research must concentrate on developing reflective features of professional…

The need to consider teaching evaluation criteria within the social structural and normative background within which college teaching takes place is discussed, along with the need to consider the substantive content of the criteria. In research-oriented American universities many feel that one cannot be promoted for teaching because institutional…

A teacher-researcher model that takes into account the constraints in the teaching environment is described. Four characteristics of teaching/learning are: (1) need for continual examination; (2) learning activities as compromises in face of influences and constraints; (3) learning as interactional activity; and (4) public accountability of…

Suggests a new role for researchers in higher education, a teaching role requiring the researcher to make findings relevant, useful, and understandable to practitioners. Considers the educational role of individual researchers, educational accountability of the research community, and accountability measures for educational research. (Author/DB)

Examines how early childhood teachers in one Australian state use child observations. Argues that the current economic/political climate has produced changes for early childhood settings and that how teachers respond to changes regarding child observation depends on their work context. Suggests that the purpose of observation is changing and that…

Freedom of inquiry and academic freedom must be maintained in the university, and public policy must respect the university's uniqueness and support targeted and basic research. Individual researchers, administrators, and public officials must acknowledge personal responsibility for choices and act in accordance with their axiologies and moral…

This paper examines issues and areas of concern for the educational researcher moving from the relative safety of academic research to the more perilous arena of practice-oriented or action-oriented qualitative research. The first question is one of purity or objectivity: giving credibility to research results by imposing adequate rigor on methods…