The orientation of this report is that of identifying educational projects which can be considered truly exemplary. The bulk of the report consists of a 23-step procedure for validating the effectiveness of educational programs using existing evaluation data. It is not intended as a guide for conducting evaluations but rather for interpreting data…

The study investigated the farm wife's role in decision-making related directly to general farm matters and to the adoption of agricultural innovations. Data were collected in personal interviews of 67 farm wives; statistical analysis yielded five major findings, including: (1) wives seeking information about farm matters were also likely to…

One form of Regional Educational Agency (REA) is the Educational Cooperative, which was under field development for several years by the Appalachia Educational Laboratory, Inc. (AEL) and the United States Office of Education. The program included an evaluation effort, and the general design, instrumentation, and comprehensive bibliography for that…

Expectancy theory and decision theory research predicting occupational preference and choice were reviewed to assess the usefulness of such approaches. Each investigation produced substantial support for the use of such models suggesting that both theories can provide practical insights for occupational guidance and counseling. While theoretical,…

Higher Education Management Services contributes to the decisionmaking process in Michigan higher education by providing data and information on the past, present, and future financial status of higher education in the states. The report presents comparative statewide data and objective analysis of higher education in the state for both public and…

Critical and situated thinking in the respiratory care profession were examined through an exploratory factor analysis of the critical thinking behaviors of a sample of 868 respiratory therapists. The respiratory therapists completed a survey instrument containing 44-questions related to how well particular critical thinking behaviors are…

A quantitative research design was employed to investigate how faculty members become engaged and remain committed to organizational reform. Data collection included interviews with 17 faculty members at California State University in Monterey Bay during the academic year 1995-96, as well as several site visits. This new university was part of a…

Knowledge production and learning in engineering is a local, situated, negotiated, and thoroughly social process. Although engineering work entails the construal, production, and application of artifacts and technical devices belonging to the "object world," the process of designing is a process of achieving consensus among real or…

The placement of ninth-grade students has often been a decision based upon available resources and not the best interests of the students. This study provides some evidence of the different influences of three types of ninth-grade placement. Self-perception data were collected for 161 randomly selected eighth-grade students in middle school…

The study and analysis of Soviet political, social, and economic systems is as old as the Soviet Union itself, but an intensive study of its educational system is a recent development. Many scholars have turned their attention to the Soviet Union's educational system and have studied the curriculums, teaching methods, textbooks, and other…

Analysis of state-mandated strategic planning in a small, rural elementary school in northern New South Wales (Australia), reveals that although student outcomes were enhanced as a result of programs developed by staff, there were difficulties implementing corporate modes of management in a rural working-class community with deep racial, class,…

In Canada, until now, no studies have focused on the practice of home education in the francophone province of Quebec. While the home-educating population in that province is tangible, it has remained largely unknown. Quebec's distinctive character on three fronts-- political, historical and cultural--make the application of results from the rare…

The State Educational Technology Directors Association (SETDA) is pleased to release its fifth annual National Trends Report on the use of federal funds to support educational technology. This report documents findings from Round 5 (FY 06) of the No Child Left Behind, Title II, Part D, Enhancing Education Through Technology (NCLB IID) program. The…

A study evaluated experimentally a technology education program designed to provide mastery experiences described in Bandura's self-efficacy theory (1986) and predicted to improve career decision making. Seventh graders (n=97) and eighth graders (n=72) were stratified on grade level and randomly assigned either to a commercially published…

This study sought to determine which sources of information were most often used by the West Virginia public higher education governing board, and to assess the sources' usefulness in examining major higher education policy issues. Data were based on a mailed survey that asked members of the Board of Directors of the West Virginia state college…