Film audience research complements institutional research, verifying scholarship on the meanings films have to viewers and providing broad-based explanations of film images. Most important, such research focuses on the decision and motivation processes people use before they set foot in the movie theater, thereby helping to construct a context…

A critique is presented of naturalistic inquiry as a scholarly activity or as an alternative research paradigm directed toward extending knowledge of physical education curriculum and instruction. Four questions are posed: (1) What is the value perspective of naturalistic inquiry? (2) What are the phenomena of interest? (3) What are the…

Teacher attitudes toward research-based effective teaching behaviors were inventoried to explore differences. Scores from the Teaching Behaviors Questionnaire (TBQ) for 300 teachers were analyzed for variables related to educational settings and teacher characteristics. Analysis of variance and selected post hoc procedures were used to identify…

This paper examines how educational comparisons might be used by the educational practitioners, and how the educator can contribute to the comparativists' work. Currently, it is argued, a gap exists between comparative educational study and the theory and practice of education. This leads to three areas of need. First, professional comparativists…

This paper describes a review and synthesis of research on algebra. The purpose was to identify findings that may prove useful to teachers, supervisors, and administrators. Over 300 studies were identified and categorized in terms of classroom instructional practices, cognitive factors, attitudes and affective factors, problem solving, calculators…

Extensionists need to make the "ASIAn Connection"--become Aware of the spectrum of research, Select program-related research, Integrate research from many disciplines, and Apply it in a way useful to clientele. Extensionists currently use a wide variety of traditional techniques to make the "ASIAn Connection." One relatively new technique has…

The relevance of psycholinguistic and educational research on passage structure and processing for the design of reading achievement tests is discussed. This research would provide a more objective basis for the writing of passages and items. Two aspects of content validity are distinguished and the relevance of psycholinguistic research to them…

Theories or explanations of educational evaluation are discussed and categorized under two broad methodological headings, the objectivist and subjectivist epistemological orientations. They can be seen as potentially complementary empirical approaches that offer evaluators two methodological orientations to assess educational-reform outcomes.…

This paper describes the need for a regional dissemination system; the conceptualization of the Southwest Educational Development Labortory (SEDL) Regional Exchange as part of the nation-wide Research and Development Exchange (RDx); and the operation of the SEDL Regional Exchange (RX). It emphasizes that the Research and Development Exchange is…

Suggestions for broadening the utilization of evaluation research findings are discussed. Major program changes, based on evaluation, may not become obvious for several years; program actions may contradict findings and still be based on rational decision making processes; evaluation findings may have far-reaching effects which were not recognized…

An evaluator-manager interaction model is developed for predicting the impact of evaluation and research findings. Instruments are developed for measuring the variables of interpersonal involvement, impact of evaluation, and managerial style in the relationship between evaluator and manager. The hypothesis advanced suggests that evaluators can…

The difficulties of putting the findings of an evaluation into practice in a city school district are discussed with two emphases: the number and variety of the demands on the time and attention of the superintendent and administrative staff, and the complexity and detailed work required to implement a new or revised program. A hypothetical, but…

The limited impact of educational research on actual classroom practice is considered. It is pointed out that results of research are generally published in "prestige" journals rather than in publications teachers are likely to read. Further, it is stated that research projects are almost always generated by administrators or program directors and…

A report is presented of a year-long period of furnishing information to elementary schools on research findings and products related to the improvement of basic skills. Particular empirical findings are not analyzed; rather, an integrated impression of the success or failure of research utilization by schools is conveyed. The outcomes of research…

Research at Tennessee Technological University indicated that library and instructional materials were not being utilized. Additional research showed that graduates of the teacher training program did not use their school library fully or draw upon the media skill of the librarian. The coordinator of the Learning Resource Center (LRC) and a…