Although the 2004 reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (P.L. 108-446) (IDEA 2004) has brought the issue of specific learning disabilities (SLD) identification procedures and criteria to the forefront, calls for reform are not new and are based on decades of various policy, implementation, and research agendas. The…

Many researchers in the field of education aspire to influence what actually happens in schools and classrooms. They entered their profession aware of the need to improve educational practice; many of them want to make a difference. Yet few observers would claim that the results of education research are eagerly awaited by teachers, school…

This article explores the history of practitioner-based enquiry in education and the degree to which it bridges the gap between leadership research and leadership practice. In doing so it draws on the findings from an evaluation of NCSL's Research Associate Programme. Several key drivers are identified behind the increased interest in…

The "internationalisation" of universities has recently become a keyword in many countries. With the progress of globalisation, the mobility of students and academic staff at universities has drastically increased in the past few decades. As a result, more universities are now trying to bring an international dimension to their…

This paper introduces "lesson study" as used in Japan to improve instruction. Lesson study is the process of planning, conducting, and discussing the research lesson for teachers to study. Four features are identified as essential to Japanese lesson study: (1) a shared long-term goal for teachers; (2) important lesson content; (3)…

The general goal of research into LGBT issues among youth is, of course, to improve the situation of young people. Research on its own cannot attain such an objective; it is a tool in a chain of interventions. Implementation of the recommendations of research is essential for effective use of research. But, implementation is often difficult. To…

This book explores the wide range of contexts in which research into creating connections in learning and teaching may take place. Creating connections can encompass making links, crossing divides, forming relationships, building frameworks, and generating new knowledge. The cognitive, cultural, social, emotional and/or physical aspects of…

The Coalition of Essential Schools is involved in a 3-year study to translate collaborative inquiry into a research process to simultaneously build schools' capacities for change. A current collaborative project is described, with a dialog between a principal, a teacher, and a researcher who are engaged in a process of school improvement. Members…

The purpose of this Delphi study was to gather expert opinions and recommendations for change in the research administration system to bring about growth and collaboration. This study was deemed important because at the heart of every system is the fact that individuals need each other to continue to exist. The results of the Delphi study give…

A year-long collaborative action research project used networked technologies to connect researchers at a university-based online professional development program and a group of practitioner researchers based in a range of schools and educational agencies in several countries. They studied the process and effects of online professional development…

This paper outlines the use of participant-produced drawings as part of a larger study that examined the emotional impact of change on individuals in an educational institution (Kearney, 2002; Kearney and Hyle, 2003). Participants were four teachers and five staff or administrators at a branch campus of a technology training school. Both the…

This paper outlines one researcher's reflections on the development and use of a conceptual framework as a research tool. Firstly, it discusses the conditions upon which a conceptual framework was devised and used in a major research study. Secondly, it provides evidence concerning the efficacy of the conceptual framework for its purpose in that…

The issues discussed by the contributors to this installment of RRQ's New Directions in Research clearly establish that special education and reading is a particularly timely topic. The field of special education is confronting fundamental changes in how it defines and identifies its constituency; how those changes relate to theory, practice, and…

This paper first clarifies the role of "jugyou kenkyuu" for creating an effective environment in schools for teachers to learn from each other and for developing more learning-centered education that focuses on the real needs of students. Secondly, it examines various practical strategies used by both professors and teachers through…

How can a community ensure that its public schools reflect local values and beliefs about education? The complexities involved in the reform of existing public schools, or the creation of a new system of schooling, have caused some researchers to explore new methodological avenues to change (Banathy, 1991; Duffy, Rogerson, & Blick, 2000;…