This article explores existing literature on perceived skill deficiencies among entry-level student affairs practitioners. Through a review of recent literature, seven perceived skill deficiencies were identified, including budgeting and financial management, strategic planning, research and assessment, legal knowledge and standards, supervision,…

The dominant view of inquiry reflected in graduate educational research courses has been labelled as positivistic or quantitative. Instructional strategies have been designed to train students to become more skilled in the use of complex statistical procedures, more efficient in the development of preordinate designs permitting increasingly higher…

Describes how a bibliographic methods course, retitled The English Literary Profession," is being taught at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. (SW)

This response to EC 603 649 argues that the field of applied behavior analysis does train a large number of practitioners and administrators and a few researchers, that graduate programs already vary research training and practice training, and that both practicing and research behavior analysts need to be taught the logic of experimental control.…

A diversity of practices exists with regard to the actual content taught in graduate-level courses in introduction to educational research. In a recent Delphi study, a national panel of 21 experts in educational research generated a list of 114 skills and knowledge areas they considered worthy objectives in an introductory course. What remained…

Presents an alternative to the typical approaches used in introductory research courses through emphasis on the logic and creativity of the research process and on the problems of equating research with statistics early in one's training. (Author)

The major goals of this two-semester seminar are to help first-year graduate students understand the links among perspective, theory, assumptions, problem formulation, methods, and findings in psychological research and to optimize their transition into the PhD program. The seminar is described and evaluated and suggestions for change are made.…

An approach to teaching research to MSW students which emphasizes production of an article for a professional journal is described. Special skills needed are identified and the motivational task of the instructor is discussed. It is suggested that a successful research experience provides reinforcement for the continuation of writing by students…

What needs to be presented to practitioners, particularly school leaders in training, for them to become educated consumers of education research? This paper attempts to sort through the issues and evaluate some of the instructional alternatives available to education administration faculty and curriculum designers. Taking into account a political…