This article discusses the role of the hybrid field of law education and its status in South Africa. The authors suggest that, in their consideration of education law, it should be understood as the particular collection of legal rules that regulate all activities and relationships in education. These legal rules as applied in education are…

This essay aims to provide a critical overview of the main themes to emerge from the Higher Education Close Up 5 conference held at Lancaster University in July 2010. The conference explored the relationship between theory and method in higher education (HE) research. This essay focuses upon four themes that developed from the proceedings. I begin…

During the past decade there has been increasing public and political acceptance of the utility of inquiry and inquiry-related activities for bringing about educational improvement. Specifically, educational research, development, diffusion, and evaluation (RDDE) have been singled out as essential activities. This document presents the report of a…

The premise of this paper is that the state of educational sociology in New Zealand is uncertain. The following reasons are given: (1) The tradition of sociology is underdeveloped in New Zealand; (2) The community of scholars is scattered and divided; (3) Not enough effort has gone into the development of graduate research and occupational…

This report deals with the problem of encouraging colleges to engage in educational research. More specifically, it concerns itself with questions such as: What is the present role of the small college? What roles can small colleges most effectively play in the continuum of research needs? What resources are necessary for playing these research…

The question of whether educational research should be considered as a career or as an activity which those in education undertake is addressed. After considering criteria for a research career, the conclusion is that the forms of educational development are too varied to provide the basis for a research career. (KC)

This issue of the "Professions Education Research Notes" is devoted to the theme of "The Future of Educational Research in the Professions." Four articles have been extracted from the issue to form this document: "The Future of Educational Research in the Professions," by Carole J. Bland, introduces the other articles and describes, as context for…

Discusses an article by Tom Barone, "A Narrative of Enhanced Professionalism: Educational Researchers and Popular Storybooks about Schoolpeople," which challenges educational researchers to work toward changing the public's generally negative conception of schools and schooling by creating compelling narratives about schoolpeople. (SR)

Notes the trend in educational research away from the model of the physical sciences toward a view that sees teaching, development, and research as interrelated modes of inquiry. (JL)

Research papers (N=111) published in Vols. 11-13 of "Journal of Research in Science Teaching" were used in this study to validate areas of productivity in science educational research. Questions were answered regarding research area interests, stability of priorities for research, and omissions of research in high-priority areas. (CS)

To be mindful of diversity issues, educational research must expand its dimensions, analyze assumptions, include researchers with authentic perspective, rethink the impact of research consumption, and redefine parameters of researchers' work. Also important are the gatekeeping function of refereed journals, multidimensionality of diversity, choice…

The objective of this study was to identify characteristics of researchers and small, undergraduate colleges supportive of curriculum research. A questionnaire, designed to determine professional characteristics of the respondents, and environmental, and organizational factors supportive of curriculum research was mailed to the total faculty of…

Selected members of the Rural Education Special Interest Group (RE/SIG) of the American Educational Research Association participated in a modified Delphi study to examine the agenda for rural educational research proposed by the Federal Interagency Committee on Education (FICE) Subcommittee on Rural Education. The Delphi technique is a procedure…

The role of nonprofit marketing at higher education institutions is examined and its implications for institutional research are also discussed. It is suggested that the institutional researcher can assist with informed decision making during the enrollment and fiscal challenge of the l980s. (Author/SF)