This special issue's editors invited discussion of three broad questions. Slightly rephrased, they are: How well do self-report data represent theoretical constructs? How should analyses of data be conditioned by properties of self report data? In what ways do interpretations of self-report data shape interpretations of a study's findings? To…

As pressure builds to assess students, teachers, and schools, educational practitioners and policy makers are increasingly looking toward student perception surveys as a promising means to collect high-quality, useful data. For instance, the widely cited Measures of Effective Teaching study lists student perception surveys as one of the three key…

Reviews of the state of biology fieldwork in UK schools and universities at the beginning of the twenty-first century (Barker, Slingsby, and Tilling 2002; Smith 2004) were not entirely pessimistic; rather they suggested ways forward that might lead to an increase in fieldwork. Whether their hopes have been realised has, perhaps, been revealed by…

This essay discusses the design of the quantitative component of the "Young People's Attitudes to Religious Diversity" project, conceived by Professor Robert Jackson within the Warwick Religions and Education Research Unit, and presents some preliminary findings from the data. The quantitative component followed and built on the…

Students' evaluations of teaching quality are one of the crucial components of the teaching quality evaluation (along with external evaluation, opinions of colleagues, etc.). According to our research and professional experience, the teaching quality has to be examined in correlation with personality traits of a lecturer. Students' surveys (aiming…

The first article in this special issue is about the doctoral programs, the suppliers of new doctoral graduates in special education. It focuses on one component of a larger effort, the Special Education Faculty Needs Assessment (SEFNA) project, which investigated many aspects of the supply of new doctoral graduates as well as the demand for new…

Self-evaluation is supposed to be a valid, reliable and easy-to-use instrument to commit professionals to external quality assurance. The writing of a self-evaluation report is the first step in most higher education accreditation systems all over the world. Research on accreditation in the Netherlands and Flanders shows that professionals…

Whilst the leadership and management of Higher Education Institutes (HEIs) have become a subject for increased research and discussion, it is a concern that most of the sector has made little progress in ensuring its ability to recruit and develop the next generation of senior managers and leaders. A survey among the Directors of Human Resources…

Offers both the questionnaire and the subject calling card from the 1991 Boise State University (BSU) alumni outcomes assessment survey, as a general model for assessing communication alumni. Makes suggestions regarding the design of an effective survey instrument based on the BSU experience. (SR)

Reports the results of a national survey of online systems in academic libraries which gathered information on acquisitions, serials, circulation, cataloging, interlibrary loan, and integrated systems. The results include relationships between library characteristics, such as size, and library reports of present systems and future plans, methods…

Discusses approaches used to educate library professionals and paraprofessionals and examines the role of library technicians in a cataloging unit. Results of a survey of 20 library technicians employed in six public, academic, and special libraries in Ontario are reported, noting responsibilities and career satisfaction. Twenty-four references…

Information is provided to document the need and possible uses for a community center at the Community College of Allegheny County (CCAC). The paper describes a community center as a multi-purpose facility planned and administered cooperatively by the college and community to provide recreational and educational services for the constituencies the…

Six stages are hypothesized that define the behavior of returning mailed questionnaires: receiving the questionnaire, opening the mail, forming an overall impression, answering the questions, returning the questionnaire, and dealing with nonrespondents. The researcher must provide incentives at each stage if potential respondents are to complete a…

Based upon the 211 usable responses received to a survey of the libraries of 68 colleges of advanced education, 19 universities, and 226 technical and further education (TAFE) colleges in Australia, this report considers the establishment of a system that would permit distance education students to borrow materials from a local academic library.…

In this article, the author discusses Deliberative Polling as the most credible and practical method of public consultation. As compared with self-selected forums or samples of convenience, it employs scientific random samples. As compared with the snapshots of an inattentive public often offered by conventional polls, it assesses informed public…