The practice of interviewing individuals rather than groups has been based largely upon methodological concerns for preventing contamination of data. The assumptions that (1) the data provided by individuals can, in aggregate, yield social truth; (2) individuals are conscious of social phenomena; and (3) the whole of social reality is equal to the…

Developments in higher education that have significance for the next few years (1987-1989) are discussed, based on a review of the published research in Western Europe and the Americas. Three propositions derived from the currents of research on higher education are briefly considered: (1) a demanding force for higher education comes from…

South Carolina's School Incentive Reward Program Program (SIRP) based on year-to-year gains in reading and mathematics achievement, which seemed to have face validity, was evaluated, particularly its use of the relative gains of students in only the highest grade in the school as the basis for the awards. When this requirement was relaxed so that…

The behavioral and social sciences offer the best perspective on changing individual and group behaviors and stopping the spread of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS). Social psychologists interested in basic research and/or theoretical issues have an opportunity to study naturally occurring independent variables. A potential area for…

"Minority children" experience a lot of shifts in their cultural contexts. The author's work as a professional teacher in multicultural classes enabled her to focus on the research questions presented in this article. These questions concern the need for some minority children to achieve equal opportunities in the Norwegian educational…

Studies from several countries are described in this review of literature pertinent to assigning day care children to multi-age or homogeneous age groups. Three issues are discussed in this regard: (1) What difference does it make how one groups children? The answer is that a profound difference to children, staff, and parents may occur in terms…

Designed to identify exemplary strategies and procedures for assessing employer satisfaction with former vocational education students' training and job performance, this handbook provides ideas for initiating such an assessment and for improving upon current assessment practices. It consists of five chapters. Chapter 1 provides an overview of the…

The focus of future Follow Through research should be oriented toward showing what can be done in order to offer information to both federal and local planners on which systems of curriculum design, classroom management, and parent involvement appear to be most effective. To assure this goal, the issues of program efficacy and implementation…

Research in social psychology will be more useful to society if researchers incorporate evaluation research into their inquiries. Evaluation research is interpreted to include overall assessment of a program or project as well as methodological procedures used to assess implementation and outcome of social and cultural action programs.…

This monograph describes a practical, low cost needs assessment process used by Broward Community College (Florida) in cooperation with the public school system. The assessment was initiated by college administrators who needed information to plan appropriate programs and services for the residents living in a newly created service area. The…

WRITTEN AT UNESCO'S REQUEST, THIS DISCUSSION GUIDE CONSIDERS WHETHER OR NOT THE NATIONAL INTEREST WOULD BE SERVED BY INCREASING THE STUDY OF MODERN FOREIGN LANGUAGES IN THE UNITED STATES AND, IF SO, WHICH SEQUENCE OF STUDY OF WHAT LANGUAGES WOULD BE MOST BENEFICIAL FOR BOTH THE NATION AND THE INDIVIDUAL LEARNERS. FOLLOWING SOME BRIEF INTRODUCTORY…

To shed light on the social research perspectives which enable people to give coherence to daily events, educational researchers must continually scrutinize the social values and beliefs which underly their research. As social and cultural affairs are explained by the social sciences, so also are theories and methods influenced by social conflict.…

The problematic nature of research in the teaching of foreign languages discloses fundamental areas of concern, particularly related to secondary school teacher attitudes. Comments of leading researchers concerning the nature of research, purpose and design, responsibility for generation of research, and the use of research are cited extensively.…

The relationship of the foreign language teacher and the researcher is explored in this report which focuses predominately on three main aspects: (1) locating research, (2) evaluating research, and (3) conducting research. An overview of the role of the teacher as potential researcher introduces the principal sections. Distinctions between…

This book is one of a series prepared in connection with the Behavioral and Social Sciences Survey (BASS), conducted between 1967 and 1969 to provide a comprehensive review and appraisal of these fields, and to provide a basis for an informed effective national policy to strengthen and develop these fields. This report is designed to present a…