The evaluation of a high school teacher by his principal in Alberta, Canada, was examined by analyzing the conversations that occurred between the researcher, the principal, and the teacher he was evaluating. The analysis reveals much about why the principal undertook teacher evaluations, and what counts as evidence for good or poor practice.…

This paper presents a review of research projects recently completed by teachers in South Africa. The purpose is to describe the nature of these projects and to see what trends emerge from an analysis of the location, purpose, design, methodology, and findings of the projects. Five different projects in which more than 70 teachers have been…

The concept of mediated learning is examined, focusing on the work of L. Vygotsky (1896-1934) and R. Feuerstein (born 1921). Mediated learning is the subtle social interaction between teacher and learner in the enrichment of the student's learning experience. Both theorists take a strong sociological approach to the development of intelligence and…

Possible impacts of changing information technology on the role of the institutional researcher, who serves as a decision support intermediary, are examined. Attention is directed to measurement, human information processing, and decision support technology. It is noted that management information systems are dependent on measurement for data…

There are students whom teachers always seem to remember, primarily because they provide special insight into teaching and learning. These students, most of whom usually have learning difficulties in school, teach important lessons to teachers about determination, survival, and about becoming readers and writers. One such student is Kimberly,…

This case study of a central office school improvement initiative in an urban school system examines instructional leadership practices of two junior high school principals. The school-based research focuses on correlates of school effectiveness in "low achieving" settings and the principals' capacity to "reflect-in-action," an ability to make…

Noting that the principles of writing process instruction typically offered to elementary teachers are less readily adaptable to intermediate classrooms emphasizing content area learning rather than basic skills, this paper explores two key themes important to the successful implementation of writing process instruction: (1) teachers' needs to…

Published on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the school television broadcasting industry in Japan, this document reviews and summarizes the results of past research on the Japanese school television system and considers its future direction. After a brief introduction, the document is divided into six sections: (1) a prehistory of school…

Papers on issues concerning the governance of private research university foreign language programs include: "The Governance of Foreign Language Teaching and Learning" (James S. Noblitt); "Academic Alignments in Language Teaching" (Winfred P. Lehmann); "The Politics of Language Instruction" (James Redfield); "Perceptions of Governance in a Smaller…

The process of research synthesis is examined in this paper. The results of a case study of what happens to the attitudes of six experts in the field of school desegregation and black achievement when they interactively review the relevant research literature are presented. The impact of these subjects' resulting reviews on the attitudes of a less…

Prepared as a tribute to the late Professor Ronald R. Edmonds, this paper reviews the history and progress of school improvement based upon the effective schools research. Topics related to the scope and precision of effective schools research are discussed. A need for further research is claimed in the following areas: (1) noncognitive and higher…

This updated resource guide for foreign language educators contains information on resources and services that can help enrich the classroom instruction. It is also designed for those who are concerned with the study or advancement of foreign languages and cultures. Information is provided on 149 foreign language service organizations and 68…

Intended as a response to the call for reform of education in the United States, this volume presents theories and practical examples school personnel can use in order to bring about change in reading programs. The articles and their authors are as follows: (1) "Characteristics of Exemplary Reading Programs" (S. Jay Samuels); (2)…

This paper presents an overview of Florence Nightingale's statistical background and accomplishments; discusses Victorian statistics, Nightingale's education and statistical contributions; and concludes with implications for professors and students of educational research. Florence Nightingale (1820-1910), the first woman elected as a fellow of…

The Experimental Program for Opportunities in Advanced Study and Research in Education was a 3-year training program (1979-82) funded by the National Institute of Education to increase participation in educational research of women and minorities at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. During the third project year, these objectives guided the…