This paper builds on previous research (Ball, 2012, Ball & Junemann, 2012) to explore some aspects of the embodiment of policy. The author draws on Larner and Laurie's (2010) work on technocratic expertise and how, as she puts it, "privatisation ideas and practices are transferred in embodied forms," and in particular her argument…

The author develops the basic idea of evaluation policy, describes a practical model for development and revision of evaluation policies (including a taxonomy, structure, and set of principles), and suggests critical challenges and opportunities for the future of evaluation policy. An evaluation policy is any rule or principle that a group or…

The purpose of this article is to suggest how philosophy might play a key, if precisely delineated, role in the shaping of policy that leads educational development. The argument begins with a reflection on the nature of confidence in the relationship between philosophy and policy. We note the widespread resistance to abstract theorising in the…

Considerations for policy research include environment at the time the policy was developed, policy-making tactics, rules, regulations and maintenance of policy. Advances in research methodology provide new frameworks for data collection and analysis. These considerations can help set the agenda for national vocational education policy. (Contains…

The impact of various definitions of the term "policy" on the nature and outcomes of policy analysis is illustrated by noting a variety of definitions which are implied in the literature. These definitions are applied to exemplar policy arenas to note their differential effect. The policy arenas discussed include the community…

Examines economic equation systems by describing the simultaneous equation model, its application to the economy as a whole, and a systemwide approach to microeconomics. The systems approach focuses on particular segments of the economy such as consumer spending. (Author/KC)

Describes two research frames, functionalist research and critical analyses, focusing on the different questions they raise about a study published in an earlier issue of this journal that investigated whether minimally-trained college students can effectively tutor children in reading. Suggests reading researchers must extend their tendency to…

Discusses a 9-point program for research on student persistence. The program is designed to encourage effective policy development at the institutional level. (Author)

This paper is concerned with the relationships between educational research, policymaking, and educational change. It takes its title from the prevailing stereotype of educational research as a mirror seeking to reflect the realities of the task of teaching. (Author/KC)

"The critical researcher's dilemma is that, while the topics, theories, and methods we have studied now seem to be in favor, the moral views and general analysis that prompted our studies are not." (Author)

Better-integrated, more comprehensive models in the social sciences for practitioners involved in policy making and administration are needed. Marxian historical materialism, systems theory, and a mathematical language of analysis are required to analyze modern capitalist countries, either more or less developed. (KC)

These authors argue that evaluation in medical settings is best taught using experimental and quasi-experimental paradigms as a basic framework. Three types of health evaluation courses at the master's, doctoral, and professional doctoral levels at the University of Michigan that stress the crucial connection between evaluation and policy are…

Important past research on the state role, particularly that of state education agencies, in making and implementing educational policy is reviewed and assessed. Gaps in research and current issues are identified, and suggestions are offered for the future. (RL)

The value of examining a variety of behavioral, medical, and social phenomena as they relate to gradations in general intelligence is demonstrated. A method of uncovering group intelligence trends is presented that can enable policymakers and the public to apprehend the contribution of general intelligence to many socially important outcomes. (SLD)

Leigh Burstein was an internationally recognized educational researcher and scholar. This tribute notes his determination to "get it right" in his studies of multilevel modeling, opportunity to learn, and development of educational indicator systems. His legacy includes the responsibility of "getting it right." (SLD)