Higher education had a predominant national and institutional focus for a long time. In Europe, supra-national political activities played a major role for increasing the interest in comparative research. Comparative perspectives are important in order to deconstruct the often national perspective of causal reasoning, for proving benchmarks, for…

The science-to-service problem continues to taunt the field of education (Fixsen, Blasé, Naoom, & Wallace, 2009). As an academic discipline, the field requires knowledge generation that adds to or deepens theoretical understandings. As a profession, knowledge generation that solves local problems and supports continuous improvement is…

This commentary reflects on the contributions to learning analytics and theory by a paper that describes how multiple theoretical frameworks were woven together to inform the creation of a new, automated discourse analysis tool. The commentary highlights the contributions of the original paper, provides some alternative approaches, and touches on…

When laws change the rules of the game, it is important to observe the effects on the players' behavior. Some effects can be anticipated while others are difficult to enunciate before the law comes into force. In this paper we have analyzed articles authored by Spanish accounting academics between 1996 and 2005 to assess the impact of a change in…

This paper addresses the relationships between leadership theory, practice and development, drawing on both the higher education and wider leadership literature. It explores why challenges and problems exist within the contested field of leadership theory and why gaps remain between theory and practice after more than a century of research--and…

Discusses the nature of academic research, limits on practical newspaper research, and promoting practical research among professors. Argues that the academic world should have room for all kinds of research and that industry should be more supportive of academic research efforts. (SR)

There is a serious mismatch between higher education researchers' interests and policy makers' agendas. The rise of sound-bite politics, development of mass systems, and increasing emphasis on relevance have worsened the situation. The higher education community is fragmented and weakly institutionalized, impairing the research-policy interface.…

Explores common conceptions of what constitutes knowledge in educational administration, how knowledge relates to practice, and how individuals in universities might characterize productive research as occupying a multidimensional space along why, who, and how dimensions. Discusses five guiding principles and need for a community of scholars.…

Explains appropriate techniques to test for interactions and nonlinearity in mass communication survey data. Uses four well-known mass communication theories as examples of when to expect and test for these types of effects. Identifies the theoretical and methodological implications for mass communications researchers of the recent debate on this…

Focuses on the educational theories and practices of John Dewey and their reception in England between 1895 and 1939. Adopting Quentin Skinner's approach to the definition of influence, prevailing accounts of Dewey's impact on the English educational system are found to be misleading. Presents an alternative account which minimizes Dewey's role.…

Argues that a reconsideration of what theatre or drama research actually is, and who undertakes it, is essential for the spark of life to fully enter the world of educational theatre. Discusses practical applications of research. Argues that research, like theatre, is for all, including students and teachers, and that controversy and…

Research conducted by Patrick Clancy and by Fitzpatrick Associates and Philip O'Connell on the level of representation of socio-economic groups amongst higher education entrants has been a key element in the development of access policy and practice in Ireland. This article reviews the context for the development of access and explores the…

This report is based on selected surveys of research practices used in eight countries (Canada, France, Germany, Japan, The Netherlands, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the United States). It is designed as a technical approach to help both scientists and decision makers unfamiliar with these procedures to define the most relevant practices in…

A content analysis of the literature on leadership in colleges and universities and on selection, retention, and attrition of college students, especially minority students, was conducted. It is concluded that elegant questions about the structures and processes of higher education have been asked and answered, but provide little guidance in…

Responds to an article in the same journal on the rhetoric of whole language. Challenges issues of representation, motives involved, and the small unrepresentative sample involved. Discusses the rhetoric of camouflage. (SR)