In response to Denzin and Lincoln's claim that using a variety of interpretive analyses enables a better understanding of the world, I examine two different analyses of the same data set. Using a survey of preservice elementary education students (n = 208) asked to describe their perceptions of teacher professionalism, I contrast the application…

A conceptual framework that educational administrators may want to adopt as a general guide for their evaluative activities is described. In conceptualizing evaluation, the author sets forth ten questions that anyone trying to understand evaluation might ask and answers them with these statements: (1) evaluation is the ascertainment of merit; (2)…

A structural model of the concept of competence. (Author)

Defines communication and presents a new verbal-pictorial model that views the communication process as a series of steps or functions performed by the participants. Discusses components and strength of the model. (PD)

Notes that consulting process seems to work similarly regardless of whether consultant is internal or external or is doing individual or group consultation. Contends that some differences may occur depending on whether consultant is process helper or content helper. Reviews several consultation processes, and, from this, presents six-step approach…

Discusses how the field of public relations has left itself vulnerable to other fields that are making inroads into public relations' traditional domain, and to critics who are filling in their own definitions of public relations. Proposes a definition and a three-dimensional framework to compare competing philosophies of public relations and to…

The authors welcome and appreciate the comments of Eric Grodsky and Sigal Alon on their article "Shadow Education, American Style: Test Preparation, the SAT and College Enrollment." In their comments, Grodsky takes issue with several important theoretical and methodological aspects of their article and Alon highlights key processes…

In this dissertation, I develop a definition and regional measure of entrepreneurship that will aid entrepreneurship research and economic development policy. My new indicators represent an improvement over current measures of entrepreneurship. The chief contribution of these new indicators is that they incorporate innovation, which others ignore.…

Recent advances in educational assessment, cognitive science, and artificial intelligence have made it possible to integrate valid assessment and instruction in the form of modern computer-based intelligent systems. These intelligent systems leverage assessment information that is gathered from various sources (e.g., summative and formative). This…

"Diagnostic classification models" (DCM) are frequently promoted by psychometricians as important modelling alternatives for analyzing response data in situations where multivariate classifications of respondents are made on the basis of multiple postulated latent skills. In this review paper, a definitional boundary of the space of DCM…

Buchmann, Condron and Roscigno argue in their article, "Shadow Education, American Style: Test Preparation, the SAT and College Enrollment," that the activities in which students engage to prepare for college entrance exams are forms of shadow education, a means by which more advantaged parents seek to pass their privileged status along…

This paper isolates various properties of theoretical models which are conducive to the successful fulfillment of the functions of theory in the progress of scientific research. Also examines two selected examples of models proposed in the psychological literature that illustrate their usefulness in furthering research. (Editor/RK)

Reexamines the assumption that better theories of reading can lead to improved instruction. Considers (1) the theory-practice relationship as a problem of translating descriptive and operational definitions in practice and (2) the role partial specification plays in the formulation of descriptive and operational definitions of reading in theory…

Clarifies the concept of development, briefly discussing three historical periods of development education. Contrasts "split-knowledge" and "holistic" paradigms of modern science. (RH)

Three primary stances on the wisdom of mixing evaluation models while mixing evaluation methods frame the challenges to defensible mixed-method evaluative inquiry. These challenges are addressed by shifting the mixed-method controversy from models toward other critical features of disparate traditions of inquiry. (Author/SLD)