This introductory level text provides a background for understanding the uses of qualitative research in education, its theoretical and historical underpinnings, and specific methods of educational research. This revised edition places qualitative research into the context of current discussions of research methods and alternative ways of knowing.…

Social science research can make a valuable contribution to family law analysis and formation. It can help define problems, identify possible solutions, and challenge underlying normative assumptions. Recent studies related to family law reform have analyzed the use of wage-withholding and other changes to increase child support amounts and…

This paper presents the case for furthering the profession of counseling psychology by affiliating with a department of medicine and not working only within traditional graduate programs. Counselor training programs have explicit expectations for faculty to execute a research program that makes a unique contribution to the field. Medical schools…

This book focuses on the relevance of statistics in the day-to-day lives of principals and teachers. The step-by-step guide to using existing school data can help school leaders make more appropriate and effective decisions. The information is presented with easy-to-follow instructions, illustrations, and pertinent examples. The chapters are: (1)…

What does brain-based research say about how adolescents learn? The 1990s was declared as the Decade of the Brain by President Bush and Congress. With the advancement of MRIs (Magnetic Resonance Imagining) and PET (positron emission tomography) scans, it has become much easier to study live healthy brains. As a result, the concept of…

This article synthesizes research on teacher effectiveness, school effectiveness, and organizational change and interprets what the findings imply for staff development in the schools. Nine research-based themes for staff development efforts are outlined. (PP)

Alaska has mounted an intensive statewide staff development effort to help teachers and administrators use research-based practices. Leadership teams from each school, with assistance from the Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory, develop improvement plans and implementation strategies. Administrators, teachers, and school board members…

Research into effective teaching has only recently begun to yield dependable results. To be most helpful, research must focus on specific practices, and the findings must be used in the education of prospective teachers as well as in inservice education programs. (FG)

Examines some of the factors that determine whether and how psychological research will affect public policies regarding children. Stresses the importance of the political climate in influencing research utilization and says that researchers must know when to introduce their findings into the policy making process. (Author/MJL)

A model for school policy makers is provided to help clarify the process of applying research findings to schools and classroooms. The 10-step model is meant to facilitate the systematic review of research and the planning and implementation of new programs and to illustrate potential university and school district cooperation. (Author/PP)

The origins of institutional research and its association with a planning function are reviewed. The role of values, politics, and social pressures in regard to the planning function are examined. Planning is likely to be more directed to attaining administrative and faculty aspirations than to meeting educational and social needs. (Author/MLW)

Reviews methodological weaknesses of studies that evaluate alternative settings and programs for long-term care of the elderly. Argues that research should provide better information and present options to clients, service providers, and policymakers, rather than studying whether one alternative is more effective than another. (Author/MJL)

An experimental, continuing, weekly interdisciplinary colloquy on cardiology is described. It is organized between the departments of medicine and physiology of Loyola University Medical Center to promote interaction between basic scientists and practicing physicians in the medical school. (Author/MLW)