Educational research is distinctive inasmuch as it shares the moral objective of education, which is to help people make the best of themselves through processes of learning. Educational research is a service industry for education. As such, its contribution to the efficiency and effectiveness of educational processes can be increased by focusing…

This white paper outlines a proposed framework for post-16 learning in England. Chapter 1 discusses the principles underpinning the new policy, which are as follows: investing in learning to benefit everyone; lifting barriers to learning; putting people first; sharing responsibility with employers, employees, and the community; achieving world…

This collection of papers explores sociocultural influences on motivation and learning across a broad range of settings and content areas. There are 16 papers in five sections. "Introduction" includes: (1) "Modern Education Needs Cross-Cultural Psychology" (Harry Triandis). Part 1, "The Motivation Context," includes:…

These two journal issues include the following articles: "Assistant Foreign Language Teachers in Japanese High Schools: Focus on the Hosting of Japanese Teachers" (Great Gorsuch); "Communicative Language Teaching (Organizational Effectiveness of Upper Secondary School English Language Departments and Their Commitment toward…

Articles in this issue include the following: "Chat in EFL: Communicative Humanistic Acculturation Techniques" (Daniel Evans); "Task Interpretation and Task Effectiveness: A Vygotskian Analysis of a French L2 Classroom Task" (Lindsy Myers); "Envisioning a Standards-Based Methods Course: Preparing Second Language Educators…

The School-to-Work Opportunities Act of 1994 mandates standards-based assessment and skills certification as an integral part of a comprehensive school-to-work (STW) system. An ideal STW assessment system would span elementary through postsecondary education and culminate in assessment of skills at the workplace. It would articulate in progressive…

This book was written to support the excellence in teaching required to bring about learning of the highest quality. Chapters seek to offer the best practical advice in teaching, learning, and assessment, as well as references to research findings. An introductory section sets out the purpose of the book and examines the changing role and place of…

This document is comprised of volume 12 of the Harvard Education Letter, published bimonthly and addressing current issues in elementary-secondary education. Articles in this volume include the following: (1) January-February--"Early Reports From Kentucky on Cash Rewards for 'Successful' Schools Reveal Many Problems" (Miller), "New…

Developments in vocational education and training (VET) in Tanzania and Zimbabwe since the 1980s were examined in the context of economic reform. Formal VET provision in each country's public and private sectors was reviewed, and case studies of one firm in each country's manufacturing and tourism industries were conducted. The research identified…

Wisconsin's welfare reform program, which is called Wisconsin Works or W-2, emphasizes work over education. Wisconsin's welfare reform policy caused the numbers of Wisconsin welfare recipients attending college to shrink by thousands in the mid-1990s. In contrast, increasing numbers of states are coming to realize how much flexibility they really…

The Douglas Mawson Institute (DMI) of TAFE (technical and further education), which operates more than four campuses in Australia with a diverse student body numbering approximately 17,000 (78 percent studying part-time), has initiated strategies to support the transformation to an e-learning organization. Major elements in the change model are…

In Australia and elsewhere, four approaches have been used to determine whether stocks of vocational education and training (VET) skills are adequate to meet industry needs. The four methods are as follows: (1) the manpower requirements approach; (2) the international, national, and industry comparisons approach; (3) the labor market analysis…

Recent research on Australia's vocational education and training (VET) system and women in small business was synthesized to identify ways of making VET more responsive to the needs of women in small business. Special attention was paid to the following topics: key issues affecting public policy (globalization, economic development, industry…

These instructional materials are designed to improve the performance of paraeducators working in inclusive classrooms servicing school age students with limited English proficiency. The competency-based program helps participants to learn skills they can apply immediately, to accept new practices, and to increase their understanding of education…

Value-added modeling (VAM) to estimate school and teacher effects is currently of considerable interest to researchers and policymakers. Recent reports suggest that VAM demonstrates the importance of teachers as a source of variance in student outcomes. Policymakers see VAM as a possible component of education reform through improved teacher…