The positivist paradigm has dominated the shape and direction of research in education. Traditionally the scientific method is adhered to, variables are strictly controlled, statistics are compiled, and conclusions are reached. In the post-positivist paradigm, studies conducted using naturalistic inquiry take place in the natural setting and do…

This is the second volume of national reports on elementary or primary school curriculum in Asia and the Pacific, resulting from a project sponsored by the National Institute for Educational Research (NIER) in Tokyo, Japan. It includes national reports for the following countries: New Zealand, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, the…

These proceedings contain lectures concerned with problem solving, applications of undergraduate mathematics, and aspects of current research in mathematics. The four working groups considered: (1) the role of feelings in learning mathematics; (2) the problem of rigor in mathematics teaching; (3) microcomputers in teacher education; and (4) the…

Many researchers believe that prior knowledge is the single most important variable influencing learning. Learning in the classroom is determined or affected positively or negatively, to some degree, by the knowledge people bring to the classroom. This study was designed to: (1) assess fifth- and eighth-grade Korean students' misconceptions of…

This report summarizes a meeting which was held to explore some of the major issues raised by the current call for science education reform, and to make recommendations regarding what steps should be taken to ensure that the needed improvements in elementary and secondary science will actually be made in schools across the country. Included are…

This report presents findings of an evaluation of the Trades Education (TRADEC) schemes to report on the approach's distinctive features and to assess its effectiveness and potential to meet the needs of the populations it serves. Chapter 1 describes the origins and key features of TRADEC courses; succeeding chapters examine how they were…

Four major components comprised the Organizational Development Research Project at Indiana Vocational Technical College (Ivy Tech). The major component of the research was an evaluation of a model of cost effectiveness/benefit analysis previously developed for postsecondary vocational educators in Indiana. Cost data for all Region 8 Ivy Tech…

Ethnography is a research methodology that belongs to a genre of research called by various names, including educational anthropology, participant observation, case study, field study, and naturalistic inquiry. Ethnography was used as the research methodology for a nine-month study of adult beginning readers in Virginia. The research design was a…

Twelve papers were presented at a 1980 International Institute for Educational Planning (IIEP) workshop on the generalization of educational innovations from the local to the national level. Six of these papers are published in this report, along with a substantial bibliography and an introductory chapter summarizing the papers and describing the…

Educational production can be studied by correlating levels of academic achievement with three independent variables: student's family background, student's mental ability, and school quality. To examine family background and school quality, information was gathered from schools in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, Paraguay, and Peru.…

The Science and Mathematics Education Centre (SMEC) was established in 1979 in the Division of Engineering and Science at Western Australian Institute of Technology. The establishment of an autonomous SMEC, physically located in a science/mathematics environment, is helping to bridge the gap between secondary science/mathematics teachers and…

This volume contains 92 abstracts of materials--papers, studies, reviews--and citations to 37 periodicals that focus on youth education and training. A list of the topics covered in the first two sections is given at the front of the booklet. The abstracts are arranged into three categories: social and educational developments (policy, analysis,…

This document is a compilation of separate papers concerning the planned 1990 recompetition for the nine Regional Educational Laboratories, sponsored by the Office of Educational Research and Improvement (OERI) of the U.S. Department of Education, as follows: (1) "Report of the Laboratory Review Panel on the 1987 Review of Laboratories"…

A study identified related skills needed in five diploma programs offered in the Technical Division of John C. Calhoun State Community College in Decatur, Alabama. The programs were automotive technology, refrigeration/air conditioning, electrical technology, design drafting technology, and cosmetology. Thirty-five area businesses and industries…

This monograph examines issues central to a number of education reform proposals for secondary and postsecondary vocational education. Nine papers, chosen by a jury of the University Council for Vocational Education, are included: "Changing Workplace--Changing Education" (Douglas C. Smith); "Vocational Teacher Education: Emerging Patterns for…