To examine the opinion leadership phenomenon as an element of a change strategy for agricultural education, a means of identifying personal and social characteristics of teachers identified as opinion leaders was developed. Chi square, t test, and Spearman's rank-order correlation were used to analyze data obtained by group interviews from 272 of…

The papers in this monograph review the literature and summarize recent research findings on factors affecting educational change in the public schools. The authors also report the reactions of several principals who have attempted to implement significant educational innovation in their schools. In the opening chapter, Kenneth A. Tye uses a…

A part of the South Florida Environmental Project sponsored by the U.S. Department of Interior, Bureau of Indian Affairs, this project commenced on July 1, 1971, and ended on December 31, 1972. Phase I provided a comprehensive history of Seminole and Miccosukee Indian tribal development; Phase II produced an overall view of the growth of the South…

A basic premise of this essay is that educational organizations perform certain functions for students in order to attain purposes, goals, and objectives, and in turn these functions influence what social studies educators can and cannot do in curriculum and instruction. It is argued that teachers of the social studies must learn about the…

Those involved in mass media and adult education in the Third World, including researchers in education, communication, and instructional technology, operators of mass media programs, and national policy makers, should regard themselves as change agents. In order to function effectively as such they must understand the methodological aspects of…

Despite the present availability of curriculum materials of high quality for use with the inquiry approach of the new social studies, the pace of change is slow. This paper addresses itself to the unique problems of diffusion, adoption, and change in social studies, and with the principles and practices which can be applied to solve these…

Can educators be effective change agents, and if so, how? Let's consider our opportunities from three viewpoints: 1) the social setting of the school; 2) the school systems themselves; and, 3) the teacher. Within the social setting, one of the most important limitations to change is the resistance of many parents. The new curricula and approaches…

The paradigm and model presented in this paper, influenced by the Havelock's "linkage" model and Chin's "changing" model, aim to assist educators in determing directions of change using a selection of managerial and behavioral techniques, and to regulate the rate of change using management information and control systems. The generic paradigm…

An earlier report examined the relationship of school system innovativeness to selected dimensions of interpersonal behavior in eight school systems as revealed through data collected in 1967. The major implication of this study suggested that the climate of the schools might be changed to make them more receptive to innovation from within or from…

How do innovations (defined as idea, products, and practices perceived as new by an individual) diffuse to members of a social system? The authors answer this and other questions about the character of innovators, the rate of adoption of ideas, and the decision-making process in 103 generalizations about diffusion of innovation. These propositions…

To provide substantive and methodological information concerning systematic vocational placement and followup to individuals responsible for educational program change, a project was conducted to develop three publications, each for different audiences: (1) school board members, (2) teacher educators, and (3) local school personnel. Information…

A descriptive account of the organization and working of the Sharmik Vidyapeeth (Polyvalent Adult Education Centre) in Bombay, India, is presented. The purpose of the development of this center was to plan and develop integrated educational and training courses of various durations for workers and prospective workers. The centers were set up in…

This paper, after discussing the inadequacies of present-day teacher education, proposes an alternative model which places first priority on the actual training of teachers, as well as administrators, for the public schools. The model emphasizes the realities of life in urban and nonurban America in the seventies, making the following assumptions:…

Summarized are the proceedings of the fifteenth Lake Okoboji Educational Media Leadership Conference. The first section of the report presents a transcript of the keynote address, which was concerned with the inadequacy of many educational programs in meeting community needs. Brief reviews of the general sessions and reports of group discussions…

The introduction of microcomputers into schools appears not to have inevitable effects, though some options for action may appear more or less favorable than before. The potential consequences of introducing microcomputers will be affected by the relative influences of key personnel and the individual school's decision-making style. (PGD)