Observes lower numbers of ethnic and cultural studies, despite growing need. Argues for appropriate, affirmative action to increase number of rural sociological studies. Sees "ray of hope" in 1990 meeting of Rural Sociological Society. Suggests more training, scholarships, monographs, research, and fellowships for researchers interested…

The paper summarizes key features of teacher knowledge that emerge from recent research, considering their possible implications for teacher training. It argues for a more prominent role for research in the evaluation and development of teachers' professional education. (SM)

Describes a study that measures and analyzes the map collections of Association of Research Libraries (ARL) using data from 1984 and 1988. Size of collections and growth rate are examined, and a composite index is used to rank the map collections to determine whether maps receive the same attention as other materials. (14 references) (LRW)

Discusses difficulties in designing a curriculum for Soviet schools that will allow students to master subjects and develop their individual personalities. Describes specific problems in designing secondary research: formulation of specific teaching/learning goals, integration of content, and reflection of the tasks of upbringing. Maps out…

Describes questioning methods trainers can use to uncover training needs (interviews, surveys, test questions, program evaluations). Illustrates the use of questions at the beginning, middle, and end of training sessions. (SK)

A national survey found that approximately 75 percent of the states in the United States required general education teachers to have a course or two in special education or to meet some specific competency criteria--an increase over a 1984 survey. Research on how well teachers make use of such training is encouraged. (JDD)

Reviews relevant scholarly literature on hypermedia from two perspectives: (1) an analysis of hypermedia in terms of learning theory; and (2) the implications of several characteristics of hypermedia for instructional designers, including its impact on learner control, concept development, and collection of data on student performance. Research…

Urges that research in elementary music education focus on discovering better ways of teaching and learning music and that findings be incorporated into the curriculum. Suggests questions for research, including when should abstractions be taught? what aspects of singing can be taught? and do all children listen similarly? Recommends replication…

Describes a study of Chinese undergraduate students at the Hong Kong Polytechnic that was conducted to examine the reliability and predictive validity of a short form of Honey and Mumford's Learning Styles Questionnaire. Correlations between learning style scores and preferences for different types of learning activities are discussed. (16…

Examines existing data on biological diversity among Americans of African descent within the contexts of their evolutionary backgrounds and political and economic realities. Explores the origins of the diversity, and provides an evolutionary and political economy synthesis for evaluating the biological distinctions apparent among African…

Discussion of user-friendly computer systems focuses on the use of learners' mental models to help in the design of interactive learning systems. Topics addressed include interactivity; human factors research; human-computer interface issues; individual differences, including learning styles and prior experience; cognitive load; measuring mental…

Reports on research that examined the clustering of similar books provided by a classification system and ways in which the books that patrons circulate are clustered in a university library. Measures of classification system performance are suggested and used to evaluate two test collections. Consequences for full-text document systems and online…

This overview offers a perspective on the distinguishing characteristics, past and present, of the learning disabilities field in the United States. The discussion focuses on why an advocacy movement has been necessary and emphasizes the need to establish clinical and scientific validation of learning disabilities, to preserve the hard-won…

Describes a study of high school library media specialists that was conducted to determine whether media specialists with automated circulation systems spent time differently than those without automated systems and in what areas the differences occurred. The differences found are discussed, and future research is suggested. (LRW)

Reassesses the place of ethics within the dialogs of two related fields--educational leadership/administration and philosophy of education. Argues for reconceptualizing the ethical in education, stressing three points: the shift to interpretive philosophy, the movement toward integrated interdisciplinary curricula, and the possibilities for…