There is no end to the material available to teachers and teacher educators on topics related to the techniques of teaching. However, there is very little that connects the theories of education and the challenges of daily teaching practice in the classroom. These facts lead to the following questions: "What are the basics of teaching?" and "How…

This paper explores the strengths and weaknesses of the medical model in an effort to promote a counseling perspective that embraces some of the medical models strengths. Through inclusion, rather than exclusion, it is believed that the counseling model will eventually infiltrate the medical model by way of its own documentation system. With its…

This paper describes the ethical dilemmas encountered by family counselors using the Diagnostic Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders IV (DSM). Numerous authors have emphasized that the DSM system does not contribute in an effective or efficient manner in the conduct of family therapy. The ethical issues of misrepresentation; trust; malfeasance;…

While more and more psychologists criticize managed care companies, most must depend upon them in order to maintain their practices. In this study, psychologists were surveyed and asked to identify activities in their own independent practice that fall outside of the purview of managed care. A total of 180 specific activities were identified that…

For an instructor who is working to reconcile "collaboration" and "feminism" in composition studies, it is necessary to explore how this critical coupling provides potential conflicts in theories and pedagogical practices. The following three premises need to be explored: (1) feminist collaborative methods and theorizing may…

Two questions facing the therapeutic community right now are: Can machines replace therapists? and Can therapy occur without a therapist? This paper attempts to respond to these questions through an examination of some major Western and Eastern theories in the field of psychological therapy. It reviews existing writings in the field to emphasize…

The hectic pace and rigid structures in many of today's schools make it difficult for educators to take time to reflect and learn. Experience is not enough. Reflection on experience is the pathway to improvement. Reflection provides a means for examining beliefs, assumptions, and practices. It can also result in the discovery of incongruities…

Identifies gaps of theory and practice in public administration between Western and non-Western countries. Develops a framework to bridge those gaps, improve the cumulation of knowledge in public administration, and enhance the relevance of theory for practitioners. Concludes with suggestions for further research and implications for practice.…

Using pharmacology case studies with nursing students encourages theory-practice links and infuses real-life content. Cases provide rich qualitative data for evaluating curriculum. However, they are not a substitute for evidence-based practice. (SK)

This paper describes a rationale for, and conceptual framework of, learning via open-ended learning environments (OELEs). It highlights development of theories-in-action with OELEs, including the roles of context, system response/feedback, and levels of processing. Discussion also includes examples of theory building via OELEs and implications for…

Examines issues related to theory and instructional systems design: the utility of theory; differences between descriptive (scientific) and design (goal-oriented) theories; the value of multiple theoretical perspectives; the inadequacy of current instructional design theories; and new directions needed in instructional theory, emphasizing the…

Reflects on the relationship between swimming and writing; between learning to swim and learning to write; and between the relevance of pedagogical theory and practice. Suggests that graduate students in writing should learn from historical and contemporary theorists but must have their own theories, the codification of their experiences as…

Today, researchers can learn about blood flow, electromagnetic fields, and chemical composition of the brain by using functional MRI (magnetic resonance imaging). As biologists, medical researchers, and cognitive scientists learn more about brain functions, educators must keep informed, study, and apply what they have learned in the classroom.…

Graduate programs at the Vanderbilt University School of Nursing are designed to enlarge students' knowledge of research and its relevance to their particular types of practice and to enhance students' precision in using the scientific approach to identify phenomena of concern and to solve nursing and health care problems. (Author)

Builds on C. Christie's innovative work to chart a future course for research on evaluation. Describes a variety of forms that a more evidence-based approach to evaluation theory could take and offers suggestions to help increase the amount and impact of evidence in evaluation theory. (SLD)