The realities of teacher preparation are not self-evident. Researchers, educators, and policymakers need a framework to describe what goes on in teacher education programs and to determine how they do or do not measure up as preparation for teaching. This paper presents such a framework. The framework rests on a conception of the central tasks of…

Despite the widespread introduction of microcomputers into the nation's schools, tremendous variations exist in the frequency and success of their implementation. This study focuses on the principal's role as one possible cause of these variations. Recent research has identified two major role activities of principals: instructional leadership and…

Testimony in this congressional hearing focused on the sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), the major cause of death in infants over 1 month of age in the United States. Three panels of witnesses, comprised of concerned parents, academicians, and national and regional officers of service organizations, (1) provide an overview of the research and…

This study guide provides an overview and model of business research. First, introductory material defines research and discusses the benefits of studying business research methods for both producers and consumers of research. In the next section different types of research are discussed, including experimental, ex post facto, quasi-experimental,…

On the basis of two sets of videotaped observations collected on same-sex, same-age and mixed-age dyads composed of children 18 and/or 24 months old, issues concerning research on infants and toddlers are addressed. The first set of observations was a simple description of the structure and content of children's peer interaction during 15 minutes…

To have any impact on policy, educational research in Singapore must often be conducted and reported in ways compatible with the preconceptions of the national government's educational policy-makers. Still, the situation facing researchers currently is preferable to that existing before 1979, when the Goh Report recommended major reforms in…

Self-efficacy, a person's perceived capacity to execute a behavior required to produce a desired oucome, can affect motivation and behavior. It appears that individuals gain self-efficacy information from performance accomplishments, vicarious experience, verbal persuasion, and emotional arousal. Effective clinical interventions must promote…

This paper describes the complex issues that block the language teacher's progress towards better teaching and learning. The issues are problematic, for they involve political, financial, organizational, and sociological concerns. All teachers need encouragement in the form of central support, improved career prospects, and value attributed to…

Five current theoretical approaches to second language learning are examined: practice, problem-solving, creative construction, monitoring, and personality development. The points in each approach that are most controversial and those that require further clarifying research are reviewed. It is concluded that in at least three major areas,…

This document contains a compendium of research on the job placement of college students and graduates. The objectives of this publication are to help individuals involved in job placement learn the research findings in the field and to provide guidance to researchers in the field regarding areas needing additional study. The introduction explains…

This report is part of a research series on roles of participants in high school change. Investigators administered interview questions to 380 teachers of 18 selected high schools in 9 sites geographically dispersed across the nation. From taped interviews, 54 were chosen for study of teachers' roles in school change, their reactions to change,…

This report, part of a research series on roles of participants in high school change, focuses on activities of school district office personnel. Interview and observational data were gathered in nine states. Following a discussion of relevant literature, study findings are presented in five categories: description of regular jobs and roles of…

This paper examines the concept of school climate as a key factor in the success of planned change in elementary schools. Beginning with a general review of the literature on organizational climate and using as its basis three major reviews that appeared in the mid-1970s, the paper defines climate, examines variables that have been used as part of…

A selective review of research dealing with emerging organizational electronic communication technologies from the communication, management, and organizational psychology literature was divided into four categories: word processing, electronic mail, computer conferencing, and teleconferencing (audio/video). The analysis was directed specifically…

Given what is known about cognitive development, how well prepared are 4-year-old children to succeed in school? This paper addresses the question by describing three areas in cognitive development, highlighting major themes in the research, and suggesting implications for teaching practice and social policy. Classical and contemporary views of…