This paper addresses specific and general issues regarding data needs and considerations that might improve and better facilitate the collection, use, and interpretation of educational data at the elementary and secondary levels. Specific issues discussed are: (1) preschooling and early education, with emphasis on the nature of preschool…

Recognizing the need for some form of evaluation of students' ability to understand the organization of ideas in different subject areas, a study was conducted to evaluate 450 paragraphs written by students aged 12 to 17. Students chose one of three groups of four words each to write on. Each group represented a category, the subjects being…

An overview of the research needed on the new Test of Written English (TWE), a section of the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), looks at research needs in the areas of test validity, test reliability, topic development, and equating. Suggested topics for study include: the uniqueness of the construct measured by the test, in…

This study explores aspects of the hypothesis that communication in cooperative learning groups mediates effects of cooperative learning. The study develops a taxonomy of the cooperative communications of groups of predominantly Anglo and Hispanic elementary school students attending a public school where teachers were being trained to implement…

A pilot study was conducted to: examine the beliefs of Institutional Research (IR) managers and senior administrators concerning the function, purpose and priorities of IR; determine if beliefs have been translated into practice; ascertain the extent of congruence between perceptions and beliefs held at each level of management; and examine…

Three well-known forms of university-industry collaboration (research parks, cooperative research centers, and industrial extension services) were examined, along with the federal role of stimulating cooperation. The objective was to develop information and guidelines to help policymakers in designing new or revised federal initiatives to promote…

Cognitive style is a psychological construct concerning the manner in which individuals differ from one another in intellectual functioning. Researchers in the area have amassed evidence suggesting that cognitive style affects the way students learn, the way teachers teach, and the way students and teachers interact. Focusing on cognitive style…

The purpose of this paper is to examine the theories and research concerning social comparison and goal setting processes in education and to discuss implications for educational practice and future research. Social comparison and goal setting are important contextual influences on children's task motivation, self-evaluations of capability, and…

Based on an analysis of the trends in educational research, the paper presents a conceptual model, general trends, and areas of need in educational research. Following an introduction, a conceptual model is presented which helps readers visualize three sets of variables. Set 1 variables center around the educational influences of social class,…

Spelling, a basic component of information technology, has been investigated for its efficiency as a means of communication, with some researchers claiming that English spelling is close to ideal for really literate people to read fast and efficiently. Evidence about human abilities to obtain meaning from the printed word has come from studies of…

To explain some of the problems and questions concerning the study of communicative competence, this paper discusses observations that motivate activity in the area and several issues generated by the observations, and suggests implications of the issues raised. The observations discussed first are that humans manage to get things done…

The purpose of this report is to distill curricular and testing implications of brain research. The report will focus on three topics. One topic is the possibility that brain lateralization--that is, the degree to which the two brain hemispheres specialize in different types of information processing--is an individual differences variable that…

The importance of theory in guiding research and development efforts in education is discussed. Issues related to academic foundations, professional education, and teaching fields that need to be addressed when developing a theory of teacher education include: (1) what effect different amounts, sequences, and combinations of content will have on…

The full proceedings are provided here of a conference of 40 teachers, educational researchers, and scientists from both the public and private sectors that centered on the future of computers in education and the research required to realize the computer's educational potential. A summary of the research issues considered and suggested means for…

This paper discusses current and future research on alternative supervisory approaches matched to developmental levels of teachers. The two major questions for research were: (1) Is there an interaction between individual characteristics of teachers and supervisory approach with regard to preference and performance? and (2) Can supervisors acquire…