Presents highlights from a conversation via BITNET on education policy and priorities for the Office of Educational Research and Improvement. The electronic discussion took place over 3 weeks with approximately 700 participants. Themes of balancing kindergarten through grade 12 education and higher education and the government's role in research…

An overview is provided of the nature of reflective practice as presented in pedagogical literature and of the necessary characteristics of the reflective practitioner in an educational context. Implications for the evaluation of classroom teachers are explored, and suggestions for further research are offered. (SLD)

This commentary offers 10 critical characterizations of contemporary special education and 5 major implications for the future of the field. It urges special educators to turn their attention unambiguously and forcefully to empirical research to generate reliable common knowledge of effective instruction of students with disabilities. (Author/CR)

Argues that law schools systematically and pervasively fail to study and teach about the legal profession. This is seen as an ethical failure by the legal academy to meet the needs of its three principal constituencies: students; the bar; and society. Three concrete strategies that all law schools should undertake to address issues graduates will…

A discussion of the outreach role of American universities looks back to the origins of state and land-grant universities and their early role in promoting access to education and the advances of technology. Argues that understanding the current outreach mission of universities requires both clear vision and thorough research. (MSE)

This study of college freshmen learning a second language compared two instructional strategies using cooperative learning and interactive video instruction, and measured the effect of these strategies on achievement and attitudes. Recommends further research to determine how to group mature learners and how to use two-person workstations in…

Introduces a special issue that focuses on teachers and other practitioners undertaking research on their professional praxis. Discusses some experiences as a teacher-researcher, outlines the studies presented in the special issue, and considers questions of voice in the presentation of teacher-researcher studies. Contains 25 references. (WRM)

Video and electronic media have the potential to bridge the gap between classroom research and practice by providing rich and detailed data for grounded discussions about teaching and learning. Describes attempts to use digital video technologies to increase collaboration between researchers and practitioners. (WRM)

Top issues in service learning research include how service learning enhances subject matter; defining expected outcomes; identifying the processes of effective service learning; faculty involvement; effect on educational institutions; institutional policies, practices supporting/enhancing service learning; nature of effective community…

Issues in university employment of doctoral students are discussed, including the ideal of apprenticeship, the nature of research and teaching assistantships, assistantship as a form of financial support, students' perceptions of their assistantship role, graduate student employees' efforts to organize, and ambiguity of the status of assistants as…

Firm evidence shows that formative assessment is an essential ingredient of classroom work and that its development can raise achievement standards. Achieving this goal demands a four-point scheme for teacher development: learning from development, a slow, yet steady dissemination process, reduction of obstacles, and substantive research efforts.…

Summarizes attempts to define and measure quality and effectiveness in academic libraries, from traditional evaluative studies to Total Quality Management and new research on user-defined criteria. Topics include models of organizational evaluation; measures of library service; academic libraries and higher education effectiveness, including…

Concerns about published comparisons of colleges and universities are organized into a framework to guide further research. A systematic method for addressing specific issues about the guides is presented, and the environment in which the guides are used is examined. Research needed to assure that the guides make a valued contribution and are fair…

The role of language and culture in the education of Europeans for a culturally diverse, global society is discussed. It is argued that a great deal must be done before education will prepare Europeans to deal with contradicting political, economic, social, linguistic, and cultural forces, particularly in the context of the European Union, in…

Behavioral momentum or interspersed requesting has been effectively used to achieve compliance with young children with disabilities. This paper reviews research on behavioral momentum and proposes expanding the utility of behavioral momentum to incorporate a variety of outcomes in social interactions, communication, motor skills, self-help…