Because human behavior is dynamic and influenced by multiple interacting variables, questions have emerged regarding the usefulness of a science that relies heavily on experimental methodologies. A review of current scientific practices in psychology illuminates how the cognitive authority of the field exonerates the standard view of science. This…

Attention to different aspects of communicative competence (form and meaning) in second language instruction creates different kinds of learning environments. Form-focused classrooms favor transmission of linguistic competence. Whole-class instruction and lockstep conditions restrict communication. Input from teacher language and attitudes toward…

Despite the growing contributions of community college institutes and associations to educational research, most university-based colleges of education still minimize the value of this research and often contain only one professor whose primary interest and/or expertise is community colleges. To address this issue, researchers should make efforts…

This text makes explicit the links between education and gerontology and the academic base for preretirement education. "Concepts of Retirement in Historical Perspective" (Joanna Walker) looks at retirement as the following: event, period, social institution, the Third Age, a life stage, productive aging, and a subject of industrial gerontology.…

Research Ideas for the Classroom is a three-volume series of research interpretations for early childhood, middle grades, and high school mathematics classrooms. Each volume looks at research from the perspective of the learner, the content, and the teacher, and chapters are co-authored by a researcher and a teacher. Chapter titles in the early…

Educators in Virginia have been working hard to improve student performance. Their efforts are highlighted in this report, which notes trends and common practices in schools that have consistently demonstrated high achievement and in schools that have shown remarkable improvement in recent years. The first section of the report presents a…

An investigation was conducted to determine how many studies have been done, and on what subjects, in the field of education in Israel over the last 20 years. The study was based on the Israeli database "Current Research in the Social Sciences in Israel," which covers education among its topics. The database includes publications in…

The Consensus Validation Conference on Augmentative and Alternative Communication Intervention brought together researchers, educators, parents, clinicians, and persons who use Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) systems to arrive at consensus on best practices and benefits of AAC. Questions addressed include: definition of AAC and…

The Committee on the Federal Role in Education Research (CFRER), convened by the National Academy of Sciences (NAS), studied the structure, operations, and functioning of the Office of Educational Research and Improvement (OERI) in the Department of Education and the organizations it supports, and reviewed the roles of other agencies and the…

This study was conducted to compare and contrast the nontraditional placement of student teachers in a single school for an entire semester rather than the more traditional approach of placement in several buildings during the same time period. Student teachers (N=25) were assigned to the Ottumwa (Iowa) Regional Center. Of these, 19 were placed…

This paper summarizes the results of an analysis of literature on color use in screen design. Fundamental problems with the information base are identified as follows: (1) advise becomes obsolete as newer equipment becomes available; (2) the nature of the task used in the research is not sufficiently similar to tasks performed during teaching and…

Currently, the relationship between second language acquisition (SLA) and foreign language learning (FLL) is unidirectional, with theory and hypotheses flowing from SLA to FLL, and making FLL a subset of SLA. However, this relationship is an artificial one resting on debatable or even incorrect assumptions. These include the assumptions that: (1)…

This theme issue of "Focal Point" offers an overview of a range of children's mental health case management issues. Articles include: "Case Management for Families and Children" (Theresa J. Early); "Expectations of Case Management for Children with Emotional Problems: Parent Perspectives" (Richard Donner and others);…

A framework is provided for asking research questions and implementing an applied urban research project. Chapter 1 gives a brief overview of the term "urban" and the field of urban research. Chapter 2 discusses how different levels of analysis can be used in doing urban research. Chapter 3 suggests the need for strategic thinking in the applied…

This report considers the various facets of metacognition and their relation to adult literacy. The first section provides definitions of literacy and discusses the issue of single versus multiple factor hypotheses. The second section looks at the foundation of research on metacognition and literacy development in children. It examines whether…