A discussion providing a background sketch of theories and research specifically about, or pertaining to, the subject of knowledge utilization in the public education system in the United States is presented. The problem is defined as the question of how and why existing information comes to be considered "useful" by practitioners and how it is subsequently applied by practitioners. In the literature that has been generated in the area of educational diffusion, adoption and utilization of information, three basic approaches have been isolated: the research, development and diffusion perspective, the social interaction perspective, and the problem-solver perspective. The dominant perspective has been the research, development and diffusion model. Research on the subject of information utilization is described as loosely organized, university-based, individually directed, theory oriented, committed to experimentalism, conducted primarily by persons trained in a psycho-statistical tradition, and a part-time pursuit. The point is made that when considering the role of media in education, one should distinguish between the commercial mass media and media used as teaching devices in the classroom. The final conclusion of this review is that the communicational perspective of the present study finds a fair amount of theoretical and research support in the extant literature on knowledge utilization in education. (Author/CK)