Examines links between educational research and the policy and planning process in Laos. Reviews social and economic conditions influencing Lao education. Describes the use and nonuse of research in educational policy and planning, focusing on decision making and outcomes in a Lao government/Asian Development Bank educational assessment. Suggests…

Reviews three books concerned with the relationship of education to social and economic development. Compares the books with regard to their definitions of development and their conclusions about the benefits of educational investment in developing countries, the success of international agencies in poor countries, and directions for future…

Argues that rational, functionalist models of educational planning that conceptualize decision-making as an algorithmic process are relevant to a limited number of educational problems. Suggests that educational questions pertaining to goals, needs, equity, and quality must be solved with soft systems thinking and its interpretivist and relativist…

Disagrees with Psacharapoulos that theory and qualitative research have little value in studying educational problems. Emphasizes the importance of local context to educational planning, and the need for more thorough discussion of the concepts used in comparative education, consistent use of terminology, and honest elaboration of researchers'…