Methodological problems have so biased the search for potential biases in student ratings of university teachers that the search itself has approximated a witch hunt. Meta-analysis and systematic review are required for more accurate estimates of the size of effects that have been reported and the conditions under which they were found. (SLD)

The Dr. Fox effect is defined as the overriding influence of instructor expressiveness on students' evaluations of college and university teaching. Studies of this effect are reviewed, and the implications for the value of student evaluations of teachers are considered. (SLD)

Studies of the usefulness of student ratings of university teachers are often inadequate. The wide range of questions about how students use the other students' evaluations and how these evaluations can be used by administration and faculty to improve teacher effectiveness is a rich field for further research. (SLD)

A paradigm is described for studying the applicability of two North American instruments (the Students' Evaluation of Educational Quality and Frey's Endeavor) to other countries. Factor analyses of studies in Australia, Spain, and Papua New Guinea support the generality of the instruments' factors to the educational contexts of other countries.…

Educational evaluation is discussed. Topics include: an evaluation framework, educational objectives and study design from a 20-year perspective, a sample study, educational evaluation for local school improvement, decision-oriented evaluation studies, reporting study results, and professional standards for assuring the quality of educational…

In 1985, the Center for Education Statistics began a review of its elementary and secondary education data collection programs. The intended product of the redesign was a new plan for national data collection from institutions and individuals. This collection of articles describes the redesign project. (RB)

Five papers discuss Australian education research. Issues explored include: (1) public versus private education; (2) access to and participation in higher education; (3) teacher self-evaluation; (4) test equating methods; and (5) a procedure for analyzing classroom dialogue. The validity of end-of-school assessments and the nature of teaching are…

A re-analysis is given of the research about the influences of certain environmental factors on student achievement. The study indicates that educational process data seem to be helpful in building up an explanatory model not only on the macro systems level, but also on the classroom interaction level. (Editor)

The present paper is focused on analyses and discussions of the part authoritarian attitudes of the supervisors play in relation to the effect of supervision, and some typical combinations of attributes with authoritarian attitudes and with positive, neutral and negative effect of supervision will be dealt with. (Author)

This article deals with the special case of content analyses, where independent analysts extract phrases from a text according to rules laid down in a written instruction. (Author)

Compared to grade 8 students in intermediate schools, grade 8 students in K-8 schools are more involved with school activities and assume greater responsibility for those activities. K-8 schools apparently serve the needs of young adolescents better than intermediate schools. (SB)

The work values of 541 high school girls did not vary significantly from grade to grade. The girls valued security, achievement, and the "good life" the most and valued management, intellectual stimulation, and esthetics the least. (SB)

The article presents data on ethnic schools representing eight ethnic groups in three major Canadian cities. It discusses the functions of ethnic schools with respect to ethnic socialization and development of ethnic identity, and examines the role of language retention in cultural maintenance. (Author/SB)

The article is an overview of the events and ideas shaping the direction and nature of educational research as reflected by articles in the "Alberta Journal of Educational Research" from 1955 to 1979. (Author/SB)

The article contrasts North American and Soviet views and approaches to student evaluations, especially in the area of testing differences in academic achievement. It provides a brief summary of Soviet schooling and evaluative procedures. (Author/SB)