The complexity of mathematics teaching involving both cognitive and sociosystemic factors makes development problematic. Examples from research into teaching reveal factors in complexity and ways in which inquiry between teachers and didacticians can foster deeper ways of knowing in the developmental community. Research is seen as the basis of an…

This symposium on research issues in human resource development (HRD) consists of three presentations. "The Influence of Theories of Action on Action Research Initiatives: One Dying Division's Case" (Linda Neavel Dickens) reports an interpretive case study to illuminate how individual, team, and organizational practices and theories of…

In the field of educational assessment, many changes are going on that are designed to make measurement or assessment meaningful to both teachers and learners. Conditions that support assessment development and research are identified. The need for developing assessments for teachers and learners is being supported by research on unintended…

Andersen Consulting is a global training firm with more than 20,000 consultants serving clients from 151 officers in 46 countries. In 1995, Andersen Consulting introduced a career development model (CDM) as a new organizing structure for its consultants in North and South America. The CDM, which translates the findings of research on integrative…

Guidelines are presented for the development of computer-based instructional materials. Steps in courseware development defined by M. D. Roblyer (1988) include: (1) instructional design; (2) preprograming development; and (3) programing. The emphasis is on instructional design, the most time-consuming part of the task. Preprograming development…

The integration of micro-macro variables is critical to the development of organizational communication as an academic field. Mixed-level analysis is inherent in organizational phenomena, and its neglect perpetuates the gap in and fragmentation of organizational communication theories. Three of the many ways to design mixed-level analyses are…

Because the use of tobacco contributes to a large number of deaths each year in the United States, a current research project at the University of Iowa tests the application of a number of theoretical ideas--including social bonding, diffusion, and the spiral of silence--and attempts to develop new ideas in an effort to reduce smoking. The…

Sri Lanka is widening its scope for vocational education sub-sector. The emerging global trends and the aspirations of the emerging Sri Lanka after defeating terrorism demands the preparation of the graduating youth at different stages of the education system for employment. Vocational education faces many challenges. Though there are…

This paper examines the issues of deinstitutionalization and mainstreaming from a historical perspective, focusing on the changes over time in views and practices toward retarded individuals and the role of science in the mental retardation field. The parallel development of residential programs and special education programs for individuals with…

A study explored whether public relations practitioners in one-way environments (press agentry/publicity and public information) and in two-way environments (asymmetric and symmetric) have different general attitudes toward research and whether they use social science techniques differently. A mail survey of 200 randomly chosen public relations…

This paper reviews staff development research related to rural schools. Only a limited number of studies have described, or evaluated the effects of, particular staff development programs in rural schools, or have assessed the perceived needs of rural faculty and administrators for inservice training. However, rural educators can draw implications…

Some aspects of fourth generation evaluation procedures that have been advocated by E. G. Guba and Y. S. Lincoln were examined empirically, with emphasis on areas where there have been discrepancies between theory and field-based experience. In fourth generation evaluation, the product of an evaluation is not a set of conclusions, recommendations,…

The human resource development (HRD) profession needs to continue to develop its core theories and to integrate new theories into the body of knowledge. Creating new knowledge is of essential importance to both HRD practitioners and researchers. As an emerging field, HRD is in the process of defining itself as a discipline. Currently, there are…

Outlines the development of guidance in the United Kingdom. Reviews the relationship between two distinct but related traditions: the development of the practice of career guidance; and the development of guidance as an educational concept. Examines conceptual issues and discusses challenges for guidance in the new millennium in relation both to…

The project described in this report used action research to study the involvement of teachers in the change process at a suburban elementary school. The project used study groups as a professional development strategy that fosters educational reform efforts. All 28 teachers on the school's staff signed up for a group. Teachers appreciated the…