In this second edition the authors have completely updated and expanded the original volume to produce a timely and important treatment of the relationship between education and national development. Expanded discussions of literacy programs, on the role of the state in educational and development planning, and new material on the evaluation of educational reforms and development strategies complement the inclusion throughout of the most recent data and studies available. A new chapter on women, education and development directs attention to a dimension of development which until recently has been largely neglected. The authors argue that the importance of education for national development strategies is as great as ever as the world enters the final decade of this century. However, decreasing economic resources for education in most countries have necessitated more informed yet constrained choices about policy and strategy which only a better understanding of the development processes can provide.

Education and National Development: A Comparative Perspective

Education & Teaching

Fägerlind, Ingemar

Saha, Lawrence J.

Schools & Teaching

Pergamon Pr

This book begins by reviewing the many accusations that have been hurled at educational research over the years―statements claiming that its methods are flawed, that it is devalued by users, and that it has very little impact on policy. Such claims concern issues of fact, but, surprisingly, studies have not appeared that would support or challenge them. The authors then describe such a study and report its findings. They provide a conceptual model for thinking about the problem, review prior materials that are related to their topic, and provide details of their study that was based on interviews with 120 school principals in the United States and Australia. These interviews generated quantitative as well as qualitative data, and substantive chapters of the book provide access to both―the former often summarized in the form of graphs and other visual materials, the latter presented as extensive quotes using principals' own words.
Major topics assessed during the study included: principals' reports about exposure to sources where research knowledge is portrayed; principals' attitudes concerning research knowledge and innovation in schools; the breadth and depth of research knowledge principals volunteer to talk about; principals' familiarity with preselected research topics; and the ways in which research knowledge is used in principals' schools. Findings from the study provide a direct challenge to repeated claims about the supposedly feckless character of educational research and its weak impact. In addition, they provide insights about conditions leading to greater use of research knowledge among principals and their schools, as well as how the use of that knowledge may vary depending on national context.

The Untested Accusation: Principals, Research Knowledge, and Policy Making in Schools (Contemporary Studies in Social and Policy Issues in Education: The David C. Anch)

Biddle, Bruce

Praeger

Here is a report of a systematic study based on interviews with 120 school principals that addresses questions about the utilization of knowledge from social research. It offers evidence that challenges allegations about the "awful reputation" of educational research and its supposed lack of impact. The Untested Accusation: ·Describes the methods used in the investigation ·Provides reviews of related work with social research impact ·Defines major terms ·Provides a conceptual model for thinking about the problem ·Provides both quantitative evidence and verbatim quotes from principals ·Compares research knowledge use among public, private, and independent schools in two national contexts: the United States and Australia ·Discusses various strategies that can be used to improve the impact of educational research Findings from this study details: ·How principals are exposed to research knowledge and their attitudes concerning its use ·The types of research knowledge with which principals are familiar ·Reports of research knowledge use in various schools A summary of major findings and a discussion of conclusions and their implications are provided. This report concludes that educational research already has considerable impact and that school principals play active roles in converting that knowledge into innovative policies and practices. For teachers, administrators, school board members, and others interested in educational and social research.

The Untested Accusation: Principals, Research Knowledge, and Policy Making in Schools

Biddle, Bruce J.

R&L Education

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