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 Interchange
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Why Interchange?
Research cannot make the decisions for policy makers and others concerned
with improving the quality of education in our schools and colleges. Nor can
it by itself bring about change. However, it can create a better basis for
decisions, by providing information and explanation about educational practice
and by clarifying and challenging ideas and assumptions.
It is important that every opportunity should be taken to communicate research
findings, both inside and outside the Scottish Executive Education Department
(SEED). Moreover, if research is to have the greatest possible impact on policy
and practice, the findings need to be presented in an accessible, interesting
and attractive form to policy makers, teachers, lecturers, parents and employers.
Interchange aims to further improve the SEED Research Unit's dissemination
of the findings of research funded by SEED. We hope you will find that Interchangeis
long enough to give the flavour of the complexities, subtleties and limitations
of a research study but concise enough to give a good feeling for the findings
and in some cases to encourage you to obtain the full report.
The Interchangesymbol invites you to reflect and respond
to an issue or question posed by the research. You may wish to raise awareness
by responding to each Interchange before reading
the adjacent section of text. Alternatively, you may prefer to read the text
first then review each Interchangeto construct a personal summary
of the issues.
The views expressed in this Interchange are those of the author(s)
and do not necessarily reflect those of the Scottish Executive or any other
organisation(s) by whom the author(s) is/are employed.
Interchange may be photocopied for use within your own institution.
A limited number of additional copies can be obtained by writing to the SEED
Research Unit Dissemination Officer at the Scottish Executive Education Department,
Victoria Quay, Edinburgh EH6 6QQ. File copies for electronic downloading are
available on the Scottish Executive server (http://www.scotland.gov.uk/hmis/publications.asp).
Further information
If you have views on Interchange and/or wish to find out more about
SEED's research programme, contact the SEED Research Unit, The Scottish Executive
Education Department, Room 2B, Victoria Quay, Edinburgh EH6 6QQ
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