Submission

The Florida Journal of Educational Research (FJER) is the flagship publication of the Florida Educational Research Association (FERA), a grassroots professional association in existence for more than a half century. The purpose of FJER is to facilitate scholarly communication among educators and researchers in Florida and beyond. Although the Journal is the primary publication of FERA, manuscripts submitted by both members and nonmembers of the Association are considered for publication. Articles for consideration do not have to originate in the state of Florida.

Types of Studies
Manuscripts that report the following will be considered: (a) applied research, (b) basic research, (c) position papers, (d) critiques of recently published research or position papers, (e) literature synthesis and meta-analysis of research, (f) teacher inquiry studies (see description below), and (g) book reviews (see description below). The term research is intended to be interpreted broadly, to include evaluation; conceptual, theoretical, and policy analyses; investigations of causal and correlational relationships; case studies; educational ethnographies; historical studies; and other inquiries conducted from a variety of philosophical and theoretical orientations. Research that focuses on either processes or outcomes in education are acceptable.

Topics of Studies
Manuscripts on a wide variety of education-related topics are of interest. FJER welcomes manuscript submissions of the highest-quality across a wide range of perspectives, topics, methods, and contexts. A few of the topics previously published in the journal include:

  • Achievement
  • Assessment and Testing
  • Attitudes and Perceptions
  • Critical Analyses of Education
  • Curriculum
  • Data Processing Techniques
  • Educational Disparity and Inequity
  • Educational Technology
  • English and Reading Education
  • English Language Learners
  • Guidance/Placement
  • Mathematics Education
  • Measurement/Testing Techniques
  • Motivation
  • Policy and Political Analysis
  • Program Evaluation
  • Research Methods and Methodologies
  • Science Education
  • Social Foundations of Education
  • Social Studies Education
  • Teacher and Community Research
  • Teaching and Learning
  • Teaching Methods and Methodology

Importance
Regardless of the methods employed or topics addressed in a manuscript, priority will be given to those that: (a) appear to have the greatest potential interest to the widest range of FERA members, (b) employ rigorous, cutting-edge, and/or high quality research/analytical methods, and (c) have clear implications for educational practice or educational research.

FJER Teacher Inquiry Studies
In-service and pre-service teachers and their collaborators are encouraged to submit manuscripts reporting the results of their classroom inquiries. Submissions will be peer-reviewed by members of the Teacher Inquiry Editorial Board who are current teachers and teacher educators.

Submission Guidelines for Teacher Inquiry 

  • Submissions should range between 2000-4000 words. Word limits are inclusive of an abstract (150 words max), tables, figures, endnotes, and the reference list.
  • Please use 12 point font, 1-inch margins, and APA style.
  • The submission letter should indicate the submission is for the Teacher Inquiry section and confirm the inquiry has ethics review approval or explain why ethics review approval is unnecessary.

Submit manuscripts to Maria Vasquez-Colina, mvasque3@fau.edu and Alyson Adams, adamsa@coe.ufl.edu.

FJER Book Reviews

FJER encourages reviews of recently published books or classic books that are newly relevant on issues related to educational practices, research, and policy.

Reviewers should include these four elements:

  • A synopsis that highlights the book’s contribution to the field
  • The intended audience of the book
  • Book’s strengths and weaknesses
  • Background of the book’s author

Reviews should be about 1,000 words in length and should conform to the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (6th Ed.).

Include author, title, and book details as shown below:

Shirley Brice Heath. Ways with Words: Language, Life and Work in Communities and Classrooms. Cambridge University Press: Cambridge, UK, 1983. 434 pp. ISBN: 978-0521253345, US$61.21 (pbk)

Include reviewer details as shown below:

  • Reviewer’s name
  • Reviewer’s title
  • Institution

Please submit your review to Jennifer Wolgemuth at jrwolgemuth@usf.edu.

Submission
Manuscript submissions are accepted electronically. Typically, manuscripts should not exceed 7000 words inclusive of tables, figures, and references. Please send manuscripts in an attached file in DOC/DOCX format to the editor; please include all graphics and tables associated with the file.

The name, affiliation, email, mailing address, and telephone number of the author(s) should be prepared on a separate title page, and only on this page, to ensure anonymity in the reviewing process. An abstract of 100-200 words should be included on another separate page. Language and format must conform to the most recent Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association. Any manuscript not formatted according to APA style (6th edition) will be immediately returned by the Editor. Material that has been published elsewhere or is being considered for such publication will not be considered by FJER.

All communications should be addressed to the Executive Editor Jennifer R. Wolgemuth, jrwolgemuth@usf.edu.

FJER Special Issue Proposals

FJER encourages the submission of proposals for special issues. Special Issues are guest edited by one or more scholars who work with authors and external reviewers to collate manuscripts on a special topic. Special Issues can include solicited (invited) and unsolicited manuscripts (submitted in response to an open call), but all submissions will be peer-reviewed.

When submitting a Special Issue proposal to FJER, please provide:

  • A title and abstract (max 500 words) on what the Special Issue intends to cover;
  • A rationale for the Special Issue, including its contribution to the field;
  • Your qualifications to edit the Special Issue;
  • A proposed timeline starting with the Invitation and/or Call for Papers; and
  • A draft Call for Papers flyer and distribution plan.