By not specifying what they will attend to, and by virtue of the relatively extended amount of time they devote to exploring their phenomena, qualitative inquirers have practically no limit to what they can uncover. This is illustrated through data on the role of ethnicity in an ethnically diverse high school. (Author/BJV)

Presents an interview between a researcher and a teacher who was the subject of two studies. Discusses the teacher's impressions of each study, the researchers, and what was learned from each experience. Describes problems with research methods and interpersonal factors. Concludes that participating in research is a valuable experience for…

A member of the Association for Institutional Research's Committee on Standards and Ethics Research reflects on the recently drafted code of ethics for the profession and suggests means to support practitioners and gain acceptance for the code. It is concluded that sanctions are not practical at present. (Author/MSE)

This essay, based on field observation and interviews centered in California, examines the aims and activities of both school ethnographers and school administrators, concluding that the methods and resources of the former could greatly benefit the latter. (DM)

Prabhu's writing about ways in which second-language students, teachers, and specialists influence events that take place during classroom lessons is critiqued. It is suggested that greater recognition of second-language theorists and pedagogical specialists is in order. Prabhu acknowledges the suggestions. (42 references) (LB)

Ethnographers find themselves among a family of researchers referred to as naturalists. This rather diverse family conducts research described by turns as qualitative, participant observational, case study, symbolic interactionist, phenomenological, constructivist, and interpretive. The focus of the ethnographer's inquiry is on the mundane,…

Discusses the growing problem of theft of library materials, including rare books, by both scholarly researchers and library staff. Complacence of librarians and their failure to act in the past is also discussed, as well as the effects of tightened security measures on the traditional trust between librarians and researchers. (CLB)

Recounts how staff members at Lakeshore Technical Institute have been encouraged to enroll in higher education programs and undertake applied institutional research projects to assist in solving institutional problems. Provides examples of research projects conducted by staff members, including the investigation of a quality-circles model for…

The key to the success of decision support systems will be the way that institutional researchers integrate the variety of specific and personal systems into a viable and coordinated institutionwide system. (Author/MLW)

Behavioral and environmental factors influencing the relationship between research administrators and research scientists are explored, and myths that may shape the roles and interactions of the two groups are examined. Patterns that emerge point to opportunities to exploit the productive interactions and reduce potential for less productive ones.…

This article profiles a high school physics teacher who received a grant to conduct research, with his own classes, designed to identify students' preconceptions about the physical world, explore ways teachers can use those preconceptions to teach physical laws, and prepare classroom materials that teachers can use to teach physics. (IAH)

The paper deals with the contribution of empirical psychology to the problems of instruction and proposes a conceptual framework to promote helpful interactions between experimenters and teachers of children with learning difficulties. Both groups share a common concern, the definition of tasks by testing instructions in action. (Author/DB)

Encourages classroom teachers to engage in collaborative research. Addresses role of theory in research design, ethical/legal aspects of data collection/treatment, ownership of data, and communication among team members. Describes one-to-one friendship, teacher team catalyst, and cruise ship research models. Discusses how to formulate research…

University management is needed that is sensitive to the need for diversity; encourages autonomy among researchers; can communicate across the developing gap between management and researchers; and encourages both central, established research projects and more peripheral, exploratory ones. (Author/MSE)

In this book, two teachers share their experiences as researchers to confront and address the current disagreements about whether empirical research or narrative recounting is a better research model. In the book they seek to transcend these disagreements by endorsing an integrative approach that covers all aspects of practitioner inquiry, joining…