Although mobile learning is a popular topic in current research, it is not well conceptualized. Many researchers rely on under-theorized conceptions of the topic, and those who have tried to refine the ideas involved have found this to be complex and difficult. In this paper a new interpretation of the concept "mobile learning" is offered, drawing…

We are entering a new phase in learning about childhood disabilities. While we have found out much of what we need to know about their causes and aetiology, solutions to many of the challenges we will face in the future will come from the evidence base held by practitioners. Practitioners are ideally placed to carry out "real world" research but…

The nature of the changes occuring in the high school, and the factors influencing the change process in different high schools across the nation, have been the focus of research being conducted by the Research and Improvement Process (RIP) Program of the Research and Development Center for Teacher Education. The study is designed to describe the…

Learning environment research should take into account postpositivist ways of thinking to assist students and teachers to construct a more emancipatory learning environment. A critical perspective could lead to research playing a larger role in the transformation of science classroom learning environments. Presented a case study of a middle school…

Purpose: The purpose of the population-based study in the paper is to report on progress in formulating instruments to measure children's resilience and associated protective factors in family, primary school and community contexts. Design/methodology/approach: In this paper a total of 2,794 students, 1,558 parents/caregivers, and 465 staff were…

This paper provides a critical review essay of Ajay Sharma's "Portrait of a science teacher as a bricoleur: A case study from India." The main focus is two fold. First, arguments are presented to draw attention to how little advances in science teaching and science learning research have impacted teachers' practice and student…

Summarizes the findings of a two-year study in Bahia (Brazil) designed to provide insight into the failure of the schooling system in Brazil to meet the educational needs of the population. Gives information from the literature review, reports on the survey results, and discusses a case study of four schools. (KO)

In this paper, in response to Ajay Sharma's paper titled "Portrait of a science teacher as a bricoleur: A case study from India" and associated reviews, I address the value of bridging two narrative styles for describing teacher development, discuss questions of over-essentializing an Indian school context, propose that teacher and…

This three volume study presents the results of research which examined working conditions and their possible relationship to stress among faculty in six schools (two elementary, two middle, and two high schools) in two major U.S. cities. Information about the schools was obtained through ethnographic case studies. Data were synthesized to…

Observations and interviews conducted in three different series over an 18-month period provided data about the operation of one family's home school. When combined with data from observations conducted in two other home schools, the information led to a number of conclusions concerning both potential strengths of home schools as learning…

A study of the experiences of a literacy teacher in the prison classroom chronicled the daily routine events and experiences that make up the life world of a teacher in the prison classroom. The introduction of this study emerged through the technique called opportunistic surveillance. The researcher, a prison teacher, engaged in…

To develop a conceptual framework for understanding the environmental variables that affect the impact of classroom television, the use of the instructional television series "ThinkAbout" (Agency for Instructional Television) was studied under natural classroom conditions using observations recorded as part of a series of studies…

Using a research approach founded on explicit normative assumptions about the social goals of education, and proceeding from the hypothesis that lifelong socialization largely determines an administrator's capability, this paper analyzes the experiences of one "good" principal. Following an initial discussion of educators' attitudes toward…

In this response to commentaries by Ali Sammel, Jhumki Basu and Alberto Rodriguez, I present my perspective on three important issues raised by the commentators. These issues relate to the role of a researcher in her field settings and society, the critique of science and science education as oppressive dominant discourses, and co-opting…

The fourth volume of a 10-volume report, this document provides a synthesis and analysis of indepth ethnographic case studies of 12 school districts engaged in school improvement efforts in a subsample of the study's 146 districts. All districts were implementing new practices, seven using National Diffusion Network innovations and five developing…