As an action research project, using mixed methodology, this study investigated how the use of math journals affected second grade students' communication of mathematical thinking. For this study, math journal instruction was provided. The data gathering included pre- and post- math assessment, students' math journals, interviews with the…

For years this author has been a keen advocate of co-operative talk as a way of learning and has felt confident that her pupils are learning from each other. She creates opportunities for her Year two class to talk and work in pairs and groups across the curriculum, with many such interactions occurring each day. As part of an action research…

The purpose of this study was to apply two techniques, drill activities and fine motor activities, to find whether they help improve the handwriting of a student with dysgraphia. This action research used an ABAB single subject design to find which technique worked better over an eight-week period. The results were inconclusive on which technique…

The effects of using homework guides, and homework logs on students' abilities to solve word problems involving basic addition and subtraction facts were studied. Students received one of three versions of addition and subtraction timed tests once per week--every Thursday--that focused on measuring automaticity of basic addition and subtraction…

This report describes the findings of an analysis of a series of action research projects conducted by Goshen Community Schools at the elementary school level. During the 2008-2009 school year, 26 teachers at 7 elementary schools participated in independent action research studies regarding the extent to which a six step approach to direct…

Background/Context: Metacognition has been a subject of study for cognitive theorists, behaviorists, educators, and others. The term metacognition has traditionally and simply been defined as "thinking about thinking," yet it describes a complex process that can result in a nuanced understanding of oneself as a thinker and a learner. Metacognition…

This paper highlights the framework and discusses the results of an action research network which aimed to promote academic access in two general educational settings within which a pupil with blindness and a deaf pupil were educated respectively. The persons involved in this collaborative scheme were general teachers, a school counsellor,…

The purpose of this action research project report was to decrease off-task behavior through a dot/point reward system and portfolio reflections. Students involved in this research were in second, fifth, and sixth grade. There were a total of 85 student participants and 35 teacher participants. The dates of this research began on September 4, 2007…

The purpose of this action research project was to improve student vocabulary acquisition through a multisensory, direct instructional approach. The study involved three teachers and a target population of 73 students in second and seventh grade classrooms. The intervention was implemented from September through December of 2006 and analyzed in…

In this paper we describe the action research projects of two second-grade teachers. Using the state-mandated content on famous Americans, the teacher/researchers developed foundational levels of historical thinking in their second grade students. To develop temporal understanding, the first teacher employed a time line of visual images to place…

The purpose of this action research project was to improve the social skills of eight preschool students and four first grade and second grade students through the use of Social Stories and visual supports to create a more positive learning environment. The teacher researchers wanted to increase the social skills of students who had been diagnosed…

This empirical study investigated the effects of tutoring on the reading achievement of elementary students with cognitive disabilities and specific learning disabilities as well as students receiving Title I reading programs in Project MORE (Mentoring in Ohio for Reading Excellence). This school-based action research highlights volunteer tutors,…

Background/Context: This study is based on prior research regarding the need for explicit social instruction for children with special needs, cooperative educational models, and the goals and relative successes of inclusive educational practices. The author refers to several studies on these subjects, including those by Kavale and Forness; Salend;…

In what ways can information and communications technologies (ICT) be integrated into classroom practice to create a 'community of learners'? This paper describes an action research project, over a six-month period, in which a class of seven-year-old and eight-year-old children in a metropolitan South Australian school created digital images to…

This action research study was designed to raise environmental awareness and improve the social responsibility and actions of students in Grades 2 and 3 at Montecito Elementary in Burnaby. Implemented was a strategy pairing environmental education lessons with artwork projects, to engage the students and improve their awareness of aquatic…