One of a series of six portraits of high school literature classrooms, this paper gives a detailed, evocative characterization of how one "master teacher" (Kevin Tucker) introduced, undertook, and guided the study of literature, focusing in particular on how the teacher interacted with students in the context of discussion of a literary…

One of a series of six portraits of high school literature classrooms, this paper gives a detailed, evocative characterization of how one "master teacher" introduced, undertook, and guided the study of literature, focusing in particular on how the teacher interacted with students in the context of discussion of a literary work in class.…

A case study of a teacher as a naturalistic inquirer is presented. A class in naturalistic inquiry methods was offered to practicing teachers and other graduate students during a 15-week semester. During the first two or three weeks, students read extensively about qualitative methods and identified a possible site to conduct a study. The…

A new framework for designing qualitative studies is described to optimize the emergence, representation and presentation of insights. The framework, called Reflection Methodology, is presented as a "Conversational Paradigm" that includes four components--interviewer (researcher as participant); child, task situation, and observing…

The first two papers in this collection introduce both the Research and Development Exchange (RDx) itself and the subsequent contracted papers in this and a companion volume. The first paper discusses the general problems toward which the RDx effort is directed, understandings and assumptions affecting the design of the work, principles guiding…

A model incorporating both academic and nonacademic factors as determinants of productivity was tested with samples of physical and biological scientists, social scientists, and humanists taken from the 1972-73 American Council on Education survey of faculty at U.S. institutions of higher learning. Considerable variation was found in the process…

Several matters are considered as they relate to the possibility of establishing a research community on higher education in Sweden: the characteristics of such a community and its importance to the future of education; the organization of applied research in higher education, including statistical services, special studies, and policy analysis;…

The status of instruction/research employees in Missouri state-supported higher education institutions during 1978-79 was examined by HEGIS discipline divisions. The employees' status was examined with respect to numbers of full-time and part-time employees, percentage part-time, and percentage with tenure. The implications of this information for…

Ten consultants were employed by the National Institute of Education (NIE) to examine the state of educational research and development (R&D) with specific reference to the regional laboratories and the R&D centers established in the late 1960's. By confering with NIE officials, surveying the directors of regional laboratories and R&D…

South African women in informal settlements lack access to education and employment opportunities, making them vulnerable to exploitation and poverty. A collaborative narrative inquiry was undertaken to compile the life histories of 16 women, identifying their participation in community building. The process combined popular education and feminist…

An adult educator who teachers General Educational Development (GED) test preparation conducted an action research project to determine whether learning activities requiring students to learn about and discuss famous paintings would equip them with critical thinking skills that they could eventually use when completing the reading and writing…

The Greater Pittsburgh (Pennsylvania) Literacy Council (GPLC) is a volunteer-based literacy council that provides adult basic and literacy education services to the area's citizens. The GPLC conducted an action research project to determine whether adding monthly meetings for professional teaching staff and providing opportunities for interaction…

This study investigated the characteristics of instructional leaders that positively influenced classroom teaching, noting the personal and professional effects of leader-teacher interactions and whether staff development emerged as a primary theme of effective instructional leadership. A group of 809 teachers nationwide provided detailed…

Based on the policy premise that good quality preschool education is an important contribution to children's emotional, social, and intellectual progress, this book reports the findings of the Scottish Officer Educational Research Unit's research program, which looked at various aspects of preschool education in Scotland. The areas investigated…

This qualitative case study explores how collaborative teacher research serves as a professional development model for practicing teachers. The purpose of the study is to examine how participation in a collaborative teacher research group affected three French teachers' understandings of one state's foreign language standards, and to look at how…