Discusses the evolving role of teachers in educational research, focusing on teacher empowerment. Over time, teacher role in educational research has been as minimally informed participants, collaborative participants, and researchers. Literature indicates a trend toward teacher empowerment via involvement in research and curriculum development.…

According to information from a 1994 conference that explored the work of teachers conducting inquiry, the purposes of teacher-led inquiry are to improve teaching and learning and to inform and transform the work of schooling. Implications of teacher-led inquiry for the education of teachers are examined. (SM)

Reviews four influential books on action research that highlight the self-reflective process of examining contradictions in personal beliefs to improve practice, noting that personal beliefs and experiences underlie action research, and those conducting the research live it as they consider whether the ideals match with their actions. (SM)

Describes the experiences of an elementary teacher who collaborated on a science action research project with an action research group involving four teachers and a university researcher. The project allowed her to critically examine and change her instructional and assessment practices. She attributed her personal and professional growth to the…

Study investigated the development of elementary teachers' professional knowledge while involved in a qualitative research process. Teachers took the graduate course "Trends and Issues in Education" which involved them as researchers. They kept journals and recorded class sessions and individual conferences, discovering that as…

Describes how one high school implemented schoolwide action research teams as a comprehensive change management strategy to develop teacher leaders, teachers as change agents, and a collaborative reflective culture. The three-year case study showed that work on action research teams did not come naturally or easily, but teachers improved over time…

Followed up six graduates from a teacher education program with an action research focus, following them through their first teaching year. Respondents felt action research was a process that helped them acquire skills, attitudes, and knowledge for teaching, especially in language arts. The study reveals lack of transference of skills learned…

Assessed whether integrating classroom management and a Wednesday field experience would increase preservice teachers' knowledge and ability to connect theory with practice. Preservice elementary teachers wrote weekly reflections on topics they observed while in their assigned classrooms. The experience empowered most of them by helping them…

A university teacher educator discusses becoming a teacher-researcher in her own classes, bringing theory and practice together and collaborating with students in the learning process. She observed classroom events, talked with students, and reflected about the situation. The experience helped her integrate theory and practice and feel positive…

Describes a school-university collaboration which tackled issues of mentoring, writing, and publication, bringing teachers, professors, and administrators together for research. Participants' action research resulted in a major book publication on new directions for mentoring and creating cultures of synergy. Strategies for developing and…

This study explored case method instruction in a graduate elementary education literacy course. Audiotaped case discussions, students' written reflections, interviews, questionnaires, and field notes were collected. Case method instruction proved to be a successful addition to the course. (SM)

This study examined preservice elementary teachers' perceptions as they engaged in an action research project. Data from surveys and interviews indicated that the active support of cooperating teachers or peers led to more meaningful experiences. There was some interaction of background life experience and quality of social support during the…

This article examines the teacher researcher movement, discussing ethical matters related to action research. In the medical domain, biomedical ethics directs human interventions resulting from clinical and research practice. The paper suggests a discipline called "bioteaching ethics" could help direct human interventionary actions of teachers…

Describes changes in the perspectives and practices of two teacher educators as a result of a series of action research projects conducted over a six-year period in an elementary education course. The studies focused on reflection, student learning, reading and writing instruction, and course impact. (SM)

This conversation between two teacher educators describes a project that integrated social studies and language arts methods classes in a cross-cultural setting. The integrated content evolved around themes of community building and cross-cultural communication. The paper reflects on teaching together in a traditional education program--its…