Calls for social science researchers to make the leap from understanding to action. Explains action and why it must replace classical disinterestedness and objectivity. Discusses the new criteria for educational research and the new methods for interpretive researchers. Addresses the implications for higher education. (CMK)

Examines how early childhood teachers in one Australian state use child observations. Argues that the current economic/political climate has produced changes for early childhood settings and that how teachers respond to changes regarding child observation depends on their work context. Suggests that the purpose of observation is changing and that…

Several accounts concerning the systematic use of action research by eminent educators in the process of identifying and solving an educational problem(s) have appeared in professional journals. Thus, action research is gaining recognition by policy makers and educators as a tool for change However, this growing concept has not yet caught up in…

Many researchers involved in management research believe that the knowledge they create should be useful to practitioners. Much has already been written to suggest that researchers and practitioners often have different agendas, and the factors that prevent practitioners from using research have been widely debated. For example, teachers claim…

This action research report describes a program to increase students' reading comprehension and fluency through the use of guided reading. The targeted population consists of second and fourth grade students in a northwest suburban area of a large city located in the Midwest. The problems of low reading comprehension and fluency scores were…

The "Teachers as Researchers in the Context of Award Bearing Courses and Research Degrees" is a United Kingdom project that explores the claims made for action research and the criticisms levelled against it. This paper offers a set of "readings" of six action research projects. After Part 1, which serves as an introduction,…

Educational research is designed to generate valid and reliable information needed by decision-makers. The issue of research utilization is of utmost importance, especially as it relates to the federal government; however, much of the research has not found its way into the policymaking process. This issue precipitated a survey of 141 Mid-South…

To improve secondary school organization, operation, and outcomes, a research report presents major results from 13 studies of leadership, decision-making, and change conducted by Project on the Administration and Organization for Instruction staff at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in cooperation with over 100 schools. National and statewide…

There are three types of scholars in schools of education: (1) scientists, who are primarily concerned with instrument development, research design and method, and the application of these to the study of teaching and to nonschool influences on the development of children and youth; (2) theorists, who concern themselves with the philosophy, social…

Research and researchers must be willing to break away from traditional approaches when dealing with the real world of the urban community. First, ways must be found that will bring research out of the rarefied atmosphere of the university and reduce the distrust and the misunderstanding it has produced in the urban community. Research should…

The Learning Research and Development Center at the University of Pittsburgh, as part of a consortium of 15 educational agencies, is the prime contractor for a project to design, conduct, and diffuse training programs for educational R & D personnel. Four training programs in the areas of curriculum development and the design and conduct of local…

Addresses both reading researchers and reading teachers, urging them to cooperate in relating research to classroom practice. (HOD)

Although the Swedish college faculty member's role has historically combined both teaching and research, the greater emphasis has been on research. It will continue to be important to maintain a balance between the two functions. (MSE)

In the Network of Performance Schools, 75 British Columbia schools conduct action research on school improvement. Among their findings: a sense of identity around a common goal was key to successful networking, assessment information generated from classroom work provided meaningful data and supported school learning communities, and network…

Describes the evolution of the qualitative-quantitative debate, and suggests that educational researchers learn to live with the necessary tensions resulting from accepting elements of each approach. The proposed critical educational research model is illustrated through examples that go beyond a positivist-interpretivist split. (SLD)