This handbook shows how the curriculum can be improved through action research and that teachers and other practitioners are best placed to conduct such research. Chapter 1 explores that historical and philosophical foundations of the action research movement. Chapter 2 discusses the teacher as researcher and professional, and offers criteria for…

This paper examines the scientific basis of teaching, the logic of science, the politics of teaching-as-a-science (TAS), and the application of teaching method. It argues that teachers have neither the time while in school nor the prerequisite training in scientific methodologies with which to study their own teaching scientifically, analyze the…

The importance of theory in qualitative work is discussed through an examination of the search for theory that arose in relation to a case study of educational change in an American school district. Theory is defined as an analytical, interpretive framework to help the researcher make sense of what is going on in the social setting. Certain…

To establish collaboration between theory and practice, between teaching and learning, and between researchers and teachers, a three-year project was initiated at Metcalf Laboratory School. Teachers were invited to explore reading comprehension and composition in their classrooms in a manner that supported unique teacher decision making and…

This paper reports on a 2-year project carried out in a foreign language department at a research institution in the United States that intended to professionalize the language teaching faculty. A change in the university's core curriculum resulted in the implementation of the foreign language requirement for undergraduate students. This led to a…

Explores the evolution of inquiry into a Professional Development School (PDS) context. Teacher educators hoped to cultivate inquiry as a stance into the PDS culture. This required time for teachers to understand inquiry and embrace it as a powerful tool for reflective teaching and educational change. Mentor teachers gained space to understand…

The political and social changes occurring in South Africa make issues of training researchers more urgent and more complicated. Capacity building in nongovernment organizations and problems in training to overcome race and gender inequities are reviewed. (SLD)

The creation of a teacher-researcher community among educators developing a literacy curriculum for students with mild disabilities in the primary grades is discussed. Six categories of discourse among the teachers and researchers are considered, and findings that might usefully guide collaborative research are discussed. (SW)

The federal role of developing connections between researchers and practitioners in education is discussed, with attention to the activities of the Office of Special Education Programs' Division of Innovation and Development. Changes in the roles of teachers in applying research knowledge are considered. (SW)

Discusses the skills, attitudes, and work habits necessary for conducting research in music education. Describes the process used in a historical research study about the impact of Lowell Mason on music in U.S. history. Concludes with six practical suggestions on historical research. (CFR)

Analyzes the structure of academic sociology departments. Stresses the competition for resources and symbolic capital among different groups including faculty, support staff, research staff, graduate students, and undergraduate students. Focuses on the complex role of graduate students, the constraints, and the opportunities it opens. Urges reform…

Examined how a curriculum development project, aligned with current mathematics education reforms, affected 18 students in socially diverse mathematics classroom. Found that students of lower socioeconomic status preferred direct teacher intervention as opposed to open discussions among classmates. Higher socioeconomic status students displayed…

Progressivism became the natural ideology of education professors in the twentieth century--shaping their language and the language of American education, even though it had little impact on the practice of teacher educators and researchers or on the practice of teachers in schools. And although this ideology represents an approach to issues of…

The four papers in this document present commentaries by four members of the teacher education faculty of Eastern Michigan University on issues related to time and learning, in response to a visit by the National Education Commission on Time and Learning. Sarah Huyvaert notes the complexity and interrelatedness of issues related to time and…

Noting that raising standards for teaching is a key to education reform, this guide outlines a tested plan for helping practicing teachers upgrade and fine-tune their own performance by systematically studying their own classroom methods and the student learning that results. Following an introduction, the guide discusses research group…