Federal support for answers to the question "What is really going on out there?" has increased interest in the use of ethnography as a research method for evaluation of educational programs. Pros and cons of the use of ethnography for educational research are discussed. (PR)

The methodology of participant observation in evaluation research is described. The author cites examples of its use and includes references to additional sources of information. The characteristics of participant observation, appropriate circumstances for use, and specific techniques of this method are examined. (Author/DWH)

Presents an overview of the goals and procedures of qualitative research, and discusses linkages between epistemologies and methodology. Reviews possible guidelines involved in the several steps of the evaluation process of qualitative research, emphasizing naturalistic research with families. Reviews common problems with qualitative research.…

This report contains the field plan and implementation procedures which were utilized for the observational/focused ethnographic component of Head Start's Child and Family Mental Health (CFMH) Evaluation Project. The introductory section of the document provides the reader with an overview of the Head Start program, its mental health goals, the…

Ethnomethodological research involves participation in the field, with some degree of social interaction, with the subjects of the study; direct observation of relevant events; some formal and a great deal of informal interviewing; systematic counting; collection of documents and artifacts; and flexibility in the direction the study takes. This…

Describes an evaluation program designed to assess the effectiveness of technology enhanced instruction within the context of the Technology Enhanced Secondary Science Instruction (TESSI) project, a field-based research program of technology integration into secondary science. Includes analyses of student enrollment and achievement, ethnographic…

A theory is presented that postulates that people in all cultures use four relational models to generate most kinds of social interaction, evaluation, and affect. Ethnographic and field studies (n=19) have supported cultural variations on communal sharing; authority ranking; equality matching; and market pricing. (SLD)

Story telling is defined as a kind of journalistic documentation, based on directly observable referents, and used to contribute to an understanding of educational problems. In the area of educational research, story telling is part of the genre which includes case studies, ethnography, and ethnology. Story telling describes an environment in…

This book contains 11 essays that offer in-depth accounts of qualitative research in developing countries. Each chapter focuses upon a specific method and considers related theoretical and practical issues with reference to recent experiences in selected developing countries. Key issues addressed include: (1) the identification of appropriate…

There are many approaches to studying the classroom environment. This publication is a collection of papers presented at the fourth Research Seminar and Workshop at the Western Australian Institute of Technology on educational research in the classroom. The four papers contained in this document describe various approaches and perspectives to…