This report describes a program for improving scientific literacy at the primary level. The target population consisted of pre-kindergarten and second grade students in an expanding suburban Midwestern community. An intervention which included the identification of scientific skills and their integration into the curriculum, student exposure to…

This report describes a program to improve student reading achievement of the targeted first, second, and third grade classes in two west central Illinois schools. More than half of each schools' population was identified as low-income. Evidence for the existence of reading problems included student surveys, oral reading rubrics, phonemic…

Explores the relationship between practice at reading, student reading performance, and organizational features using data from a computer-assisted student self-assessment of reading comprehension program (The Accelerated Reader). Finds student reading ability strongly positively related to amount of in-school reading practice; amount of reading…

In this research note, the author reports the results from 21 face-to-face, semi-structured interviews with sociology seniors at one institution. Her objectives are to describe, from the viewpoint of these students, common strategies and difficulties in learning sociology, and to posit some implications of the students' responses for her own and…

This action research case study examines evidence of deeper learning principles as purposefully designed and evidenced in an online course and corroborated by the Distance Education Learning Environments Survey instrument. Findings indicate that even when deeper learning principles are used to design learning activities, other factors interact…

This paper discusses our experiences in moving to student centred learning. It describes the action research approach and the context for the module at Masters level in systems analysis and design. It discusses the learning materials provided as an alternative to lectures, including a book, a set of videos, courseware and a web site. The initial…

A study investigated the effectiveness of an intervention for improving adolescent writing and speaking using mathematical language. The targeted population consists of high school students in a growing, middle- and upper-middle-class, suburban community located west of Chicago, Illinois. The problems of writing and speaking using mathematical…

A study examined the effectiveness of a program for improving student writing skills by using whole language. Targeted population was a fifth grade class of 30 students in a stable middle class, suburban community, located in Rockford, Illinois. Writing deficiencies were documented through data gathered from norm referenced tests, quality and…

An action research study described and evaluated a program for motivating students to read and to take more responsibility for their learning. The targeted population consisted of second- and fourth-grade students in rural-suburban communities west of Chicago, Illinois. Students' lack of motivation related to reading and failure to become…

A program was designed to improve reading comprehension of first-grade students in one school and second-grade students in another school of an urban neighborhood school district in a medium-sized midwestern city. The problem has been addressed both at the district level and the building level, although scores in reading comprehension have…

This study discusses the successes and failures that resulted when fifth grade students used email to compose response journals. Every student was required to send at least one email a week to the teacher describing and reacting to the novel they were reading independently. The teacher would respond each evening. The study was conducted in an…

This project was implemented and developed to assist low-achieving tenth grade students' essay writing skills. According to examinations administered during the first part of the 2002 school term, many tenth-grade students were not performing on their grade level in regards to the writing process. The overall goal was to have students be able to…

This report described a program to improve student writing ability. The targeted population consisted of first and third grade students in a middle class community, located in the Midwest. The problem of inadequate writing and the results of the interventions were documented. Analysis of probable cause data revealed that students lacked positive…

This research project studied the effects of using poetry to build community in a diverse third grade classroom. Eight poetry activities were taught twice a week for 6 weeks to a class of 23 students. More than half of the students who took part in this study were English Language Learners and several students had special needs. Poetry brought…

This action research project developed a program for improving the social proficiency of art and music students through the use of specifically taught positive social skills. The targeted population consisted of fifth-grade students from two different elementary school districts. Both schools were located in middle class suburban communities near…