Describes efforts to apply the action-research process to design and evaluate a theory-based program of intervention to reduce and prevent youth violence in high-risk urban environments. Twelve objectives were developed to design and evaluate "Responding in Peaceful and Positive Ways," a violence-prevention curriculum for sixth graders.…

In the author's previous teaching English as a foreign language (TEFL) experience, he had found that Chinese university students were overdependent on teachers in EFL learning. Drawing on research on language learning strategies, he used metacognition training (MT) as a form of classroom intervention to promote learner autonomy. This article…

A project developed processes for improving the reading comprehension of third- and fourth-grade students in two progressive suburban communities in northern Illinois. Analysis of probable cause data revealed that students lacked knowledge of reading strategies and a review of the district's general curriculum and textbooks revealed systematic…

This guide is intended to help organizational researchers involved in diagnosing organizations and helping them change. Part 1 focuses on defensive routines that limit learning at the organizational, intergroup, group, and individual levels. Part 2 focuses on the case study of a consulting firm at which a climate fostering learning and change was…

This action research project sought to increase motivation in second- and fourth-grade students in an urban Midwestern school. Achievement and skill measures as well as observations indicated a lack of student participation and interest. Three areas of intervention were implemented: cross-curricular activities to heighten student interest,…

This paper describes the implementation and development of a program promoting gender equity in the classroom and the lessening of stereotypical attitudes toward gender. Gender equity issues affected most of the students in the targeted intermediate and secondary special needs and general population. Male and female students exhibited…

This action research project investigated the use of various methods of teaching as a means of developing an integrated curriculum to address the lack of transfer skills among kindergarten students. Evidence of the problem included the deficiency of skills demonstrated on academic assessments, teacher observations, and anecdotal records. Analysis…

Purpose: This study examined whether providing outcomes information to 120 nursing homes facilitated improvements in quality over a 12-month period, as compared with 1,171 facilities not receiving this information. The outcomes information provided consisted of a report mailed to administrators that examined six measures of care quality. These…

A study investigated the effectiveness of a program for improving reading motivation and attitudes toward reading. The targeted population consisted of elementary and high school students in three different south suburban communities, located outside Chicago, Illinois. The problems of a lack of reading motivation and poor attitudes toward reading…

This action research project sought to increase motivation in fifth-grade social studies students. Observations and measures of student attitudes and achievement indicated a lack of student interest in learning activities. Two categories of intervention were implemented: (1) instruction in the use of learning strategies, including graphic…

This report describes a program for improving moral character to increase academic achievement. Targeted population consisted of middle school students in a growing middle class community in a northern suburb of Chicago, Illinois. The problem, an absence of proper moral character, was documented through data collected from discipline referrals to…

This multiple case study examined the phenomenon of gifted student underachievement, using creative productivity (Type III enrichment in Renzulli's Enrichment Triad Model) as a systematic intervention for reversing the underachievement pattern. Twelve teachers selected 17 underachieving students (ages 8 to 13) as subjects. The study first…

The purpose of the Middle-Management Center (M-MC) is to engage educational organizations, individuals, and groups in the metropolitan New Orleans area in simultaneous research and action to facilitate the development of more productive and responsive schooling while focusing on the problemsolving processes and practices of management. The center…

This report outlines the characteristics that appear to make the process of action research effective in improving student outcomes and summarizes some strategies that practitioners believe can be transferred using the process. Part 1 describes the process followed by the successful projects and shares the insights they gained. Characteristics…

This thesis describes the implementation of a cross-age program to reduce negative classroom behavior and promote community identity among students in elementary and middle schools in Rockford, Illinois. The targeted population consisted of elementary school students with learning disabilities and seventh- and eighth-grade middle school students.…