Indian country presents even the most seasoned and careful researcher with numerous methodological issues. Two of the most salient of these are appropriate understanding of postcolonial stress in tribal communities, and the use of participatory action research methods and models in a culturally sensitive manner. This paper explains postcolonial…

This theme issue of a newsletter for adult literacy practitioners focuses on community development. Nine articles on this topic include the following: "Adult Literacy and Community Development" (Hal Beder); "Why Community Development?" (Kirk Baker); "Freire's Revolution" (Ruth Pelz); "Impacting Communities…

The Purga Elders Centre in Queensland (Australia) is an Aboriginal-owned meeting place where Aboriginal culture and history are lived and passed on. Research conducted there is based on Indigenous Knowledge Research (IKR), which is grounded in Indigenous realities and approaches knowledge only through respect for Indigenous epistemologies. Twenty…

Socially critical action research in education can be defined as being strategic and critical pedagogic action on the part of classroom teachers aimed at increasing social justice. Five characteristics of socially critical action research are examined: participation, direction, consciousness, constraints, and outcomes. (IAH)

Holistic educational research looks beyond test scores as a measure of student development and considers broader perspectives, such as quality of life and community interactions. Approaches to making research more understandable, accessible, and practical at a grassroots level include qualitative research, informal research, participatory research…

A study used participatory action research (PAR) to explore social inclusion/relationships at worksites of 10 students (ages 17-21). The participatory intervention process assisted teachers and job coaches in making constructive changes in transition work experience programs to provide social opportunities for students and help them become part of…

A participatory research project on adolescent well-being and related community factors was conducted under contract with a Manitoba tribal council organization representing nine Ojibwa communities. The project used the nominal group process and focus groups and was based on four principles of culturally appropriate research: elder input, use of…

In this article, we discuss the history behind efforts to transfer school psychology research into practice and review the literature pertaining to treatment acceptability, participatory action research, organizational change, and generalization programming. We then present a model for the systematic programming of this transfer and propose a…

This article describes a model of participatory action research and service-learning conducted with urban, high school African American, West Indian/Caribbean, and Puerto Rican/Latino youth and adult facilitators, in a nonclassroom setting, in a mid-sized northeastern city. Youth Participatory Action Research (YPAR) integrates critical theory,…

A considerable number of bullying prevention and intervention programs are being implemented in elementary schools across the United States and worldwide. However, although the majority of aggressive interchanges between students occur in the playground and lunchroom contexts, many well-known outcome measures of bullying are not particularly…

The article describes the process and the findings of a Participatory Action Research (PAR) conducted with young people in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) in 2003, with an aim to develop a communication strategy for the prevention of HIV/AIDS in BiH. The study was initiated and funded as part of a global UNICEF initiative bearing the same name and…

This paper, drawing on work with three integrated early years centres, designated as centres of excellence in the north of England, addresses issues arising from the evaluation of a government initiative in funding models of integrated services and good educare practice. Issues concerned with evaluation work and the difficulties in investigating…

The focus of this article is a participatory action research project funded for 2 years by the Esme Fairbairn Foundation on the Professional Development of Subject Induction Tutors working with newly qualified teachers (NQTs) in secondary schools in three local education authorities in the East Midlands. A crucial part of the Project was three…

This paper examines the problems of centralized academic-indicator systems in light of the move toward site-based management. Problems with current practice are examined in the framework of critical inquiry. Alternatives to current accountability guidelines are presented that harmonize positivism with critical inquiry, while respecting both local…

This book presents case-study findings of five school systems' efforts to become true learning communities through action research into the school-renewal process. The programs were located in the Southeast, Midwest, Far West, and an overseas region of the Department of Defense Dependents Schools. The programs shared three characteristics: a focus…