A study examined the problems encountered when organizations adopt management strategies based on teamwork and total quality management (TQM) and the effectiveness of training in avoiding such problems. Survey instruments were mailed to 85 individuals involved in implementing work teams at 85 companies in 4 Missouri cities; 23 responses (27.1%…

The national education goals express a systemic approach to reform which fosters coherence in the disparate elements of the education system. This report highlights the findings of research conducted by the Center for Research on the Context of Secondary School Teaching (CRC) in California and Michigan during the years 1987-1992 and the…

The educational outlook for children of school age in low-income minority neighborhoods of New York City is discussed, drawing primarily on the researcher's observations in a field study in Central Harlem. The decline the neighborhoods have undergone is summarized; and the role of drugs, especially crack, is discussed. Some opinions of residents…

General education students show a higher rate of attendance than do special education students. To shed light on this discrepancy, the Office of Research, Evaluation, and Assessment (OREA) of the New York City Board of Education conducted a three-part study focusing on students in both groups who are truants or in danger of truancy. Part 1 of the…

This paper presents an overview of a 3-year, federally funded comparative study of 11 public school districts and 40 schools in metropolitan areas of California, Arizona, and Nevada. The purpose was to identify school districts that are successfully meeting the challenge of educating relatively high numbers of newcomer students (ethnic and…

The Louisiana Intern Teacher Assessment Program, part of the Louisiana Teacher Appraisal System, began with a preliminary field test, followed by a pilot test and implementation in 1993-94. Evaluation of the preliminary field test was conducted through responses of 223 assessors, intern teachers, principals, and assessor trainers to nine different…

Results are reported of three years of research and development, piloting, and extended field testing of a classroom-based assessment and professional consultation system used to assess important teaching and learning variables in higher education contexts. Of particular interest is the focus of the total system on enhancing learning and newer…

Two pilot studies, which were conducted to determine the effectiveness of a home-based tutoring program operated within an accredited special function school, and to guide the development of an on-going tutoring research project are presented. The population served, from which study populations are drawn, has included, in over 20 years, 5,000…

This document represents the proceedings of an international conference designed to highlight the urgent need for environmental education. Following the keynote addresses, 63 papers are presented in two sections. The section dealing with "Environmental Education" provides descriptions of environmental education programs in elementary…

Ethnographic research (1) observes human behavior in its natural setting over a substantial period of time, (2) claims that classes of events are better understood through intensive examination of carefully selected particular cases, (3) incorporates as many of the complexities and variables into a setting as possible, and (4) is usually comprised…

In this book, which applies the state of the art in qualitative research to special education, qualitative research is used as a generic term for investigative methodologies described variously as ethnographic, naturalistic, anthropological, field research, or participant-observer research. Chapter 1 introduces and defines qualitative research and…

Ethnography is a research methodology that belongs to a genre of research called by various names, including educational anthropology, participant observation, case study, field study, and naturalistic inquiry. Ethnography was used as the research methodology for a nine-month study of adult beginning readers in Virginia. The research design was a…

A case study of a teacher as a naturalistic inquirer is presented. A class in naturalistic inquiry methods was offered to practicing teachers and other graduate students during a 15-week semester. During the first two or three weeks, students read extensively about qualitative methods and identified a possible site to conduct a study. The…

This study showed that field work in economics is enjoyed by both teachers and students and appears to be a worthwhile aid to motivation. Sixty-eight students, ages 16-18, in England who were studying introductory economics participated in the study. All field work was done in private industry. Students were surveyed before and after the course to…

This paper examines the impact of family structure variables, family socioeconomic status, and participation in center-based preschool day care programs on the social-psychological development of children in terms of their affective identification with parents, self-concept development, and a variety of indices of social behavior adjustment.…