Research was conducted to develop learning environments based on CD-ROM and printed material specifically for vocational secondary students with reading and writing difficulties. Parties to the action research were Austria, the United Kingdom, Portugal, and Finland. Finnish partners concentrated on learning environments that would diversify and…

This collection of 20 papers is aimed at researchers, research students, and research supervisors interested in qualitative research into facilitated adult learning in the workplace, formal education programs, professional development, and community settings. "Introduction" (Willis) provides a summary of the papers. "Qualitative…

For the last 15 years, a series of policy initiatives have advocated for development of employability skills by young and unemployed people in the United Kingdom. The call for these employability skills has been championed by these two distinct but related movements: the Key Skills Development Movement (KSDM) and the Enterprising Skills…

This study examined recent literature related to constructivist teacher education, focusing on descriptions of programs and research on program efforts and effects. The study involved literature published from 1990 to the present on constructivist teacher education. This included 20 preservice programs and 15 inservice programs. The studies were…

This issue presents two articles on the use of data to improve results for students with disabilities. The first paper examines how researchers supported by the Office of Special Education Programs are discovering innovative uses of scientifically derived information in instructional and administrative decision making as well as strategies for…

An adult educator at an all-male maximum-security correctional center in Virginia conducted a research project to learn her students' attitudes toward the computers that had recently been introduced in their classroom. She used the following data collection tools and activities: a nine-question survey that was administered to the students in all…

This paper reports on the experiences and findings of five New York City public school teachers who, in the course of research for their master's degrees in Teaching English as a Second Language (TESOL) designed and implemented individual action research projects investigating issues and concerns emanating from their classroom experiences. It is…

This paper examines collaborative research by a Brazilian public university and public elementary school, highlighting a thematic program of applied research and teaching that addressed improvement in teaching and learning quality through inservice teacher education. The project was designed to build a knowledge base of teacher learning and…

Argues for the importance of teachers developing knowledge and skills related to curriculum development, action research, staff development, and collaboration to find unique solutions to the specific needs of language minority students. The paper examines how to incorporate such training into preservice teacher education for teachers of language…

Describes a project-based distance learning course design in an open university course. Discusses approaches to course design in distance learning and suggests that students are not as easily manipulated by instructional devices as course designers may think. (CFR)

Proposes restructuring preservice teacher education programs to include the preparation of teacher researchers. Teacher educators redesigned two existing programs to include research methodology instruction. The paper presents methods of inquiry and strategies used to teach about research, offering examples of student work and evidence to support…

Reports on an action research study on improving equality of opportunity for students in a socially and racially mixed classroom. Finds that students were empowered by their involvement setting up and drawing conclusions from the study. Questions the extent to which research should focus on race, social class, or gender. (CFR)

A faculty development program that encourages faculty from different disciplines to engage in research on student cognition, motivation, and self-regulated learning in their own classrooms teaches theory as well as practice. The program has been well received by faculty and has also produced useful results for academic departments and the…

Support for elite student-athletes was explored within a single English university using Stringer's (1996) Look, Think, Act model of action research. Entry to the ongoing support programme is competitive and participation is voluntary, with sessions delivered every second week after lectures. Based on supporting documentation, interviews, focus…

The Whole-Faculty Study Group (WFSG) System is a student-centered, teacher-driven process for facilitating major staff development and schoolwide change. When applied properly, it has produced extraordinary results for thousands of educators and students in schools and school districts across the country. The Whole-Faculty Study Groups Fieldbook…