Presents an action-research study of student scientific literacy that is analyzed by two metaphors of learning: students working in science as if they follow recipes, and students working in science as if they devise recipes. Considers the usefulness of the metaphors as a framework to provide common ground for otherwise divergent views on…

Presents material from two first-year teachers' case writings and discussions about teaching writing which resulted in a "linguistic event," an opportunity to construct new knowledge about teaching. Claims the teachers were able to reflect on concerns in depth, validate each other's practice, and explore the value of talking and writing…

Describes what the author (a former high school English teacher) learned about teaching spelling to secondary students through a collaborative research project with a group of elementary school teachers. Analyzes four kinds of classroom-based data from that instruction, resulting in eight recommended teaching practices. Argues that well-targeted…

Examines psychology and non-psychology majors' perceptions of the impact of professors' teaching, research, and service activities on students' educations. Reveals that students view traditional teaching-oriented activities as more important than professors' research and service activities. Indicates that faculty should bridge the perceived gap…

Discusses educational research conducted by British school teachers in collaboration with university school of education faculty, noting how the occupational culture of each group differs and the likelihood for differences to be magnified and tensions to arise. The paper explains how educational research is viewed from each group's occupational…

More teachers are conducting research that benefits both administrators and students. Well-trained teacher-researchers can turn their questions into researchable problems, collect and analyze data, and use findings to create knowledge and "informed action." Teacher-research is notable for savoring the particular, rather than reaching for…

Describes the year-long first phase of a research project by a group of teachers who made their own writing an object of inquiry to gain experience in reading and writing workshops. Describes how the experience helped them see the power of writing for themselves, and led to a better understanding of how to teach writing in their classrooms. (SR)

Examines how early childhood teachers in one Australian state use child observations. Argues that the current economic/political climate has produced changes for early childhood settings and that how teachers respond to changes regarding child observation depends on their work context. Suggests that the purpose of observation is changing and that…

Identifies questions teachers are learning to ask themselves and each other as they move toward a negotiated, co-constructed and systematic approach that places documentation at the heart of an emergent curriculum. Discusses these questions in terms of documentation, discourse, and design, three components that define a dynamic system of learning…

Suggests that action research is appropriate for foreign language teachers because of its emphasis on research perspectives that are particularly illuminating in foreign language classrooms, tracing the conceptual contours of action research to set the stage for two case studies by graduate teaching assistants in German who engaged in action…

Maintains that Gallas' book exemplifies her talent for and commitment to teacher research and that it richly documents students' social worlds. Asserts that two aspects of the investigation are problematic: the use of a male/female polarity that sometimes reifies stereotypes, and the consistent disavowal of racism in children. (Author/KB)

Presents seven attributes of democracy (equality, important knowledge, nature of authority, inclusiveness, participatory decision making, rights, and an optimal environment). Students learn to be responsible citizens in situations where they can exercise ever-increasing power and where they have very little power. (Contains 65 references.) (MLH)

In this article, the authors--the teacher educators who obtained a grant from the Arthur Vining Davis Foundations (AVD)--explore what it meant for teachers and teacher educators involved in the PorTRAIT (Practitioner or Teacher Researchers As Inquiring Travelers) program to enlarge their views of teacher research and their own classrooms by being…

It is impossible to teach well or conduct good research without some personal sense of involvement. Without attending to these apparently extraneous emotional aspects our work is impoverished. At the same time it is the needs of indigenous peoples as subjects in research and teaching which are paramount. The author touches on the relevance of…

Practitioner research is a topic of growing interest and scholarly writing in the field of education in general and adult education in particular. This article describes a particular form of practitioner research that rests on a participatory worldview and draws heavily from theory and practice in adult learning and action research.…