This study examines what really makes a difference in improving student learning. Teachers are constantly bombarded with ideas about how to do their work more effectively and efficiently. They must be encouraged to be knowledgeable about recent research in teaching and learning and committed to making solid research findings based on classroom…

Discusses indirect service-learning, in which students do not participate directly in fieldwork but learn about some sector of the community through their teacher's research and/or community service, and use knowledge acquired through the course to create a service or product meeting community need. Argues that this approach improves student…

This article examines historical styles of research conducted around the construct of gifted underachievement. It then explores possibilities of implementing alternative approaches and theoretical arguments in practical applications in this area. It discusses ethnographic narratives, deliberative hermeneutic research, aesthetic research,…

Argues for the need to adopt a more participatory and research-based approach to teacher development in India. Describes the democratizing opportunities offered by a research-based collaborative approach to teacher educator development in a 2-year project in three states. Concludes that this approach requires individual development of autonomy and…

A Cree teacher-researcher in Alberta enrolled in a graduate education program in hopes of gaining insight into the low achievement of students in reserve schools. Courses taught from an Indigenous perspective and her own research with reservation students led her to the notion of inherent wisdom, expressed in the metaphor of a tree whose roots…

Journal writing in action research can be a tool for uncovering the facts of a situation (an empirical approach), or the expression of a professional life (a phenomenological approach). These two approaches are explored, and a radical redefinition of action research journal writing is presented. (IAH)

The role of the teacher as researcher is related to key themes in the literature on action research. Current issues facing teachers involved in research into their own practice are highlighted. The pressure of accountability placed on teachers is discussed in the context of teacher research. (IAH)

This article chronicles the evolution of the Classroom Research Study Group (a collaborative effort of the University of Louisville and the Jefferson County Public Schools Ghens Professional Development Academy), describes how it functions, discusses teachers' emergent roles as action researchers, and considers related issues concerning the…

Focuses on the disadvantages of working teachers engaged in research. Seven sources of informal and three sources of formal information are listed. Teacher/researchers are unfamiliar with how research information is disseminated. Through networking and learning the library, they can access the same kind of data available to professional…

According to information from a 1994 conference that explored the work of teachers conducting inquiry, the purposes of teacher-led inquiry are to improve teaching and learning and to inform and transform the work of schooling. Implications of teacher-led inquiry for the education of teachers are examined. (SM)

Reviews four influential books on action research that highlight the self-reflective process of examining contradictions in personal beliefs to improve practice, noting that personal beliefs and experiences underlie action research, and those conducting the research live it as they consider whether the ideals match with their actions. (SM)

Identifies assumptions about teachers' work and working conditions evident in action research, examining patterns in the parameters of work and workplace issues and analyzing research and various projects from the 1970s and 1980s. Aspects of feminist theory are used to address tensions and contradictions in teachers' practice of action research.…

Presents a study of ways in which teachers believe that their research promotes professional development and educational change. Identifies factors that promote and constrain change. Suggests that, for teacher research to effect change throughout a school, the school must value critical reflection on practice and the sharing of ideas. (SG)

Asserts that the teacher as researcher movement increased awareness of the human interventionary nature of teaching. Maintains that the human interventions of regular classroom practice must be subject to the same ethical scrutiny that applies to all professional endeavors. (CFR)

Two classroom research studies with third graders examined the effects of collaborative test-taking on student mathematics retention. Findings from the first study indicated that collaborative testing promoted retention, but results of the second study contradicted the initial findings. Possible explanations for the differences included student…