Examines the complex interactive set of conditions that influence artistic production and frame the way interpretations are constructed. Uses a software system to index qualitative material (interview transcripts, field notes, reviews, and commentary) and analyzes this material in terms of emerging themes. Includes comments from the artists. (MJP)

Documents the new federal welfare policies' effects on single mothers and their children living in poverty in Michigan, focusing on family health and viability, work requirements and sanctions, postsecondary education restrictions, and access to child care. Critically questions public educators' role and raises social policy issues related to…

Interviews with parents, teachers, and administrators of a California Bay Area elementary school explored the impact of Proposition 227 on parent involvement, student achievement, classroom instruction, and student and teacher emotions. Data indicate that an overemphasis on language of instruction overshadowed other critical issues such as…

Job sharing is a form of employment often overlooked by the average worker. Eight women were interviewed for this qualitative research study on the benefits and drawbacks of job sharing. Rather than simply allowing more time for them to spend with their children or on domestic chores, job sharing provided unanticipated opportunities to enjoy a…

The students who have the most difficulty reaching accountability standards in Wake County Public Schools are those with more than one of the following characteristics: recipients of free or reduced-price lunch, students with disabilities, and/or students with limited English proficiency. The Evaluation and Research Department identified…

This book describes how "at-risk" Hispanic youth defy the odds and stay in school to earn a high school diploma. Information about success is needed because Hispanic youth drop out at about twice the rate of non-Hispanic Whites. The discussion is based on the results of a 4-year longitudinal study of 100 Hispanic youth labeled at-risk by…

A 5-year qualitative study of implementation of the Kentucky Education Reform Act (KERA) analyzes the effects on four rural school districts of large-scale changes in state policy. This annual report of the project focuses on five key KERA "strands." First, KERA mandates that grades K-3 be replaced with an ungraded primary program…

Classroom boredom in the secondary mathematics classroom is a problem that can be addressed from knowledge of the intrinsic motivational variable of "interestingness." The lack of a theoretical model of interest is an obstacle in research that investigates this variable. This paper describes the three stages in the development of a model…

A study collected information about research on adult education conducted in Canada from 1983-1988 and identified themes that emerged from the research studies, projects, and activities. Sources of information searched were electronic databases, bibliographic compilations of reports and articles in adult education and related fields, journals, and…

In this study, the quality of the computer and Internet based social studies course was investigated. A case study design was chosen to understand, a) how computers are used in the eighth grade classroom, b) what the students' and teachers' perceptions are about the advantages and problems of using computers. Qualitative data sources showed that…

Understanding effective school leadership as a function of culture building through quantitative and qualitative analyses is the purpose of this paper. The two-part quantitative phase of the research focused on statistical measures of culture and leadership behavior directed toward culture building in the school. The first quantitative part…

Although "Sharing Time" is a popular and widespread activity in English for Young Learners (L2) classrooms around the world, there have so far been no research studies of the interaction that is generated and its relationship to learning processes. The aims of this study were to find out how interaction is organized during "Sharing…

The multiyear study discussed in this paper focuses on the use of a course management system (CMS) to deliver video clips and interactive mathematics investigations and to support shared reflections in a field-based elementary mathematics methods course. The findings reveal that virtual observations of mathematics teaching episodes in diverse…

This paper describes the experiences gathered in a Masters of Adult Education course at University of Botswana (UB), where 26 students of the University of Botswana and the University of Georgia (UGA) engaged in discussions within the University of Botswana Learning Management System WebCT. Individual participation patterns in the discussions…

It is accepted that using electronic detection methods has benefits within an overall strategy to promote academic integrity in an institution. Little attention has been paid to obtaining student perceptions to evaluate the cost/benefit of using such methods. This study reports on the evaluation of a trial of Turnitin software. 728 students…