If teachers and parents genuinely believe that it is educators' responsibility to prepare students for a life of "meeting employers' needs," then teachers have to better examine what it is that they choose to teach students. That is, what should be in the curriculum to ensure that students have the knowledge to prepare them for a life of…

The authors report on their experiences as participants in the Community, Self and Identity Project; a collaborative teaching and research project between the University of the Western Cape and Stellenbosch University. The project aimed to provide fourth year social work and psychology students the opportunity to become part of a shared…

Using an action research model, this study concentrated on easing the transition into school by providing an induction program for preschool children which promotes the emotional needs of the child within the family. The research followed an ecological perspective, considering individual needs within the frameworks of school, home, and community…

The Catholic Education Office of Sydney, Australia, has completed the first year of a 3-year literacy initiative which included an early literacy strand providing professional development for all kindergarten, Year One, and Year Two teachers, with a particular focus on the needs of beginning readers and writers. This paper outlines the planning,…

This paper considers the value of the self-study perspective and discusses quality factors in self-study research by educators. The context of the paper is the experience of the Self Study of Teacher Education Practices (SSTEP) special interest group. Reasons for increasing interest in self-study among teachers and teacher educators include its…

This book addresses the practical management of higher education teaching and learning as it is related to any subject. The volume stresses principles of the reflective practitioner model--open-mindedness, responsibility, and wholeheartedness. Chapter 1 introduces the book and its concept of teaching as a management process. Chapter 2 focuses on…

This paper describes Morehead State University's support of the Kentucky Education Reform Act through mini-grants to public school teachers to help them implement state reform mandates and guidelines in the classroom through in-school action research projects. Morehead State University funded 18 mini-grants to 14 different schools in 11 different…

This paper describes the reactions of graduate secondary school student teachers to an experiment which required them to evaluate specified techniques and theories of teaching and learning as part of their classroom practice. The aim of the experiment was to: (1) improve the quality of their judgments about pupils; (2) acquire variety in teaching…

A project developed processes for improving the reading comprehension of third- and fourth-grade students in two progressive suburban communities in northern Illinois. Analysis of probable cause data revealed that students lacked knowledge of reading strategies and a review of the district's general curriculum and textbooks revealed systematic…

At the same time that educators and researchers are identifying ways in which major reform and restructuring is needed in schools, research on student learning in science (and other subjects) from constructivist and conceptual-change perspectives is suggesting the potential for significant improvements in students' understanding of science and…

This study was conducted to explore the process of teacher and principal change initiated by elementary school teachers who wished to replace the school's culture of isolation and seclusion with a culture of collegiality and caring. Their vision of change and the change process itself was intertwined with the development of a sense of teacher…

This descriptive study identified teacher education programs that involve undergraduate preservice teachers in research projects. Information was gathered using interviews, documents, and telecommunications. Data were analyzed utilizing the following questions: (1) What are the goals of student teacher research projects? (2) What are the problems…

This guide is intended to help organizational researchers involved in diagnosing organizations and helping them change. Part 1 focuses on defensive routines that limit learning at the organizational, intergroup, group, and individual levels. Part 2 focuses on the case study of a consulting firm at which a climate fostering learning and change was…

An action research project was conducted to find ways of increasing the productive use of time in middle school applied technology laboratories. The population targeted for the study consisted of 26 middle school students in a growing middle-class Illinois community. The problem of nonproductive use of class time was documented through test…

This report describes a plan that was developed for improving middle school student writing skills and attitudes toward writing. The targeted population consisted of seventh and eighth graders in a low to middle class community located in western Illinois. The problems of weak writing skills, ineffective use of the writing process, and poor…