The implementation of an educational reform and the subsequent reconfiguration of curricula in a competency format prompted research into the learning experiences of students within a newly reconfigured competency-based curriculum. The curriculum was the technical and further education (TAFE) New South Wales (NSW) Tertiary Preparation Certificate…

This book includes: a theoretical summary of the various facets of motivation, an examination of how the theoretical insights can help classroom practitioners in their everyday teaching practice and practical recommendations on how motivation can be researched and assessed. The following chapters are included: "Main Challenges of Motivation…

This document is comprised of the two 2000 issues of a biannually-published journal featuring research studies, theoretical essays, and classroom practice articles about the development and education of kindergarten children as well as occasional articles concerning preschool and the early primary grades. The spring 2000 issue contains the…

Thirty-four representatives of the Department for Education and Employment and other national organizations in the United Kingdom, researchers and educators in the fields of career education and guidance, and guidance practitioners from careers service companies and higher education institutions explored ways of developing a research culture in…

This action research project investigated the effects of music on the behavior and performance of students (ages 3-21) with multiple disabilities, mental retardation, or severe mental retardation in four self-contained special education classrooms. The teacher researchers involved in the study made no assumptions with regard to the outcomes. It…

This study examines the changing role of bilingual education in a Title I elementary school in Northern California in the wake of the passage of Proposition 227. It is found that native language literacy is an important component in the academic success of English language learners and that reading in the native language does not detract form from…

From the vantage point of indigenous peoples, the term "research" is inextricably linked to European imperialism and colonialism. In this book, an indigenous researcher calls for the decolonization of research methods. The first part of the book critically examines the historical and philosophical bases of Western research; Western…

To help researchers and planners, college governing bodies, and state-wide entities gain perspective on myriad events and initiatives impacting California Community Colleges (CCC) and higher education in general, the Research and Planning (RP) Group for California Community Colleges developed this prospectus. The final draft prospectus identifies…

Teacher action research using both qualitative and quantitative methods of data collection were used to examine impacts of using visual learning strategies on five preschool children (ages 3-5) with autism in a self-contained classroom. During the six weeks of the study, pictures representing nine learning areas and specific developmental…

This paper describes how the researcher revised an action research class for preservice Masters students within the larger context of school improvement. Analysis of students' action research projects revealed some ironic and unintended consequences of linking action research to school improvement. Analysis of the researcher's own pedagogical…

This study examined whether the effects of collaboration between schools and higher education would persist 1 year after discontinuation of an action research project. Participants were teachers and other district personnel who had completed an action research seminar the previous year. They completed a survey that compared their present attitudes…

Describes evaluation experiences in the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, School District. Suggests that use of evaluation results can be maximized through a systems approach that involves developing and monitoring different performance indicators, and tailoring educational practice by focusing corrective action on areas where performance is found to be…

Examines Black social scientists' intellectual efforts, starting in the 1920s, to challenge research conclusions about the innate mental inferiority of Blacks, disclaim the validity of intelligence tests used, and demonstrate the influence of environment on test performance. Finds irony in Black intellectuals' use of the mental tests they…

Contract research has increased because of: agencies' time limits; governmental agencies' skepticism about academics' practicality; and a power struggle between government and universities for control of the information production business. Implications of the increase in contract research are discussed and recommendations are made. (MH)

A cross-validation study of the Kirton Adaption-Innovation Inventory (KAI) was conducted with 256 professional employees from three applied research and development organizations. The KAI correlated well with both direct and indirect measures of innovativeness in all three organizations. (Author/MH)