This study focuses on the perspectives of pre-service teachers exposed to cases in an educational psychology course. It considers how students view cases and how their thoughts, beliefs, and attitudes regarding case-based activities change throughout the semester. Both qualitative and quantitative data (participating observations, interviews,…

Presents four articles on the use of observation as an assessment tool in early childhood education. Covers advantages of observation versus testing, finding opportunities to observe, record keeping, sharing with parents and staff, use of observations in curriculum planning and improvement, and use of observations in supporting children's play.…

Proposes a program that uses the methods of participant observation to improve the experiences of student interns and integrate the internship programs into the liberal arts curriculum. The program includes a pre-internship methods course, a periodic log to be submitted by the student, and a final integration paper. (SLM)

Explores Mexican-American immigrant entrepreneurial activity in the wholesale produce industry in Los Angeles (California). This activity exhibits the primary characteristics defined for immigrant enclaves, a specific mode of incorporation into the economic sector of the U.S. Describes hierarchical elements of Mexican entrepreneurship that…

Defines Participatory Action Research (PAR) as involving practitioners in the research process and building objectives into the research design. Discusses the history of organizational behavior research, listing the lessons learned from the Hawthorne study. Views current research as following either the course of "normal social science"…

A participant observer describes activities taking place at a L'Arche community, where persons with mental handicaps live and work together with nonhandicapped members of society. Findings are reported concerning work, social life, meetings, and other events, emphasizing the sense of community created through welcoming people and sharing…

In a year-long participant observation study of remediative action following child injury, 61 children ages 8 and 9 and their mothers wrote records and, in biweekly interviews, reported on more than 1,000 minor injuries. Found that remediative action was related to type of child activity and to mother's affect and beliefs. (MDM)

Describes a class demonstration of observer bias in which students were led to believe what the research data would indicate. Reports that students reported trends consistent with the expectancy. Asserts that the demonstration had a strong and memorable effect on students and has value for demonstrating observer bias. (CFR)

Observation of an adult literacy class and participant interviews yielded data about the teaching context, session organization, types of teacher questions, patterns of questioning, and student perceptions. Analysis using critical theory concluded that teachers may aim to establish democratic processes, but practical questioning strategies may…

Participant-observation research was conducted in the home care components of a free-standing inpatient facility associated with several hospice organizations over three years. The data are reported using negotiated order theory as a framework for understanding the hospice movement and its attempts to change the experience of dying. (JPS)

This study examined actual implementation of inclusion as part of a district and university restructuring initiative. Participant observation and interviews did not find any movement of special education students to general education despite use of the term "inclusion." Two themes were seen to explain this failure to understand and implement…

Describes the participant-observer experience of two graduate students in an independent study in a high school. The focus was on the process of being a qualitative researcher rather than on the research topic. The students applied a variety of research strategies to learn about different aspects of schooling. (MMU)

Presents an overview of the goals and procedures of qualitative research, and discusses linkages between epistemologies and methodology. Reviews possible guidelines involved in the several steps of the evaluation process of qualitative research, emphasizing naturalistic research with families. Reviews common problems with qualitative research.…

Examines whether short-term experiential learning reduces the drawbacks that may prevent instructors from using this technique. Considers the benefits and drawbacks of experiential learning. Explores instructor and student perspectives on three types of short-term exercises: (1) observations; (2) participant-observations; and (3) field trips. (CMK)

Examines transformation in the nature of public spaces for children and the school's role in producing those spaces. Draws on two years of ethnographic field-work at an elementary school. Focuses on a field trip to an art museum and explores another type of trip. (CMK)