This article offers insights into the ethics of engagement and methodological issues and dilemmas in cross-cultural interpretation for researchers who are positioned at different points of the insider-outsider spectrum. The discussion uses examples from qualitative research with Sikh families in Britain and focuses on the design of the methodology…

College students with physical disabilities were among the first students to receive disability supports in higher education in the United States, and the earliest journal articles in disability services focused almost exclusively on this cohort. As more students with a range of disability types have accessed higher education over the past 25…

This article outlines how the past decade has witnessed a substantial increase of interest in the nature and extent of bullying in British schools. It presents case study methods as an alternative to the existing quantitative methods that have generally been employed to investigate bullying within schools. (Contains references.) (CR)

An examination of the technical and theoretical strengths and weaknesses of three British research studies on the effectiveness of selective and nonselective schooling shows that the reorganization of British schools has not produced the lowering of educational standards that politically motivated groups would like people to believe. (RM)

The author conducted a cross national analysis of sociological research reported in leading journals at two points in time over a ten year period to determine if sociologists' ability to produce valid social generalizations had improved significantly over the recent past. The official journals of the United States (American Sociological Review),…

An analysis of three research studies which examined the movement towards comprehensive schooling in Great Britain shows that the answer to the question "has it worked" can be yes or no, depending on the selection of data and of statistical techniques. (RM)

Reflects on one person's efforts to develop a collaborative action research methodology for evaluating professional development. Focuses on the development of an inside methodology for teachers. Sets out a range of issues and identifies some tentative principles of procedure. (CFR)

Reviews key ideas of action research in the past 15 years, particularly those of John Elliott. Describes and comments on the main characteristics of action research. Focuses on methodological and epistemological issues related to its practice. (CFR)

The aims of an evaluation of the Trades Education (TRADEC) schemes were to report on the approach's distinctive features and to assess the TRADEC system's effectiveness and potential for educating and training a wide range of workers. The research design comprised three major elements. First, a developmental phase was devoted to identification and…

Discussed are the assumptions which underpin research studies of the effects of pupil, school, and local education authority characteristics on student achievement in Great Britain. The purpose is to clarify the necessary limitations on knowledge imposed by various research methods and to suggest how these might be improved. (RM)

These 15 papers originate from a conference that brought together researchers and trade unionists from a number of countries to examine the potential for a more democratic, active, and participative form of collaboration or "research as engagement." The first half contains chapters that explore, theoretically, the nature of research…

Asserts that the need for precise and detailed procedures in the collection of qualitative data is of paramount importance. Describes qualitative procedures that were used in a research study of teachers' and students' perceptions of effective teaching and learning. (CFR)

Presents an historical overview of the development of research from a narrow input-output approach to a holistic approach that evaluates within-school processes. Finds that selective processes produce higher academic achievement. (CFR)

This book, consisting of 13 papers, deals with the theory, practice, and reactions to participatory research in the area of social research for development. Included in the volume are the following papers: "Breaking the Monopoly of Knowledge: Research Methods, Participation, and Development," by Budd Hall; "Creating Alternative…