This article reports on a study of apprentices in England and Germany designed to explore young people's learner identities over time and in relation to particular learning environments. The research adopts a multi-method ethnographic approach, combining biographical interviews with multi-site participant observation. The article problematises the…

This study provides the first longitudinally designed, classroom-based empirical test of self-determination theory's motivation mediation model. Measures of perceived autonomy support, motivation (autonomy need satisfaction), engagement, and achievement were collected from 500 (257 females, 243 males) 8th-grade students in Korea in a 3-wave…

Responds to Barry Hutchinson's views of Active Tutoring Work. Says Hutchinson's assumption that teachers are not policy makers is in error. Discusses problems in the teacher-researcher, action research model. Challenges the notion that Hutchinson's research impedes communication between teachers and researchers. (NL)

Language teachers with little or no experience in conducting research are guided through the process of deciding what kind of classroom research to undertake, and how to organize and implement it. In question-and-answer format, four types of research are defined and explained separately: action, survey, correlational, and experimental studies. For…

Reviewing their "Classroom Environment Study: Teaching for Learning" and other teaching research literature, project personnel examine the limitations of the process-product paradigm typically used in research on teaching. Topics covered include a conceptual model for teaching; preservice and inservice teacher training; appropriate…

Issues and elements of case study research are explored and illustrated with the example of a case study of a kindergarten in a suburb of Tokyo (Japan). Case study research is a type of qualitative research that concentrates on a single unit or entity, with boundaries established by the researcher. The case is an example drawn from a larger class,…

Five papers discuss Australian education research. Issues explored include: (1) public versus private education; (2) access to and participation in higher education; (3) teacher self-evaluation; (4) test equating methods; and (5) a procedure for analyzing classroom dialogue. The validity of end-of-school assessments and the nature of teaching are…

Reexamines definitions of and explanations for the Hawthorne Effect in research subjects. Notes that the Hawthorne Effect was tested in a study of the effectiveness of paired classroom reading among students. Challenges the notion that subject's behavior is modified by participation in research. Reviews various research studies that question the…

Teachers engaged in action research are involved in a process that focuses on how they and their students construct and reconstruct learning experiences, thereby extending professionalism and creating additional learning opportunities for students. This paper describes the evolution of an action research project involving an elementary school…

The first volume of a three-volume report on a three-year study of the use of computers in secondary school classrooms, this document reviews the context of the research project: its organization; the basis of the research strategy employed; and the character of the schools, teachers, and students involved. The project was conducted by the…

Examines problems with representing poststructuralist research. Argues that researchers' positioning within major discourses governing education may have as much influence on what is seen in classrooms as does physical positioning. Challenges researchers to make explicit their underlying interests and agendas. Uses a study of gender-role…

This practical guide is one of a series aimed at assisting academics in higher education in researching specific aspects of their work. Focusing on small-scale insider research in colleges and universities, the handbook covers contemporary issues, research methods, and existing practice and values in the area of teaching methods. Strategies for…

Teachers of English as a Second Language (ESL) are encouraged to conduct classroom research to (1) discover what happens when they teach and students try to learn, assess and improve teaching practices; monitor innovations in teaching, syllabus, or materials; and investigate problems in the classroom. Simple steps are outlined: developing a plan…

To investigate teaching practices for English as a foreign/second language (EFL) at the university level in Brazil, three researchers analyzed the research presented at the 1990 Brazilian National Conference of EFL University Teachers (ENPULI Conference). Focus of the analysis was on the main objective of the study and the emphasis placed on…

This collection of papers leads classroom language teachers through the process of developing and completing a classroom research project. Arranged in four sections, they include: "Language Teaching and Research" (David Nunan); "Where Are We Now? Trends, Teachers, and Classroom Research" (Dale T. Griffee); "First Things First: Writing the Research…