This action research project report was conducted because students' lack of sportsmanship skills in elementary school physical education was negatively affecting the physical activity level of many students. The teacher was spending classroom time giving attention to conflicts dealing with negative sportsmanship issues and therefore losing…

Without proficiency in content reading skills, seventh grade students were at risk of not being able to achieve understanding of what they read in non-fiction texts, a skill that is absolutely necessary for college-bound students. The purpose of this action research study was to investigate whether an approach that involved specific and focused…

This report describes a program that enhanced vocabulary development and communication within the content area of mathematics. The targeted population was a rural K-12 school district located in the Midwest approximately an hour from three major metropolitan cities. Evidence for the existence of the problem included teachers' observation,…

A field project aimed to determine if the use of guided imagery affected low-achieving children's motivation in journal writing activities. Over a 4-week period, 2 weeks pre-intervention and 2 weeks post-intervention, researchers documented the number of off-task unrelated and related behaviors, fluency in the number of words written and attitudes…

This study describes a program designed to alter instructional and assessment processes in mathematics in order to increase comprehension levels and engagement in mathematics. The targeted population consists of high school students in a community located in the western suburbs of a large metropolitan area. The socio-economic status of the…

The data gathered for this study supports the hypothesis that using journal writing, as a follow-up to reading literature, would improve second graders' ability to comprehend texts. The study compares the effects of journal writing and language-related activities on reading comprehension. Two groups of second graders were pre- and post-tested in…

The focus of this action research project report was to reduce female bullying in the school. There were 35 female participants from sixth and seventh grade, one counselor, and eight recess supervisors. This research project took place from September 4, 2007 through December 14, 2007. Some of the behaviors associated with this problem included:…

Educators continue to seek ways to foster writing that produces rich language usage by students. Journal writing in the classroom allows students to express ideas in written form. Two types of journal writing often used by educators include topical journal writing and free choice journal writing. The desire to excel in the area of writing prompted…

This report describes a program for improving students' oral and written communication in mathematics. The target population consisted of third and fourth grade classes in a suburban, middle class community located in a large Midwestern state. The current lack of communication was demonstrated by the results of class surveys, student interviews,…

This study focused on the use of journal writing and worksheets in the area of social studies within a suburban elementary school. The study was designed to determine if there was a difference in children's social studies test scores when they completed journal activities or when they completed worksheets. Subjects were 36 Tennessee fifth-grade…

The purpose of this study was to examine the quantity of words written by an intermediate elementary student when paper and pencil are used and compare it with the quantity of words written with a computer. One fifth-grade magnet homeroom consisting of 16 students was involved in this study. The participants were randomly placed into two groups.…

This field study report recounts an action research project undertaken by an elementary school teacher to reflect on her practice as a teacher. After a review of the literature on using reflection for personal and professional growth, the ethnographic methodology employed in the study is discussed. The teacher action-researcher took 117 pages of…

Research suggests that the informal language of journals is very important. Language scholars such as J. Vygotsky (1962), J. Moffell (1968, 1982), P. Elbow (1973, 1982), and M. Shaughnessy (1977) believe that human beings find meaning through exploration in their own talking language. To add to the evidence in this area, a study conducted in an…

A study examined the effects of daily journal writing on kindergarten children's phonics acquisition. At St. Joseph School in Carteret, New Jersey, 21 kindergartners kept daily journals in addition to normal classroom instruction over a period of 4 months, while the 20 kindergartners in another class received only the normal classroom phonics…

This report describes a literacy program that provides readers with materials and instructions that fit their individual levels of development. The targeted population consists of kindergarten students in a northwest suburb that is characterized by higher than average household earnings, highly educated residents, and a population encompassing all…