This action study investigated the effects of a textbook and gender upon the acquisition of exceptionalities content knowledge in an undergraduate teacher education course. In a course where teacher education content, tests and testing procedures, and grading procedures for assignments were held constant across three teaching conditions, the…

This action research project focuses on increasing student comprehension and achievement. The study examined the effectiveness of completing detailed item analysis of assessments for the purpose of placing students into different Language Arts classes and learning groups within those classes. Research advocates placing students of similar ability…

This substantially revised text provides a comprehensive, highly accessible, and student friendly introduction to the principles, concepts, and methods currently used in educational research. This text provides a balanced combination of quantitative and qualitative methods and enables students to master skills in reading, understanding,…

This article addresses the changing role of the education of English as a Foreign Language by presenting results from a study aimed at problematizing and increasing the understanding of the inclusion of cultural aspects in the language classroom. The study from which this article is drawn consists of theoretical explorations into the field, linked…

This paper describes how an online space has been used as a venue for action research in a teacher education program. The research context is a general methods course on Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) for elementary and secondary school teacher candidates in a teacher education program. This blended course used an online…

Action research, also called classroom or teacher research, has been defined as "systematic, intentional inquiry by teachers". Action research encourages school personnel to systematically develop a question, gather data, and then analyze that data to improve their practice. Over the last 15 years, the complexities of using action…

This article examines data collected from an ethnographic research project conducted with 56 gang-associated Latino youths ages 15 to 21 from 2007 to 2009. The objectives of the study were to examine how poor Latino gang-associated youths perceived schooling and policing and to find out if the research process could promote educational aspirations…

Bridget Somekh's contributions to the debate on the theory and practice of action research and associated methodologies have often been gained through leadership of innovative action and research with computers in education. A review of her work provides evidence of the journey that starts with an appreciation of the wonders of technology before…

This study utilizes students' journaling and video-recording of field experience teaching sessions as vehicles for inquiry into the development of the process of productive reflection within the piloting phase of an experimental course, designed by the National Center for Research on Early Childhood Education (NCRECE). The NCRECE course is…

This article reports on the small-scale evaluation of a school-based action research project, focusing on the creation of teaching materials aimed at developing tools for multilingualism for pupils aged 7-14. This three-year project was launched in September 2004 in 12 state primary schools and two secondary schools in two local authorities in the…

Despite continuing interest in teacher reflection and an extensive body of research on peer assessment, the interaction between these areas has not been sufficiently investigated. This study on reflection and peer feedback is part of an ongoing action research addressing the design and pedagogical model of a theoretically oriented teacher training…

The purpose of this pragmatic action research study was to explore our re-conceptualization efforts in preparing pre-service teachers to guide the inquiry process with formative assessment and subsequently use the understandings to improve our teacher preparation program. The process was guided by two questions: to what extent did course…

The unit determined that "Assessment 5: Effect on Student Learning" would be best measured by student teachers and interns utilizing an action research activity in their clinical experience. Twenty four action research projects were evaluated by the Director of Student Teaching. Interraters blind to the Director's scores evaluated the projects.…

A rural superintendent used action research principles in conducting a series of focus groups with community members, students, and staff. The focus group data informed strategic planning. At the end of a carefully designed process, district administrators found more agreement among residents than they had expected. Community members were grateful…

Much has happened since nine teams across New Zealand engaged in a Ministry of Education-funded participatory action research project looking at effective practice for supporting children and young people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in education. Building on earlier discussions, the project ran from 2002 to 2004, and until now the story…