A detailed step-by-step description of a punctuation proficiency project utilizing a pretest, practice, and post-test plan is provided. (BP)

Reports a three-year case study of the effects of systematic interventions designed to enhance prosocial behavior among elementary school students. Particular attention is devoted to the scope and design of the study and a listing of the factors which were potential threats to its validity. (JDH)

Whether action research and management perspectives can be reconciled to support teachers' desires to participate in management of education institutions is explored. Five issues are presented that must be addressed if action research is to be used as a strategy for teaching teachers educational management. (MT)

Food service energy research identifies food service methods and equipment that save energy while maintaining food quality, especially nutrition. This article discusses (1) research findings; (2) applications of these findings, including energy management policies, and energy-efficient equipment and recipes; and (3) efforts to educate students…

It is common practice to associate recommendations for program improvement with evaluation reports. In this article, several classes of recommendations are identified, and aspects of one class are explored in some detail. Consideration is given to certain logical, methodological, and practical issues relating to the derivation of recommendations…

Focuses on action research as a strategy for the helping institution, as an organizationwide intervention in organization change efforts, and as a means of leadership development. (Author/IRT)

This Critical Practitioner Inquiry (CPI) Newsletter is a forum for exchanging ideas and experiences about CPI in different universities worldwide. This first edition of the newsletter contains the following articles: (1) Critical Practitioner Inquiry--Working Against the Grain (Lars Dahlstrom), which explains the concept of CPI; (2) Critical…

This report describes a program for increasing literacy skills in kindergarten students. The targeted population consisted of kindergarten students from two schools in a growing unit district located in a northwest suburb of Chicago, Illinois. The lack of literacy skills was documented through student assessment and teacher observation. Analysis…

A new teacher appraisal process involving 5 competencies and 163 indicators has been devised by the Provincial Government of Ontario, Canada. Principals are being held responsible for the appraisals, and the competencies and indicators are being imposed on professional practice. This paper suggests that a better approach to professional growth…

Teacher's function as a researcher has been the subject of heated debates during the last two decades.The advocates argue that education can not be conceived as a scientific domain within the positivistic paradigm. They put emphasis on the intricacies and uncertainties associated with teaching circumstances and invite teachers to participate in…

This study describes an action research case study through which the dynamics of identifying and changing strongly held assumptions illustrate the differences between experiences that serve to strengthen beliefs from those that lead to learning. Theoretical considerations are presented linking cognitive schema, action science, attribution theory,…

This report focuses on the implementation of strategies to improve student listening skills. The targeted population consisted of primary elementary students located in the suburbs of a large Midwestern city. The lack of students' listening abilities was documented through the use of journals, surveys, checklists, and anecdotal records. Analysis…

Recent changes in schools have caused changes in the consultation roles for school psychologists. Action research serves as a guide for an expanded school psychology consultation role. Although action research has been used in various fields, including teacher development and education, adult education, and agriculture, it has seldom been applied…

This paper describes a collaborative action research study involving a university professor/researcher and novice teachers (final sample of seven) in classroom-based inquiry to enhance personal practice that would impact on student outcomes. As the teachers were coached and mentored through the various stages of the action research process to…

This paper describes the concerns of four middle school mathematics teachers involved in a professional development program that allowed them the opportunity to conduct action research projects. The teachers chose to implement nontraditional writing activities in their instruction as part of their action research. The experiences, practices, and…