Discusses trends in higher education and related public policy that have implications for scholars, faculty, and researchers in the field of rural sociology. Discusses characteristics of the rural South and the role of rural sociology in addressing the needs of an undereducated, disadvantaged region. Outlines challenges that the field must meet to…

Explores the encounter between teachers and research literature, examines whether this encounter has any prospects, and determines the features necessary for a meaningful encounter. Illustrates that research literature is not part of the typical teacher's library and that there is a gap between the researcher's world and teacher's world. (CMK)

To be mindful of diversity issues, educational research must expand its dimensions, analyze assumptions, include researchers with authentic perspective, rethink the impact of research consumption, and redefine parameters of researchers' work. Also important are the gatekeeping function of refereed journals, multidimensionality of diversity, choice…

The case study of the relationship between the researcher and the subject described in "Locked in Uneasy Sisterhood" illustrates the importance of making explicit the understandings both parties hold of the conceptions of power and position in feminist research and practice. Feminist research will be strengthened by a self-conscious…

Focuses on different ways participants in a research project may understand the research and use it themselves by describing how 20 adult students and 14 community members, participants in a recent ethnographic study of adult literacy in England, responded to the invitation to collaborate with researchers in interpreting interview data. (SLD)

Describes the Portfolio Research Project, a three-year research project ultimately involving 20 teachers of grades 6-12 from a variety of schools, in which teachers acted as primary researchers, developing their own research projects to explore the use of portfolios to assess literature learning. Describes what participants researched, how…

Describes the use of case-study groups as a structure for active observation of children at the West Side Montessori School in New York City, including daily observation note-taking, bi-weekly meeting of a five-member team, and progress reports on individual children. Discusses the positive impact of the case-study groups on their observation…

The researchers who conducted a study of the views of regular elementary teachers toward provision of special services through either "pull-in" or "pull-out" programs consider the researcher's role as change agent. The authors stress the timing of their research (with new legislation mandating consultant teacher services) and…

A discussion of the increased use of qualitative methods in social science research looks at four emerging issues: the nature of research, the growth in status of the narrative in research, political influences on the research process, and the nature of the relationship between the philosophy of science and applied research practice. Some…

Researchers in the field of educational measurement need to monitor their own actions to keep their achievements in perspective. Some possible symptoms of obsession with their own significance are explored. Pride, destructive criticism, and misusing others to advance oneself are flaws researchers should strive to eradicate. (SLD)

Explores experiences of a school board member, himself an educational researcher, that relate to the relationship between social science research and educational policymaking. Why decision makers are skeptical about the value of research in formulating policy is considered, and thoughts are presented on the future of educational research. (SLD)

Participant observations and key informant interviews were used in three case studies, each case corresponding to a different degree of researcher involvement in a Canadian school district's participatory evaluation. The contextual differences observed are discussed, and the usefulness of the approach to studying evaluation methods is described.…

Addresses what phonemic awareness is and asks if there are different levels of phonemic awareness. Considers activities that are best for promoting phonemic awareness and questions when a child can be assessed as phonemically aware. Discusses what lies beyond phonemic awareness for emergent readers. Describes the author's journey as a graduate…

Highlights a synergistic collaborative research effort between a public school and a university, discussing the process of collaboration throughout the study and providing perspectives on the learning and collaboration experiences from university faculty, classroom teachers, and pre-service teachers. This collaboration resulted in translation of…

Reflects on idea of representing children politically and socially or culturally, drawing on themes emerging from the United Kingdom's ESRC (Economic and Social Research Council) Children 5-16 Programme, a research initiative focusing on children as social actors. Explores children as research subjects, documentation of "children's…