Organizational sensemaking is the attempt to understand complex events that occur in organizations (Weick, Sutcliffe, & Obstfeld, 2005). This study focuses on the sensemaking leadership capabilities of a leadership team promoting comprehensive reform. The cross-school leadership team engaged in organizational sensemaking in order to…

The purpose of this study was to assess, plan, and implement a budget building process through collaboration with the stakeholders of a targeted school district. The research question of this study was, "Will allowing the stakeholders more input, autonomy, and collaboration during a budget building process build a team environment and…

This study focuses on the development of paraeducators as a resource for student learning. More specifically, the study involved a post hoc analysis of an action research project aimed at improving the instructional skill of paraeducators in the content area of reading. The conceptual framework for the study was grounded in the literature of…

We were seeking to disrupt the practice of fostering theoretical understandings about teaching and learning in our graduate courses that had little connection to students' teaching practices. We also desired a mentoring approach for graduate students in education that would foster an understanding "and" practice of teaching as a relational…

In an attempt to bring readers "on-the-ground" insights about effective urban literacy instruction, the authors interviewed three literacy educators who have extensive experience with learners in urban school environments. Each of them has taught literacy and developed teaching practices for urban schools, as well as conducted action research to…

This article discusses the relations between participatory action research and feminist research, through an examination of the metaphor of "voice" and its possible replacement with the idea of "knowledge." The article describes in detail a participatory action research project undertaken in Israel, which was aimed at forging…

This study assessed needs, knowledge, and interests of agricultural professionals who were likely to enroll in an online extension course in sustainable agriculture. The objectives of the study were: to (1) describe their demographic characteristics, (2) identify their concerns and interests related to farming, (3) evaluate participants' knowledge…

This article describes the process and results obtained from an alumni survey administered at the University of Wisconsin-Stout. Comparisons are made to similar surveys that have been implemented at other universities. The survey was administered to undergraduate and graduate alumni who graduated one year or five years earlier. Of the 2,763 alumni…

Preschool provision in Northern Ireland is government funded and quality assured in all statutory sector settings (nursery schools and units) and in many voluntary/private sector settings (playgroups and daycare facilities). However, three unresolved policy issues continue to divide the sectors: the choices between a teacher or pedagogue role…

Achievement outcomes for students participating in a school counselor-led Student Success Skills intervention were investigated. Students in Grades 4 and 5 in a single school participated in the action research. Achievement outcomes were measured using the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test. Students who participated in the intervention showed…

In recent times, science education researchers have identified a lot of instruments for evaluating conceptual understanding as well as students' attitudes and beliefs about physics; unfortunately however, there are no broad based evaluation instruments in the field of problem-solving in physics. This missing tool is an indication of the complexity…

Leadership development in higher education is of vital importance to South Africa's future. We present a case study that focuses on a leadership development programme (LDP) through action learning and action research (ALAR) for women academics in South Africa during 2000 and 2001. It identifies the effects of the LDP on participants five years…

Although student self-assessment is considered a critical component of assessment for learning, its use and related research are rare in higher education. This article describes an action research study of self-assessment as an instructional strategy in two university courses. Results indicate that self-assessment exercises provided students the…

In this action research study, the author examines her teaching a unit of study focusing on the dance "Outside In," choreographed by Victoria Marks in 1994. Aided by an analysis of multiple forms of data collected from her high school dance students in response to the unit, the author identifies and then reflects upon two important themes, one…

This article makes a plea for using expressive writing in EFL/ESL writing courses. It examines the current unsatisfactory state of EFL/ESL writing and locates its causes in the pragmatic approach of textbook writers and practitioners. Next it reports a longitudinal case study of a university writing class at the upper-intermediate level of English…