The third research study in a series of qualitative studies examines the functions and practices of local professional development committees in Ohio. This descriptive study interviewed key informants from five Local Professional Development Committees (LPDCs) regarding their processes and practices. Resultant data indicated that several districts…

This study describes a program for improving student's reading skills. The targeted population consisted of students in a self-contained inclusion fourth grade classroom in a rural community, located in the Midwest. The lack of reading skills had been demonstrated through standardized achievement tests and the Developmental Reading Assessment.…

This report describes research on current assessment procedures affecting educational instruction. The targeted population consisted of third and fifth grade students, teachers, administrators, local school board members, and parents from one highly populated metropolitan public elementary school and a small suburban public elementary school near…

This book describes the essential components of any teacher-researcher group. Part I describes an experience, a process, that aids teacher-researchers in completing a study. Part II reexamines the issues and questions surrounding teacher research, as they have both shifted and steadied over the years. Part III consists of research articles written…

The constructs used to evaluate research quality--valid, objective, reliable, generalizable, randomized, accurate, authentic--are not value-free. They all require human judgment, which is affected inevitably by cultural norms and values. In the case of research involving American Indians and Alaska Natives, assessments of research quality must be…

This report describes a plan for developing metacognitive reflection in readers in order to improve reading comprehension in both fiction and nonfiction texts. The targeted population was sixth graders at two sites: one in an upper middle-class neighborhood of a large city, the other in a rapidly changing community in a collar suburb of that same…

This paper describes how Western Washington University's Woodring College of Education designed an elementary Master in Education program to meet the needs of practicing teachers. Data gathering activities included systemic review of the graduate catalog's programs and enrollment; surveys of administrators and educators who completed Master's…

This study examined the beliefs of 21 experienced teachers who implemented individual action research projects as part of a graduate degree program in teacher leadership, focusing on the extent to which they believed that action research is a viable mechanism for change. Participants consisted of primary, middle, secondary, postsecondary, and…

In the 1998-99 program year, 10 tutors recruited by The Literacy Council of Lancaster-Lebanon, LVA (Literacy Volunteers of America), were encouraged to use the AIM (Assessment, Instruction, Mastery) program to plan lessons and give instruction to students at the lowest literacy level. Only two tutors completed worksheets. Interventions were…

An action research project was designed and implemented to improve student motivation and performance levels in middle school music performance programs. The targeted population consisted of 43 eighth-grade band and choral students in two diverse suburbs of a large Midwestern city. The problem of lack of motivation to achieve high levels of…

This paper examines systematic studies of teacher research as professional development activity, identifying specific aspects of this experience that relate to positive teacher and student learning. Section 1 discusses variations in teacher research related to motivation, structural conditions and context, study format and content, incorporation…

This action research project implemented and evaluated an assessment and evaluation program designed to keep students motivated and on-task in art classes. Targeted population consisted of 76 fourth grade students in a middle to lower class suburb of a Midwestern city. Evidence to support the problem consisted of teacher observation checklists and…

Students who lag behind in vocabulary commonly experience academic failure. A student's vocabulary knowledge directly impacts reading comprehension. To improve comprehension, students need exposure to a variety of literature and opportunities for meaningful practice of vocabulary they encounter daily. Vocabulary is developed through a variety of…

This report describes the development and implementation of an intervention for improving students' interest and academic achievement in social studies. The targeted population consisted of first and fourth grade students of different socioeconomic levels in northwestern Illinois. Problems were documented in student surveys, teacher observations,…

This report describes a program for improving literacy skills, such as expression, fluency, and comprehension through the use of drama in the reading curriculum. The targeted population consisted of kindergarten and first grade students, both in middle class communities, located in two northern suburbs of Chicago. The problems of reading ability…