This action research project involved implementation of a program designed to minimize inappropriate student behavior that interfered with instruction. The target populations were students in three third grades in an elementary school, one third grade in an intermediate school, and one eighth grade social studies class in a middle school. All…

The purpose of the "Learning for a Sustainable Environment: Innovations in Teacher Education" project is to expand the range of innovative practices used in teacher education programs in the Asia-Pacific region. The project helps teacher educators develop the skills for introducing teachers and teachers-in-training to the concepts,…

The Reggio Emilia preschools in Italy have much to offer U.S. early education practitioners. If adapted, based on an understanding of American culture and of how American children learn, four components of the Reggio Emilia model can be useful in American early childhood settings. First, projects based on the interests of children can be used to…

This paper examines grading policies and the college student culture, as part of an ongoing collaborative study of the socialization of beginning teacher educators on four campuses. Utilizing a combination of participant observation and action research to arrive at a better understanding of grades and the improvement of grading practices, four…

This report focuses on work force education and lifelong learning as a newly emerging strategy for meeting many challenges of education and work in the 21st century. Chapter 1 introduces the concept, reviews the sociopolitical background to the strategy, and presents the rationale for a new type of professional, Workforce Education and Lifelong…

This paper describes a teacher education effort that developed conditions for teachers to be more effective learners about teaching and encouraged teachers' development of a personal understanding of educational issues. A group of teachers in one school established the Project To Enhance Effective Learning (PEEL) as an approach to encourage more…

University and school-based members of the League of Professional Schools, a collaborative formed to support school renewal, engage in disciplined inquiry on the effects of this school/university collaborative on life in member schools. Essentially, the League conducts action research on action research. The League and its definition of schoolwide…

This study examines teacher collaboration as an evolving service option for special needs students, and investigated the effects of teacher collaboration through the use of action research. The study compared student performance indicators in collaborative and noncollaborative structures and evaluated the validity of variables selected for…

Use of ethnographic methods to assess learning and staff development needs for workplace adult education programs is discussed, focusing on the teacher's role as ethnographic researcher. Four stages of ethnographic research are identified: (1) open-ended, inductive study; (2) structured observation; (3) analysis; and (4) speculation and sharing of…

This book examines the role of the professional practitioner-researcher and the relationship between practice, practical knowledge, and theory. It is divided into five parts. The three chapters of Part 1 review the emerging role of the practitioner-researcher, the education of professionals in light of the theory-practice relationship, and…

This book is designed to provide knowledge about educational research and to help graduate students in education organize and conduct their own research. No prior familiarity with the principles, procedures, or terminology of educational research is required. Chapters are: (1) "Educational Research: Its Nature and Rules of Operation"; (2) "Types…

Several methods by which teachers are able to make a useful assessment of their own instruction and prescribe improvements for their own teaching are described. The literature on these evaluation methods is also reviewed. These methods include: reflective evaluation, an important part of the new approach to teacher self-evaluation; action research…

As a student teacher who had just finished her teaching assignment at Old Dominion Middle School in central Virginia, the author was struck by differences in students' classroom and hallway behavior. Whereas students were calm and respectful inside classrooms, they pushed, cursed, and ran in hallways while teachers looked on. Wondering why…

This 2-year qualitative action research project focused on improving the experiences within several sections of an advanced methods course in an undergraduate elementary teacher preparation program. The course stressed preservice teachers' developing conceptions of curriculum and of their roles in defining the nature of the curricula they will…

An action research project stresses the need to incorporate various methods of teaching to develop a firm reading foundation. Self-esteem also plays a crucial role in developing enthusiasm to learn. The targeted population consisted of first and second grade students in clustered classrooms in a growing, middle class community located in central…