This preliminary study developed and verified focus group questions to be used to investigate the impact of school restructuring on students with disabilities. Validated the appropriateness of case-study methodology as a model for studying the impact of restructuring and identified major issues and study questions accompanying restructuring. (RJM)

Reports on a study that compared the behavior of two types of users (search specialists and subject matter specialists with no search experience) with two types of online information retrieval interfaces, including DIALOG. Highlights include data recording via transaction logs, structured interviews, and focus group discussions; and hypothesis…

Used focus group interviews to identify major sources of stress and coping resources of grade 10 students (n=23). Relationships with parents and family, work, and lack of money were found to be important sources of stress. Major coping responses included substance use and diversionary activities. Examined differences between academic streams in…

Conducted four focus group interviews with parents of high school students. Results indicated low levels of awareness of extent of teenage drinking; low levels of parental control over teenage drinking; feelings of detachment from other parents; considerable receptivity to receiving training in substance abuse issues; and feelings of resistance to…

Explores the role of communication in the strategic self-definition of "whiteness." Uses transcripts from two focus group interviews (with Whites from two historically Black universities) to map the discourses of "White" participants concerning the nature of "whiteness." Implies that the space Whites occupy is not clearly constructed and defined…

Describes the evolution of a partnership model to be applied to the teaching and learning process in a university setting. Surveys and focus groups of faculty and students were used to gain insight into teaching/learning processes; clips from the focus groups were then used to stimulate discussion in student and faculty workshops. Themes emerging…

Identifies a fall 1994 cohort group of students transferring from Colorado's 15 community colleges to Colorado State University. Within this cohort, two groups were formed based on their earned grade point average. Focus group discussions regarding the transfer experience were transcribed and qualitatively coded. Implications for practice include…

Describes focus groups held with 26 community college students to help develop survey questions for determining the social integration of nontraditional students. Indicates that three themes emerged: peer support, merging of social and academic integration in the classroom, and faculty facilitation of peer support groups. (19 citations) (BCY)

Female mathematics and physics graduate students participating in focus groups identified common themes that played important roles in their decisions to go into scientific careers. These factors included the amount of encouragement they received from others, attributes of their undergraduate school, their experiences of competition and…

Presents an evaluation of reference services at the University of Arizona Libraries that used a combination of surveys, focus groups, and unobtrusive observation worksheets with a small sample of students. It was found that, overall, students were very pleased with the reference desk. Needs for improvement and plans for action are summarized.…

Discusses outcomes focused assessments of library research instruction using pretests and posttests, attitude and usage surveys, and focus groups at The Citadel library. Suggests that assessment results influence library instruction content, staffing, collection development, and collaboration with other faculty and academic departments.…

Explores the social-contextual nature of parents' perceptions of nursery education, using the ecological systems theory, in three nursery classes attached to primary schools. Reports that "working-class" parents were better able than "middle-class" parents to articulate their views on both nursery education and their children's…

Purpose: This study explored the challenges in providing end-of-life care to low-income elders with multiple comorbid chronic conditions in a fully "integrated" managed care program, and it highlighted essential recommendations. Design and Methods: A case-study design was used that involved an extensive analysis of qualitative data from five focus…

In the spring of 2002 the Ontario College of Teachers began a research project in order to foster awareness of the "Standards of Practice" for the 187 000 teachers in the province. Case work, in which 18 teachers representative of the College's membership wrote narratives describing their professional dilemmas, was the methodology…

The present study, through the use of focus groups, identified the academic activities and support services perceived by engineering students as having a positive impact on their academic performance. The results suggest three primary factors: (a) individual effort and involvement, (b) peer interaction, and (c) faculty contact. Differences in…