Results are reported from a study designed to identify and describe the implementation and adaptation of content reading methods by six beginning secondary teachers. Findings indicate contextual constraints, as a result of competing demands and little support or reward, inhibit inservice application of preservice methods. (IAH)

Explores preschool children's movement responses to music. Using naturalistic procedures Metz generates three substantive core categories regarding the nature of movement response: conditions, interactions, and outcomes. Provides seven propositions for early childhood music education. (LS)

Argues for the scientific and practical value of participatory action research (PAR) and urges that this methodology be used in the social sciences. Defines PAR and places it in the context of traditional research. Illustrates the PAR process using two case studies. Claims that PAR can contribute to the advancement of social theory. (KO)

The case study of a young male adult with moderate to severe handicapping conditions used naturalistic inquiry procedures including interviews and observations of home, community, and employment settings. Decisions had been influenced by personal and cultural values of the participants and reflected a lack of informed choices, miscommunication,…

This discussion of naturalistic interventions with young children experiencing learning and behavioral problems notes their bases in studies of competent caregivers and focuses on intervention in the child's usual environments, provision of experiences targeting functional behaviors, and caregiver skills that facilitate learning and behavior…

Strategies for social pretend play were compared for 15 preschoolers with mild disabilities and 15 nondisabled preschoolers in 3 integrated sites. Videotapes of children during free play were analyzed to determine strategies used to enter, initiate, maintain, and terminate play. Both groups initiated play without discussing roles, conducted short…

Compares activities related to maternal organization of infant attention toward mother and the environment in Japanese and American mother-child dyads. Results reveal that the two cultures have both similar activity and interaction patterns and culture-specific patterns. (Author/BB)

The "window-wall" in the San Diego State University/Cajon Valley Union School District Model Education Center provides a mechanism for linking theory to practice for preservice teachers at this professional development school. Several observation activities are described, and the value of the window-wall to school and university faculty…

Describes a two-day interdisciplinary field trip for a group of 63 ninth graders that was followed up in the classroom with related units in history, art, biology, English, and drama. Describes how the students were challenged to use nature to discover who they were, observing closely and then letting go in order to think and connect. (SR)

Discusses the need to develop the concept of user-based relevance for the benefit of users and for the meaningful development of future research in information retrieval. Characteristics of users' criteria of relevance are examined; and research methodology models are considered, including naturalistic inquiry versus scientific, or rationalistic,…

An e-mail enquiry asked 270 people to compare two styles of passages sent via attachments and to judge which was more suitable for an undergraduate textbook. Of the 152 respondents, 70 (46%) read their texts on screen and 82 (54%) first printed out their texts. Results showed this had no measurable effects upon their judgments. (AEF)

Children's early mathematical experiences play an enormous role in the development of their understanding of mathematics, and serve as a foundation for their cognitive development. In this descriptive study, we observed the naturally occurring mathematical activities engaged in by thirty-nine 3-year-olds, equally divided by race/ethnicity and…

Research has shown that self-evaluation can have positive effects on children's behavior and academic performance. Components of self-evaluation that have not been fully examined include the accuracy and sensitivity of students' ratings before and after training, as well as the effects of accuracy training on performance. Four students exhibiting…

A student's behavioral performance within the classroom is influenced, in large part, by the interaction that student has with the learning environment and the people in that environment. Identifying antecedent variables that effect student performance enables practitioners to set the stage for prosocial behavior and academic learning. One…

In order to explore parental involvement among low-income families, a case study was conducted at a public elementary school in the Pacific Northwest. In 2002, a new school replaced an outdated structure. During the planning stage for the new school, community members and agency professionals, along with educators, developed and implemented…