A qualitative study, using focus groups of Latino parents living in a rural Southeastern U.S. community, was conducted to explore the experiences of elementary-school-aged Latino children. Using the consensual qualitative research method to analyze participants' responses, this study identified four general themes that impact Latino children in…

This investigation focuses on the literacy practices of a young Dominican immigrant woman attending a high school in the United States. Drawing from multiple bodies of research and the qualitative research genre of portraiture, the author relies on ethnographic classroom observations and interviews during one and a half years to provide a nuanced…

While research on online MBA courses is growing rapidly, teaching specific skills using online delivery formats is a relatively new stream of research in graduate business education. In this study, adult learning methods such as experiential activities, discussion, teamwork, and action learning were used in a seven-week online MBA course to…

During the early 1980s, a number of commissions and special reports stated that education as it existed in the United States was in need of significant reform. The recommendations from these reports began to support "school effectiveness" research. Researchers charge that the basis for judging school effectiveness--student performance on…

This document describes research which investigated the effectiveness of the Cities in Schools (CIS) hypermedia training course for senior executives of that national dropout prevention program. The study employed a hybrid methodology of qualitative techniques and computer tracking tools, in order to provide a complete picture of how the…

Most libraries involved to any extent with total quality management (TQM) realize that successfully gathering information from their customers is the key to improving services. To do this libraries must employ a variety of methodologies, both quantitative and qualitative research. Quantitative primary data is usually collected in libraries by…

This interpretive study of a 22-year-old male student teacher in an elementary setting examines how he dealt with the contradictions inherent in the role of "student teacher" by making tacit "treaties" with the cooperating teacher. Data were collected through interviews and observations. Field notes taken during the 5th through…

A study examines qualitatively the extent to which college students indicate that cocurricular theater activities impact on psychodynamic development in J. Katz's five areas--separation anxiety, peer influence, adult role models, personality development, and occupational choice. Subjects, 15 male and 15 female students involved in the theater…

This paper focuses on the role that job analysis plays under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The most obvious use of job analysis data is in defining the essential functions of each job. The job analysis technique used should: list the functions of the job, define which functions are essential rather than marginal, and offer proof of…

In seeking ways to address racial problems on college campuses this study applied a hermeneutical approach to social relations which acknowledges the centrality of actors' perspectives in the creation of social reality. In this model, based on the hermeneutical theory of Hans-George Gadamer, conflict has neither a negative or positive influence on…

The usefulness of authentic assessments as formative tools for teachers is well documented and supported. However, when educational institutions use these assessments as summative tools for evaluating programs and meeting accountability needs, several problems emerge. One set of problems relates to the difficulty of fitting authentic assessments…

Using findings from qualitative research with teachers in one urban, public high school, the study argues that teachers need to be teacher centered in order to change their practices and work toward improvement for the benefit of themselves and their students. Teachers (N=9) in this study recognized that, in order to do their best for students,…

This pilot study examined attitudes toward play and how play is facilitated among early childhood teachers, administrators, and college educators. Classroom observations, interviews, and questionnaires were used to identify attitudes toward the value and relevance of play for early childhood development and education, respondents' knowledge base…

Using a symbolic interactionism theoretical perspective, this project examined the merits of team collaborative action research as a tool in comprehensive staff development for middle- grade teachers. The specific question examined during the action research was how inclusion of special needs students affects the academic and social achievement of…

A study explored the vocabulary development available in a variety of current preschoolers' television shows. A quantitative analysis of seven programs on two networks (PBS and Nickelodeon) was undertaken over a total viewing time of 40 hours; a qualitative analysis of techniques used to present vocabulary was also documented for these shows.…