An important element of doctoral studies is identification with the academic community. Such identification is often complicated by part-time student status. In this paper, two part-time doctoral students and their supervisor employ Lave and Wenger's concept of legitimate peripheral participation to explore, through a critical socio-cultural lens,…

Purpose: The International Tennis Federation recently launched a worldwide campaign advocating the use of equipment scaling for children learning to play tennis. The aim of this study was to investigate the influence that varying racquet sizes and ball compressions had on children's ability to play a forehand groundstroke. Method: This was a…

The article presents our response to some ideas presented by David Kirk in his 2012 Scholar Lecture to the Physical Education and Sport Pedagogy Special Interest Group of the British Educational Research Association Annual Conference in September 2012. We seek to present an alternate view to one aspect of Kirk's argument which supports a view…

Extracted from a larger study of the educational evaluation profession, this qualitative analysis explores how evaluator identity is shaped with constant reference to political economy, knowledge work, and personal history. Interviews with 24 social scientists who conduct or have conducted evaluations as a major part of their careers examined how…

This article describes the discovery of action research by a "conscious incompetent" in higher education. The influences on the development of an action researcher's individual philosophy are discussed. These shape a specific investigation into the implementation of international staff exchange in a post-1992 UK university from the…

While it is widely believed that relevant research is needed for educational policy and practice, an important issue is whether policy-makers and implementers are really receptive to such research. This study sets out a conceptual framework relating to the issue in low-income countries, encompassing the cast of characters involved, contemporary…

Universities in Australia are becoming increasingly concerned with their reputation as "engaged" institutions. Yet there is significant confusion about what this idea of "engagement" means and no clear way of measuring or reporting it. In part, this is because of the nature of engagement itself which is dependent on local…

This paper demonstrates the importance and implications of Hannah Arendt's theory of action for action research. Using examples from my teaching experience I demonstrate the relevance of her ideas in understanding the purpose and aims of action research in the classroom.

This study examines why and how science and social science faculty at predominantly undergraduate colleges engage in undergraduate research (UR) while successfully attending to their scholarly and professional responsibilities. Given the increase in attention to UR as an innovative practice enhancing undergraduate education, most studies have…

The purpose of the "Bringing Theory to Practice" May 15th seminar was to examine and explore a wide range of faculty rewards (including promotion criteria, awards, faculty development support, and policies at various levels) that provide incentives and recognition to faculty for undertaking community-engaged scholarship (CES). The…

This research method case study provides an account of my qualitative dissertation research project from start to finish. In this account, I take the reader inside some of the hurdles that arose in the course of the inquiry, as well as describe my unique positionality and 'insider perspective'. The case also sheds light on some particular…

Students new to doing qualitative research in the ethnographic and oral traditions, often have difficulty creating successful interview protocols. This article offers practical suggestions for students new to qualitative research for both writing interview protocol that elicit useful data and for conducting the interview. This piece was originally…

Ralph LaRossa's (2012) thoughtful piece suggested that qualitative researchers' self-awareness (and clear articulation) of their conceptual and empirical goals can help their manuscripts in many ways, including during the review process. If authors self-consciously embrace particular orientations, then it will be easier for reviewers to evaluate…

Dr. Judy Lupart has had a distinguished career as a researcher, teacher, and leader in the field of education, and some of her most important work has stemmed from her creation of and continuing involvement in "Exceptionality Education Canada." Two articles she wrote for the journal, one in 1992 and one in 2002, are of particular note.…

For adults, ownership is nonobvious: (a) determining ownership depends more on an object's history than on perceptual cues, and (b) ownership confers special value on an object ("endowment effect"). This study examined these concepts in preschoolers (2.0-4.4) and adults (n = 112). Participants saw toy sets in which 1 toy was designated as the…