A pilot study involving 90 percent of the parents of 200 seventh graders attending two junior high schools evaluated the effectiveness of active versus passive methods of obtaining parental consent. Passive consent can provide a viable alternative to active consent when supplemented by appropriate backup and privacy safeguards. (TJH)

Describes research project being implemented in the United Kingdom that has been developed to examine the process of change in secondary school students' conceptual understandings in the physical sciences. Models of conceptual change are described, the role of computer based activities in promoting conceptual change is discussed, and software…

Recommends that students conduct ethnographic studies of language in their own communities. Emphasizes that the focus ought to be conventions of speaking and writing, as well as conventions that govern the conduct, the "texts," of a culture. (RAE)

The duplex design is proposed for educational assessment within a state school system. For individual students, scaled proficiency measures that are suitable for guidance and certification at various levels of attainment are provided. For classrooms or larger units, the design can supply group level measures for evaluation and research. (SLD)

Describes a collaborative qualitative evaluation of a school-based curriculum project in an Australian elementary school that combined ethnographic, illuminative, and naturalistic methods. Examines the political processes that facilitated and impeded the evaluation process. (FMW)

The good news is Strange's propositions offer a sharper focus to researchers of student development. The bad news is that the propositions imply a need to reconsider the ways researchers regard student change and the designs adopted to study it. Revisions in each area will challenge researchers' conceptual and methodological predictors. (BF)

Introduces this special issue and presents a variety of clinical, research, interview, classroom, observation, assessment, and survey techniques. These techniques are intended to improve children's lives. Notes that some of the articles provide theoretical support for the techniques suggested and used, some describe programmatic models, and some…

This study reviewed 113 research articles involving 299 subjects and a corresponding sample of 299 adaptive skill programs implemented in state-funded residential facilities for adults with developmental disabilities. Statistical analysis revealed significant differences between researchers and clinicians in adaptive and maladaptive behavior…

Focuses on the disadvantages of working teachers engaged in research. Seven sources of informal and three sources of formal information are listed. Teacher/researchers are unfamiliar with how research information is disseminated. Through networking and learning the library, they can access the same kind of data available to professional…

This study investigated the usefulness of a telephone-based intervention in circumventing participant biases in school-based tobacco use prevention programs. Researchers attempted to conduct telephone interventions with ninth graders and found it difficult to reach a large portion of targeted individuals. Results provided data on which adolescents…

Presents a meta-analysis of research concerning the effectiveness of learner control in tutorial computer-assisted instruction based on a model of control as decision making plus information. Results are discussed which suggest that instructional design in learner control research should be based on model building rather than hypothesis testing.…

Paper explores the idea of biography writing as a medium for teacher development and reflection, focusing on the ethnographic biography to provide student teachers with context in preservice education and describing a one-semester course in Switzerland in which student teachers were paired with experienced teachers to complete ethnographic…

Describes three methods for research on the second-language writing assessment process and the kinds of questions these methods can answer. Methods include direct observation, ethnographic observation, and studies of the relations between ratings and objective measures of various textual characteristics. (JL)

Describes a teaching partnership between a librarian and a faculty member at Arizona State University West that uses contemporary learning and composition theory to integrate research and writing in an American Studies course. Topics include teaching critical thinking skills, the influence of social constructionists, and research goals. (LRW)

Reflects on one person's efforts to develop a collaborative action research methodology for evaluating professional development. Focuses on the development of an inside methodology for teachers. Sets out a range of issues and identifies some tentative principles of procedure. (CFR)