Presents action research in the classroom that involves a semantic feature analysis task to help students develop reasoning skills. (YDS)

Describes a reform effort for the undergraduate curriculum utilizing action-based research teams that developed, implemented, and assessed constructivist approaches to teaching undergraduate science content. Results indicate that the collaborative action-based research process was effective in contributing to the reform of undergraduate teaching.…

Practice-based research projects that expose some of the inherent tensions in action research are described. Two projects focused on curriculum implementation, and one investigated the nature of and influences on school-based curriculum decision-making. (IAH)

Excerpts from an interview with teachers of a graduate program called the Classroom Research Study Group disclose details of the two-semester, four-course program focusing on the teacher as researcher. Program activities seek to develop teacher skills in identifying research questions, gathering data, and writing about the studies. (IAH)

Reacts to Frederick Burton's response (same issue) to her article on teachers as researchers. Emphasizes the value of collaborative research projects, the need for teacher researchers not to imitate the work of traditional researchers, and the use of local forums to give teacher researchers recognition. (RS)

A British action research project developed and tested a three-step model for teaching critical thinking in nursing education: (1) specific sessions on critical thinking; (2) problem-solving teaching strategies; and (3) regular tutorials to monitor progress. Combining a problem-solving approach to lesson planning with tutorials can bring about…

A former classroom teacher studied the role of action research in restructuring schools. The article discusses the background information she collected on reasons for conducting action research (personal/professional growth, improved practice, advancing the profession, contributing to the professional literature, promoting collaboration, and…

Describes an action research project studying a process to improve communication about managerial performance in a (Scottish) college of further education. The project comprised training, implementation, and evaluation phases. Responses during evaluation and training phases suggest that the most appropriate role for the observer-appraiser is…

Describes an action research project that integrated the telecommunications activities of the National Geographic Kids Network into the science curriculum in a fourth grade classroom. (Author/MKR)

For minority groups disproportionately affected by AIDS, participatory action research provides a model for collaboration between health workers and communities to identify barriers to prevention unique to the community and to facilitate participation in the design and delivery of interventions. (SK)

A recent action research experiment comparing individualistic and cooperative learning results in two seventh grade classrooms found that retention scores slightly favored the cooperative learning method. Questions arose concerning grade-sharing, relative difficulty of subject matter and multiple-choice questions, and student attitudes about the…

Differing in purpose, emphasis, and results, three types of action research (individual teacher research, collaborative action research, and schoolwide action research) allow educators to investigate areas of concern and meet classroom and school challenges. Faculty should consider five elements: purpose and process; support provided by outside…

Describes projects of the School of Social Work at Central America University, Nicaragua: (1) development of a postgraduate course for professionals; (2) discovery learning and participatory action research in a fishing village; and (3) application of participatory approaches to rural development. (SK)

The Clinical Learning Spiral incorporates reflective processes into undergraduate nursing education. It entails successive cycles of four phases: preparative (briefing, planning), constructive (practice development), reflective (debriefing), and reconstructive (planning for change and commitment to action). (SK)

A middle school teacher reflects on her year-long experience of applying the Foxfire approach to a language arts class, on student successes and disappointments, and on the difficulties of carrying out meaningful research on this process. Student comments are included. (SV)