Approximately 35 literacy practitioners in Pennsylvania were trained and mentored in action research from July 1995-June 1996. The project used two models of delivery. With a team of five trainers/mentors, the urban model was developed in the Pittsburgh and Erie western region and an outreach model was used in the northern, northeastern, and…

This conference paper describes an assessment model used by the graduate degree program at St. Mary College (Kansas). The degree program provides a cross-specialization in education, management, and psychology. Qualitative/Action Research for Authentic Assessment is a method for assessing students at completion of degree which provides an…

The purpose of skills-training needs-assessment is to identify what type of skills and knowledge are needed to support economic strategies and, as a result, improve organizational decisionmaking related to training investments and general work force development. This paper presents findings of 11 skills-retraining, needs-assessment,…

A new paradigm for evaluating school restructuring that is based on the teacher-as-researcher concept, or action research, is presented in this paper. The first section compares the traditional and new evaluation paradigms. The old model is competitive, one-dimensional, reactive, and based on external change agents; it appeals to fear and views…

This action research project involved the implementation and evaluation of a program for increased parental involvement at an elementary school in western Illinois. Evidence for the lack of parental involvement included declining membership in the Parent-Teacher Organization, elimination of the computer lab, limited library hours due to lack of…

This paper focuses on nine inservice elementary teachers who received training in the Youth Empowerment and Self-Sufficiency (YESS)!/Mini-Society program at the beginning of the 1996-97 school year. The purpose of the project was to explore these teachers' impressions of the program before and after program implementation. All subjects…

This study reports on a high school teacher using emancipatory action research to implement cooperative learning strategies in a chemistry class. Data were collected and analyzed using qualitative methods. The findings of the study indicate: (1) students accept cooperative learning if they feel it can increase their ability to learn content; (2)…

This paper describes a program for instilling spelling strategies to increase spelling transfer across the curriculum. The targeted population consisted of first and second grade students in two middle-class communities located in the western suburbs of a large metropolitan area. The problems of students lacking spelling strategies and their…

One promising avenue for increasing the utilization of institutional research data is the informal action research model. While formal action research stresses the involvement of researchers throughout the decision-making process, the informal model stresses participation in the later stages of decision making. Informal action research requires…

This paper focuses on critically analyzing both the potential and the problems of practitioner action research as a means of genuine professional development for classroom teachers today. Action research is a process of systematic inquiry and of knowledge, skill, and attitude growth in which classroom teachers on either an individual or…

Most agree, in general, that educational research benefits American schools. However, the specific relationship between research and application remain poorly cultivated, and too little educational research is actually utilized by classroom teachers. This paper selectively reviews the intricate association between educational researchers and…

The paper defines action research and what conception of theory might best contribute to its development. Action research is a continuous conscious attempt to seek increased meaning and direction in a teacher's relationship with students. Practical inquiry of teachers with their students is a form of educational research. A Masters Degree Program…

The status of action-research is measured in this paper. First, the political character of action-research is identified. Then, the degree to which differing versions of its character may be said to be political is examined. Argument is for the creation of a balance between the institution and the individual in collaborative activity. Examined…

The theory of action research is discussed in terms of how second-order action research can help theorists to clarify and deepen their understanding of action research. After a brief introduction, the paper examines methodological criteria governing a piece of action research conducted at an action research training workshop sponsored by the…

Eleven training centers for practical agricultural education in the Netherlands provide practical courses for all levels of students or trainees. A sample of 29 experienced instructors was selected at random from the centers to participate in the research project designed to identify the didactical qualities of the instructors and to develop an…