According to information from a 1994 conference that explored the work of teachers conducting inquiry, the purposes of teacher-led inquiry are to improve teaching and learning and to inform and transform the work of schooling. Implications of teacher-led inquiry for the education of teachers are examined. (SM)

Reviews four influential books on action research that highlight the self-reflective process of examining contradictions in personal beliefs to improve practice, noting that personal beliefs and experiences underlie action research, and those conducting the research live it as they consider whether the ideals match with their actions. (SM)

Critical and creative thinking lessons were designed and presented to 20 biology students in a rural high school. Student attitudes toward critical thinking activities improved significantly after activities involving experimentation, discrepant events, student questioning, ethical dilemmas, and divergent and critical thinking. Includes examples…

Seven noted researchers each describe a different orientation to research exemplified in their own studies and currently predominant in the teaching of English to speakers of other languages. The statements consider aspects of language behavior, frameworks for interpreting curricula or culture such as classroom interaction or ethnography, or…

Identifies assumptions about teachers' work and working conditions evident in action research, examining patterns in the parameters of work and workplace issues and analyzing research and various projects from the 1970s and 1980s. Aspects of feminist theory are used to address tensions and contradictions in teachers' practice of action research.…

Reports on 18 months of action research that examined the effectiveness of using the history of science to promote British students' understanding of the nature of science. Both quantitative and interview data offer substantial evidence of a strategic movement away from serendipitous empiricism and toward an appreciation of the interactive nature…

Two classroom research studies with third graders examined the effects of collaborative test-taking on student mathematics retention. Findings from the first study indicated that collaborative testing promoted retention, but results of the second study contradicted the initial findings. Possible explanations for the differences included student…

Describes an intervention in which an elementary principal taught math to a group of four underachieving third-grade students in the classroom. Discusses the principal's influence on the entire class, as well as on the low achievers. The target students' achievement improved negligibly, but their behavior and work habits improved noticeably, and…

Describes the concept of collaborative action research. Contributes to the current inquiry regarding the use of portfolios, with specific attention to their use in third-grade settings. Highlights the advantages of collaborative research among educators. (HB)

Describes a survey of faculty and administrators at Miami-Dade Community College who successfully completed a staff development course on classroom feedback/research techniques. Finds classroom research emphasizing the assessment of teaching over student achievement and learning skills; and reports a positive use of feedback results in planning…

Discusses the rationale and purposes of school-university collaboration and describes an Indiana University program working with school districts to identify, select, and prepare aspiring school leaders. Advises schools of education to reorient their mission, engage in new lines of inquiry, reorganize the faculty. realign resources, and redesign…

Presents six assumptions underlying action research, or research by classroom teachers. Contends that teachers can conduct legitimate and useful research if it is qualitative or interpretative not quantitative. Concludes that art education and art educational professionals have much to gain by engaging in action research. (CFR)

This response to Rule et al. (EC 620 843) concerning translating research on naturalistic instruction into early-intervention practice with young children with disabilities raises concerns about treatment fidelity in such research studies, and notes the existence of pioneering models for studying treatment fidelity. (DB)

This response to Rule et al. (EC 620 843) concerning translating research on naturalistic instruction into early intervention practice with young children with disabilities questions whether the main features of naturalistic instruction are often fully implemented, and suggests that following the suggested guidelines might lead to actually…

Examines the extent and nature of Year 10 students' model-based reasoning in a laboratory investigation that considered the influence of six factors on electrical resistance. Finds that spontaneous use of the electron-drift model of metals in explanations increased over the duration of the task, but the explanations were restricted to mainly…