The Master's Program in Counseling and Human Relations at Northern Arizona University is a broad-based professional preparation degree that attracts students from a variety of areas, including nursing, social services, psychology, criminal justice, and education. The program provides advanced preparation in facilitation of learning, understanding…

A study examined how a teacher, researcher, and students moved beyond literal, lower-level thinking and response activities and engaged in literature study that promoted meaningful discussions and deeper-level responses and understandings. The study combined two research paradigms, action and interpretative research. The classroom teacher and…

An action research project described a program for improving reading readiness and language arts skills through phonemic awareness. The targeted population consisted of kindergarten students in a heterogeneous mix of upper middle class, middle class, working class, and low income families located in central Illinois. Data revealed that students…

This report describes a program for intensifying student motivation to increase their weekly instrumental practice time. The targeted population was second and third-year instrumental music students in grades 5-6. The students were drawn from two different elementary schools within the same district in an upper-middle class community adjacent to a…

This research project studied the effects of using poetry to build community in a diverse third grade classroom. Eight poetry activities were taught twice a week for 6 weeks to a class of 23 students. More than half of the students who took part in this study were English Language Learners and several students had special needs. Poetry brought…

This action research describes a program for improving writing skills. The targeted population consisted of first and third graders in two middle class communities in the southern suburbs of Chicago. The need for improvement in writing skills was documented through observation checklists, writing samples, and surveys. Data revealed a need for…

This action research project developed a program for improving the social proficiency of art and music students through the use of specifically taught positive social skills. The targeted population consisted of fifth-grade students from two different elementary school districts. Both schools were located in middle class suburban communities near…

Reading skills in a Midwestern suburban school are poorly developed. Evidence of the problem includes test scores, students' inability to read directions in text as reported by the teachers of the school, and oral reading performances by the students. This action research study describes methods for increasing active strategic reading as an…

Noting the need for research to support and inform early childhood classroom practices, this paper describes action research and presents examples of studies prepared by preservice teachers or by certified teachers pursuing master's degrees in education. Action research, aligned with regularly used assessment strategies, is a method whereby…

This symposium on research issues in human resource development (HRD) consists of three presentations. "The Influence of Theories of Action on Action Research Initiatives: One Dying Division's Case" (Linda Neavel Dickens) reports an interpretive case study to illuminate how individual, team, and organizational practices and theories of…

An action research project was conducted in a fourth-grade classroom (21 students) to determine whether collaboratively created rubrics and authentic assessment strategies such as simulations, portfolios, and models are valid, authentic, and equitable measurement tools that will raise a student's self-esteem through the assessment process. An…

This chapter reports on a study--referred to as the reflection study--took place within the department of foreign languages at the University of Toledo. The study sought to engage in a collaborative action research project with volunteer graduate teaching assistants. The students were to select an aspect of their teaching, determine goals in…

This research intended to describe interventions to enhance students' motivation to read for enjoyment. Students' personal reasons for reading may include curiosity, social involvements, emotional satisfaction and/or necessity. Other reasons for reading may include: sustained involvement; challenge; compliance; recognition; competition; and work…

This action research project evaluated a program designed to increase the use of appropriate social skills and improve academic achievement. The targeted population was comprised of first through third graders in four separate communities located in northeast Illinois. Evidence of the problem included teacher observational checklists denoting…

This action research study, carried out by two university professors in a Texas teacher education institution, examined the beliefs and self-images of preservice teachers as they related to writing and the teaching of writing. It also examined what course elements and activities could contribute to the development of positive attitudes and beliefs…