This action research project was conducted in a 2nd-grade classroom in the Midwest to determine the effects of technology on responses to texts. Six texts, representing a variety of rending levels, were selected for the children to read. Children in the control group read and did research from printed texts, and children in the treatment group…

Although research identifies a plethora of evidence-based instructional practices, classroom teachers find research difficult to access, often not implemented due to perceived lack of relevance to classroom practice. Bridging this gap between research and practice requires continued and mediated support as teachers translate and contextualize…

This research developed from the recognition that work-based placement briefing and debriefing sessions need to encourage reflection and student self-directed learning. An action research methodology was used to obtain students views of the value of briefing and debriefing sessions. Changes to session format were introduced and then in response to…

Purpose: The purpose of this action research presentation is to invite discourse on the intersection of race, gender and instructional decisions in the classrooms of student teachers. The purpose of this study is to also examine the thoughts of a university supervisor during clinical observation with respect to her positionality as a woman of…

The study conducted included four school districts that were addressing New York State Chapter 405 citations related to disproportionality. The purpose of this study was to identify the districts' common characteristics related to disproportionality, as well as common approaches and processes used to address the issue. An action research,…

This paper focuses on the difficulties of assessing multi-year team projects, in which a team of students drawn from all three years of a full-time degree course works on a problem with and for a real-life organization. Although potential solutions to the problem of assessing team projects may be context-dependent, we believe that discussing these…

A study investigated the effectiveness of a method for improving the writing skills and attitude through increased writing experiences. The targeted population consisted of second-, third-, and fourth-grade students in two adjacent, stable, middle-class suburban communities northwest of Chicago, Illinois. The lack of skills and motivation of…

This paper offers suggestions on how individual faculty can apply Total Quality Management (TQM) practices to their teaching. In particular the paper describes the experiences and lessons learned by two business school faculty members who took to heart the "Galvin Challenge," Bob Galvin's challenge to professors at the Xerox Quality…

This packet includes reprints of journal articles and other information exploring reflective practice and action research among rural educators. The four sections of the packet cover concepts of reflective practice and action research; examples of reflective practice at both the elementary and secondary levels; issues such as encouraging…

This paper presents findings from an action-research study of 12 New Zealand primary school principals working in partnership to develop their professional leadership. Since 1989, New Zealand schools have undergone extensive administrative reforms, resulting in increasing isolation among school leaders and a cult of managerialism. The…

This paper examines the problems of centralized academic-indicator systems in light of the move toward site-based management. Problems with current practice are examined in the framework of critical inquiry. Alternatives to current accountability guidelines are presented that harmonize positivism with critical inquiry, while respecting both local…

This book applies the foundational elements of the model for teaching and learning called Dimensions of Learning (DoL) to administrative practice. It explores the process of observation for DoL in a comprehensive way. Chapter 2 provides an overview of the key structural elements and group processes that should be in evidence in a school system…

This paper is a preliminary look at a study on research by teachers. Participants were teachers in Melbourne, Australia, involved in the Project for Enhancing Effective Learning (PEEL) who were interested in designing, conducting, and reporting teacher-led research. Section 1 of the paper explores the last 10 years of teacher research as part of…

This book presents case-study findings of five school systems' efforts to become true learning communities through action research into the school-renewal process. The programs were located in the Southeast, Midwest, Far West, and an overseas region of the Department of Defense Dependents Schools. The programs shared three characteristics: a focus…

The movement toward school-based management (SBM) has promoted the need for self-imposed accountability. This book provides specific examples of strategies that schools have used to successfully implement SBM and to enhance their accountability functions. Chapter 1 provides the rationale for undertaking accountability measures, and the second…