Responds in an ongoing dialogue with Peter Gronn about the need for self-critical inquirers who emphasize openness and skepticism in research methods and ideas. (MLF)

Three observers evaluated the responses to sound with 21 mild to severely handicapped children (7 months to 10 years old) on Behavioural Observation Audiometry, an alternative to conditioning paradigms in audiometric assessment. Results showed that inter-observer agreement was high and that responsitivity was not affected by stimulus presentation…

Author responds to critique by Daniel Griffiths (Educational Administration Quarterly v. 19, p. 201-21) by defending his work in three areas: derivation of hypotheses, testing of hypotheses, and erroneous attribution of assumptions. (JW)

Suggests a framework for structured observation using a psychosocial approach to describe work styles, differences in performance, and outcomes of behavior patterns. (JW)

Relationships between seating position, length of acquaintance between subjects, observer bias toward the experimental outcome, and interaction rates are examined in a field study. Subjects with greatest visual centrality spoke most often. Length of acquaintance between subjects was unrelated to interaction rates. (Author/DEP)

Does one sex explore more than the other? Is one sex more curious than the other? That's a tough question to answer definitively. We know that we explore in varying degrees. Whether sociological or biological, good or bad, this investigation attempts to determine if there are substantive differences in acting upon inquisitiveness between genders.…

Chapters in this volume provide an introduction to qualitative research in higher education, organizing the discussion around four central themes. Part 1, Situating Ourselves and Our Inquiry, contains: (1) Objectivity in Educational Research (Elliot Eisner); (2) Truth in Trouble (Kenneth Gergen); (3) Beyond Translation: Truth and Rigoberta Menchu…

Discusses the differences in the techniques of gathering materials and in the writing styles of sportswriters and sports feature writers. (TO)

An evaluation of a technique for minimizing subject-observer interaction is presented. The data show that nine children with school-adjustment problems looked less frequently at observers wearing sunglasses than at observers without sunglasses. (Authors)

The authors report on their attempt "to design and try out objective checklists upon which an observer/rater can note specific teaching behaviors in the classroom" and on a study utilizing such a checklist for noting teacher's contingency management behaviors in grade school classrooms." (Author/LS)

In this paper the conceptual foundation of recent work in classroom observational research will be considered in terms of its stage of development as a science with particular emphasis on the implications of this for classroom research. (Author)