This volume contains essays related to various aspects of higher education, focusing on both educational theory and research. The chapters are: (1) "Apologia pro Vita Mia" (Robert Berdahl); (2) "Varieties of Validity: Quality in Qualitative Research" (Yvonna S. Lincoln); (3) "Academic Freedom and Federal Courts in the 1990s: The Legitimation of…

Many school systems are facing mandated, systemic change, through the imposition of standards-based reform. Ontario (Canada) is no different than many other jurisdictions. Mandated, systemic change has impacted teaching and learning in Ontario classrooms. The issue of boys' underachievement in literacy appears to resurface whenever student…

A study explored the school experiences of aboriginal female students (n=5) at Jen-Te Junior College of Medical Nursing and Management School in Miao-Li, Taiwan. The following research questions were addressed: (1) do aboriginal girls feel that their culture and background influences their schooling experiences? (2) what problems do aboriginal…

Researchers noted that introducing technology within a course specific framework, such as a methods class, often results in preservice teachers increasing their computer competency and confidence in using technology and can greatly influence the adoption of technology as part of instructional experiences. To determine if these constructs were…

This paper explores a range of attitudes about bilingual/bicultural learners in a secondary school context. It presents findings of a qualitative case study of the role of the classroom context in constraining or enabling English Language Learners' (ELLs') academic success. Interviews were conducted with mainstream teachers in English, Social…

A qualitative, interpretive case study utilized ethnographic techniques to discover what happens, and what preservice teachers think about what happens, within a credited community service learning component for a multicultural education course. Subjects were 24 preservice teachers studied as one case. Three roles and perspectives that emerged…

This qualitative study used an ecological approach to explore teacher education students' experiences in elementary learning environments and the meaning placed upon those experiences by the students. Participating in the study were 24 university students in their first quarter of a field-based teacher preparation program. Data were obtained from…

In 1993 in Australia, a 7-year qualitative, longitudinal study called the 12 to 18 Project was begun to study young people and the development of their gendered identity, as well as schooling's contribution to social inequalities. This paper considers in what sense "class" is a useful concept in pursuing the questions the study started…

This is the final report of a 2-year qualitative study of 3 elementary schools implementing the Success for All (SFA) program. Success for All is a research-based reform model that organizes resources to focus on prevention and early intervention to ensure that students succeed in reading throughout the elementary grades. Data were gathered in 61…

This paper asserts that through foundations courses in teacher education programs, all preservice teachers, not only social studies teachers, should come to understand the concept of cultural influence through an examination of the philosophical, ideological, and historical past. This paper examines the subject-matter content, authentic assessment…

This study explored how adult students define success in college and their perceptions of factors that either support or hinder achievement of this success. Thirteen returning adult students at two institutions were interviewed using a grounded theory approach. Data were analyzed inductively and iteratively to identify persistent themes. Students…

This study focuses on the effectiveness and advantages of using an explicit phonics based reading program in kindergarten through second grade. The methods of decoding words that teachers introduce to the beginning readers must prove to be effective in introducing and building reading skills. Most recent studies have revisited and concurred with…

This paper reports on a small-scale, recently completed qualitative project conducted in the United Kingdom that focuses on links between refugee families and the schools their children attend. The project attempted to study the relationships between refugee parents and education professionals in order to identify factors that encourage or hinder…

In response to a survey on attitudes and practices of teachers of first-year college composition, this study notes an anomaly related to resistance (apparent unwillingness or discomfort) on the part of respondents to limit themselves to the constraints of the objective survey items. This condition was considered to produce potential problems in…

Using the theoretical framework of hermeneutics and guided by the conceptual framework of Developmentally and Culturally Appropriate Practice, two studies examined how preschool teachers perceive young children's gender differences in relation to the pedagogical considerations. Participants in Study 1 were 121 early childhood educators attending…