Explores the encounter between teachers and research literature, examines whether this encounter has any prospects, and determines the features necessary for a meaningful encounter. Illustrates that research literature is not part of the typical teacher's library and that there is a gap between the researcher's world and teacher's world. (CMK)

A case study of Queensland, Australia, elementary principals found their jobs significantly affected by school-based management. Principals are expected to lead their communities through the change process and facilitate cultural change while responding to greater accountability demands from the system. Managerialism has eclipsed educational…

Analyzed the discourse about television programs of 1,300 5- to 13-year-olds from England and Wales. Found that discourse expressed socially responsible and public service values in evaluating programs. Explained finding in terms of children's adaptation to task requirements and ability to access different kinds of adult discourse available in the…

Conducted focus groups with 37 high school students receiving mental health services, 24 students not receiving services, 28 parents, and 47 therapists, administrators, and health care staff to gauge the quality and effectiveness of an expanded school mental health program. Identifies effective aspects of the therapy and discusses implications for…

Analyzes the educational practices that contribute to the success of a model inclusion program at the Connolly Elementary School focusing on the school culture. Identifies three components of the Connolly school culture that contributed to the success of inclusion. Suggests that a school's culture should be understood when implementing inclusion.…

Studies the life story and perceptions of literacy of a highly literate Latina female college student who developed Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. Finds that the woman's ability to write had been the foundation on which her social meanings of literacy rested: her life story revealed how her identity was influenced by societal values for writing and…

Describes approaches for evaluating the effectiveness of a school's music program. Discusses the expertise-oriented approach (relies heavily on professional judgment of committee members), objectives-oriented approach (examines curricular goals and outcomes), and naturalistic approach (uses qualitative inquiry techniques). Includes a list of…

A study investigated the experience of being a gifted student at a public residential high school by using ethnographic and phenomenological inquiry. The social system that emerged, one that the students judged as atypical, is described. Contextual factors are presented in an effort to understand the students' experience. (Contains references.)…

A 3-year qualitative study documented and critiqued a city school system's efforts to enlighten faculty and staff through multicultural professional development. Examples from the study show how the district attempted to introduce a more inclusive schooling approach and extend the virtues of multicultural professional development. (Conatains 31…

Parents (N=250) of Mexican and Puerto Rican origin and with young children with developmental delays were interviewed concerning the role of religion in their lives. Most parents viewed both church and faith as supportive. Thematic analysis revealed specific religious beliefs and practices parents viewed as supportive and the religious frameworks…

This qualitative study examined how state and local administrators, direct care providers, and parents perceive service integration under Part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and the Early Head Start program. Respondents (N=56) perceived effective service integration to include administrative structures and interpersonal…

Identifies and defines the notions of caring, community, and transcendence as antidotes to alienation, isolation, and fear--the three common experiences of students that tend to distort rather than nourish true learning. Describes the teaching styles of three college teachers working against alienation by caring for their students, forming…

A discussion of the increased use of qualitative methods in social science research looks at four emerging issues: the nature of research, the growth in status of the narrative in research, political influences on the research process, and the nature of the relationship between the philosophy of science and applied research practice. Some…

Describes how a comparative study of street children in Montevideo (Uruguay), Rio de Janeiro, and Mexico City contributes to a synergism between theory and method. Notes how theoretical approaches of symbolic interactionism, genetic structuralism, and habitus theory complement interview, participant observation, and content analysis methods;…

Describes a project in a social work agency designed to train and encourage social workers to apply single-case evaluation designs. Twenty-one social workers applied the designs in 83 cases, demonstrating considerable commitment. Both quantitative and qualitative methods were used, and a large number of cases involved nonbehavioral interventions.…