This report describes a method for increasing parental involvement in physical education and art in an elementary school in Illinois. The parents of second- and third-grade students in a well-developed, middle class community in Illinois participated in the study. The lack of parental involvement had been documented through data revealing the low…

To evaluate student learning in a computer-supported environment known as "GenScope," a system was developed for assessing students' understanding and learning of introductory genetics material presented in two developed GenScope instruments. Both quantitative and qualitative methods were used to address traditional evidential validity…

The use of young children's art work in the assessment of reading readiness was studied through a qualitative research design. Subjects were 12 transitional-first-grade students from an elementary school, each of whom was treated as a case study. Artwork was collected from each child each month of the school year and reading levels were recorded.…

This research report argues for viewing the complex, often messy process of school reform implementation as a "conditional matrix" coupled with qualitative research. As illustration, two studies (of six reform efforts in one county and of implementation of an untracking program in Kentucky) are reported. Preliminary analysis reveals that…

Use of complementarity as a deliberate and necessary program evaluation strategy is discussed. Quantitative and qualitative approaches are viewed as complementary and can be integrated into a single study. The synergy that results from using complementary methods in a single study seems to enhance understanding and interpretation. A review of the…

The point of departure for this article is the title of a book edited by David Fetterman, "Qualitative Approaches to Educational Evaluation--The Silent Scientific Revolution." This article addresses the question of how the shift to a qualitative, phenomenological approach has impinged on research and evaluation in distance education.…

This paper reports on an effort to implement systems change in a secondary special education/vocational education program. Initial classroom observations and interviews with teachers identified themes of the existing program, including a perception of constant change, use of a new junior high to senior high transition process, and time pressures…

Focusing on the point that female identities continue to form using the reference point of the male image or identity, a study juxtaposed a qualitative research project and the expressions of patriarchy represented in two television milk commercials. Subjects, 12 sixth-grade girls at a small Catholic elementary school in central New York, were…

The study is a methodological inquiry into the interpretation of qualitative data. It explores a grounded theory approach to the synthesis of data, and examines, in particular, construction of categories. It focuses on ways of organizing data and attaching meaning, as research problems embedded in cultural context are explored. A qualitative…

This study was conducted by seven graduate students to investigate their experiences in the Center for Excellence in Education doctoral program in Educational Leadership at Northern Arizona University. The purpose of the study was to provide the graduate students with experience in conducting qualitative research. Aspects of the doctoral program…

This article describes a qualitative research approach (in-depth phenomenological interviewing) and illustrates, through the example of an actual study, its potential for helping institutions of higher education understand their students. It argues that progress in understanding college student outcomes, such as persistence, has been retarded by…

In this paper a new conception of school science is set forth, based on the utilization of data collected in introductory college chemistry classrooms in a western university. Two sections of freshmen chemistry and several of the accompanying laboratory periods for the first weeks of the fall semester were observed. The methods of research were…

Although mathematics can be described as a formalized language, the signs and symbols of mathematical representation are subject to individual interpretation, which, if inaccurate, can lead to inhibitions about and interferences with the mathematical learning process. The purpose of this study was to explore communication in an intermediate-level…

Student differences in attributions and motivation toward the study of high school Regents Earth Science were investigated through a naturalistic classroom study. Subjects were 72 ninth-graders in a rural New York high school. A shift in student attributions regarding success or failure in the class was facilitated by introducing an instructional…

To solve the twin problems of a projected shortfall of science workers and general science illiteracy in the United States, many educators have proposed a massive restructuring of the curriculum and pedagogy of elementary and secondary school science. This resarch suggests that science eudcators focus on such issues as course design, teaching and…