This guide to writing research proposals for theses, dissertations, and grants contains practical suggestions for the would-be writer and several exemplars that show how effective proposal writing can be done. The guide is divided into two parts: Part 1, "Writing the Proposal" and Part 2, "Specimen Proposals." Part 1, the core of the guide,…

A research project examined the issues of how teachers' cultural identities and school experiences affect their definitions of themselves as teachers, and how their identities affect their teaching. The project was a qualitative inquiry, based on reciprocal and interactive relationships. Researchers began by identifying education students who…

This study examined college students' perceptions on interactions across racial and cultural differences at a major research university in the United States. Approximately 30 freshman students from various groups volunteered to participate in a year-long program intended to encourage students to become cross-cultural mentors and allies for each…

A study described the cognitive and metacognitive knowledge of a sixth-grade proficient bilingual reader who was a Latina by comparing her reading processes and strategies with those of a marginally proficient bilingual reader and a proficient monolingual reader. Data collection processes included prompted and unprompted think-alouds, interviews,…

World view variations potentially interfere with science education, particularly when instruction proceeds unaware of the importance of fundamental epistemological structure of learning. The research reported here specifically addresses the cognitive culture of women college students with respect to conceptualizations of nature, a delimitation of…

This research, part of a larger study that explores how a guided case writing experience supports a teacher's professional growth, examines the tensions that occurred as one teacher's case became a less personal and more public document. The study sought to discover precisely what processes and experiences contributed to the profound impact that…

The National Environmental Education and Training Foundation commissioned a survey on environmental attitudes and behaviors of disadvantaged youth in America to identify the critical gaps in environmental education so that resources can be targeted more effectively. Phase 1 consisted of qualitative research among disadvantaged students through…

Qualitative case study is used to explore the conceptualization of "teacher credibility" and to examine the effect of race upon perceptions of credibility. Non-participant observation, semi-structured interviews, and open-ended questionnaires reflect methods used to collect data from two social science professors and their students. Both…

A multidimensional item response theory (IRT) model for polytomously scored items, based on the graded response model and using the normal ogive, is developed; and an EM algorithm that may be used to estimate the parameters of the model is also discussed. The model is illustrated through a simulation study in which the polytomous item responses of…

Issues and elements of case study research are explored and illustrated with the example of a case study of a kindergarten in a suburb of Tokyo (Japan). Case study research is a type of qualitative research that concentrates on a single unit or entity, with boundaries established by the researcher. The case is an example drawn from a larger class,…

A "meta-assessment" was done of 13 pilot projects on student outcomes assessment in a variety of disciplines at 11 campuses in the California State University (CSU) system. These projects had developed both quantitative and qualitative strategies for collecting data on student learning outcomes. The meta-assessment was designed to…

A 3-year research project, employing qualitative inquiry in a pair of preschool and primary grade classrooms (one self-contained and one integrated at each level), was undertaken to examine the literacy learning difficulties of school-aged children with developmental disabilities. The multi-site case studies of the first phase of the project used…

This qualitative study used a symbolic interactionist framework to examine the perceptions and attitudes of mothers living with preschool children who are considered hard-to-manage because of problematic behavior such as aggression, noncompliance, and hyperactivity. Participating in the study were six mothers whose children were enrolled in Head…

In the past decade there has been an increasing interest in using alternative forms of representation in qualitative research. Many believe that the use of different forms can enhance the evocative potential of research findings, expand and include more voices in the research, and challenge some long-term notions of what constitutes research and…

The background and purpose of course assessment are examined. The paper includes suggestions for classroom instructors in setting up formative assessment plans based on qualitative research. Focus is on the interview technique. It is discussed as a practical source for evaluating what actually takes place during a course, including the appraisal…