Describes a mispronunciation detection task, in which listeners' sensitivity to deviations in speech is measured by their pressing a button upon hearing a mispronounced word in lists or sentences. Notes that reaction times and miss rates indicate the effects of position of a misplaced phoneme in a word, the size of the phonemic deviation, lexical…

The eight chapters of this issue focus on the uses, issues, and implications of national and international indicators of educational performance. They explore progress in using indicators to inform policy decisions and describe the progress of selected countries in developing, analyzing, interpreting, and reporting indicators of educational…

At DePaul University (Illinois), a set of advising competencies was derived through collective examination of practices among faculty/staff who provide advising services to adult learners. Using a storytelling methodology, skills, knowledge, attitudes, and values reflective of good advising were extracted and described. The methodology served as…

Using structured equation modeling techniques, this study examined factor structure differences in academic self-perceptions of 210 gifted high school students and a general population student group. Although there were large mean differences between gifted students and the general population students on the academic self-perceptions scale, the…

Discusses a hands-on, teacher-library media specialist collaborative model for implementing the inquiry approach to the research process into the classroom and school library media center. Highlights include student research journals, including timelines; brainstorming; questioning; skimming for information; and sample questioning worksheets. (LRW)

Explains a hands-on, classroom teacher/library media specialist collaborative model for implementing the inquiry approach to the research process into the classroom and school library media center. Topics include the investigation phase; source notes; primary sources; interviews; community resources; storyboards; and peer conferences. (LRW)

Compared research papers before and after implementation of an inquiry-based library instruction program at the University of New Mexico to asses the program's effectiveness and consider its future development. Discusses increased collaboration between the library and the English department and suggests more training for instructors and greater…

Demonstrates how alumni research can be designed to focus program assessment on student outcomes and be responsive to program goals, administrators' policy concerns, faculty instructional values, and professional practice standards. Based on study of 347 teacher education master's degree recipients, the paper presents a conceptual framework and…

A dramatic increase in the pool of college-age students in the next 20 years is inevitable, but this will not necessarily lead to dramatic increases in higher education enrollment. Enrollment forecasters must ask how economic growth, tuition increases, or an increase in standardized test requirements will affect demand and be clear about…

Examines the problems of "truth" in the use of narratives to study teaching, highlighting the themes of universality and control that have dominated the study of teaching and conceptions of relationships between research and social policy. The paper examines issues underlying debates over proper understanding of narrative to promote…

Examines the past 30 years of research on gender. Discusses lessons learned: to study difference in context, make real comparisons, look for similarities as well as differences, examine variation within as well as between groups, investigate exceptions, note failure to find effects, allow equifinality, and move beyond gender as a category per se.…

Illustrates the potential of Exploratory Practice (EP), a form of practitioner research, for doctoral research. Emphasizes learners as well as teacher understanding and explores quality in interpersonal relationships. Reports on research conducted in an English-as-a-Foreign-Language academic writing context, about a written dialogue between a…

This article examines how researchers can apply analytical and methodological tools traditionally used in health policy analysis to study the multiple levels of systems-of-care impacts for students with emotional and behavior disorders. Where possible, results from existing systems-of-care education studies illustrate how these analyses and…

Describes what the Tellin' Stories Project (TSP) Action Research Team discovered about meaningful family involvement during a 3-year study of teachers', students', and parents' stories of meaningful family roles. The TSP uses the power of story to engage parents, primarily from diverse low-income backgrounds, as purposeful partners in education.…

Questions gender-related assumptions affecting the theory and practice of art education histories. Challenges the great man theory of art education history. Advocates research approaches that analyze individual backgrounds and achievements. Offers the author's research experiences as a case study, examining areas of concern, personal motivations,…