This Critical Practitioner Inquiry (CPI) Newsletter is a forum for exchanging ideas and experiences about CPI in different universities worldwide. This first edition of the newsletter contains the following articles: (1) Critical Practitioner Inquiry--Working Against the Grain (Lars Dahlstrom), which explains the concept of CPI; (2) Critical…

This report describes a program for increasing literacy skills in kindergarten students. The targeted population consisted of kindergarten students from two schools in a growing unit district located in a northwest suburb of Chicago, Illinois. The lack of literacy skills was documented through student assessment and teacher observation. Analysis…

A new teacher appraisal process involving 5 competencies and 163 indicators has been devised by the Provincial Government of Ontario, Canada. Principals are being held responsible for the appraisals, and the competencies and indicators are being imposed on professional practice. This paper suggests that a better approach to professional growth…

Teacher's function as a researcher has been the subject of heated debates during the last two decades.The advocates argue that education can not be conceived as a scientific domain within the positivistic paradigm. They put emphasis on the intricacies and uncertainties associated with teaching circumstances and invite teachers to participate in…

This study describes an action research case study through which the dynamics of identifying and changing strongly held assumptions illustrate the differences between experiences that serve to strengthen beliefs from those that lead to learning. Theoretical considerations are presented linking cognitive schema, action science, attribution theory,…

This report focuses on the implementation of strategies to improve student listening skills. The targeted population consisted of primary elementary students located in the suburbs of a large Midwestern city. The lack of students' listening abilities was documented through the use of journals, surveys, checklists, and anecdotal records. Analysis…

Recent changes in schools have caused changes in the consultation roles for school psychologists. Action research serves as a guide for an expanded school psychology consultation role. Although action research has been used in various fields, including teacher development and education, adult education, and agriculture, it has seldom been applied…

This paper describes a collaborative action research study involving a university professor/researcher and novice teachers (final sample of seven) in classroom-based inquiry to enhance personal practice that would impact on student outcomes. As the teachers were coached and mentored through the various stages of the action research process to…

This paper describes the concerns of four middle school mathematics teachers involved in a professional development program that allowed them the opportunity to conduct action research projects. The teachers chose to implement nontraditional writing activities in their instruction as part of their action research. The experiences, practices, and…

This book presents information to help teachers turn research on brain function into practical classroom activities and lessons, offering: brain facts; information on how the brain processes information; tips on maximizing retention; an information processing model that reflects new terminology regarding the memory systems; new research on how the…

This report describes strategies utilized to improve listening skills. The targeted population consisted of elementary students in grades one, two and three in two neighboring Midwestern states. Poor listening skills were documented by parent and student surveys, teacher observation and observation checklists. Review of the literature indicated…

This book defines an epistemological agenda for action research, one that challenges the conventional academic social sciences on epistemological and ethical grounds. It gives an overview of different approaches so that researchers can find their own perspectives within the field. Methodologies and fieldwork tools are described. The chapters are:…

Outlines some roles that teachers and students can assume in using systems planning tools in a school setting. (Editor)

The major task of law schools should be to identify and examine the major social problems of our times through action research. (Editor)