A guide for organizational development specialists, this model for productivity improvement proceeds through six stages: awareness of needs, entry of specialist, data collection, problem identification, action planning, and implementation of solutions. Examples of specific activities for each stage are provided. (SK)

Explores, through an action research project, the possible contributions--in theory, diagnosis, and intervention--of structural family therapy to organizational change. Reports that successful transfer of family therapy techniques to organizations is contingent on understanding four differences between organizations and families. (Author/IRT)

Investigates the differential impacts of sociotechnical systems, job redesign, and survey-feedback interventions on a wide array of attitudinal and performance measures in comparable units of an organization. Attitudinal effects were quite similar; however, only the sociotechnical system intervention resulted in major productivity improvements and…

Presents an action research project that investigated reciprocal teaching's effect on reading comprehension in the content areas. Considers reciprocal teaching's benefits for students, instructional strategies, its effect on literature circles, and its use in content areas. (SG)

Discusses a two-year action research study conducted at a high school that transformed reluctant students into lifelong readers by emphasizing intrinsic motivation as opposed to programs that use rewards to motivate students to read. Explains how to design an action research question. (LRW)

Advocates practitioner-research, by teachers and learners, in their own language classrooms. Points out that teachers who are successful at integrating an investigative element into their teaching may demand collegial support to increase the chance for satisfactory research and that other teachers may develop a new professional concept of what…

A focus-group study recently surveyed 111 parents concerning the type, frequency, and reason for their involvement in their children's education and major barriers and facilitators to such involvement. To improve parent participation, educators must clarify how and why parents can be involved, build on parent involvement at school programs, create…

Discusses trends in teacher evaluation, including classroom observations, peer coaching, portfolios, self-evaluation, artifacts collection, and action research. Discusses the steps of action research. (RS)

Describes and evaluates the work of an action research group established to address some of the problems associated with teaching science in elementary schools, in particular what has been described as 'science reluctance' or, in its more extreme form, 'science phobia'. Explains how an elementary school teacher replaced science teaching with…

Reviews the Basic Education and Life Skills program, which involves University of the South Pacific member countries, highlighting teacher involvement in collaborative action research to promote professional development at the school level. The paper describes the nature of teachers' involvement and shares insights from their experiences as…

A Canadian Indigenous researcher discusses the need to link research objectives and methodologies to community needs and context; the meaningful integration of knowledge obtained through research into Indigenous ways of knowing and being; interview methods; and the role of trust and accountability in researcher-interviewee relations. (SV)

Conducted an action research project among student teachers emphasizing teacher self-analysis and reflection and studied the patterns of classroom interactions with male and female students taught by these teachers in 136 classrooms in Irish secondary schools. Findings from the classroom interaction study motivated student teachers to take…

Of 29 industrial technology students in an action research project, 15 learned in a traditional classroom, then online in two 3-week periods (different subjects); 14 students reversed that order. Test and project results showed no significant differences. Interaction was rated more favorably in the traditional setting. (Contains 15 references.)…

This article presents results of a survey of 10 teachers which was designed to explore teachers' experiences with action research. Concrete examples of what it's like to do action research are viewed as a valuable resource for teachers and for teacher educators who teach action research courses. (IAH)

The authors present perspectives on the employment of participatory research techniques in three areas: (1) North America (Gaventa); (2) Latin America (de Souza); and (3) Southern Europe (Orefice). Discussion focuses on participatory research strategies for popular groups, purposes and considerations regarding participatory research, and the role…