This report describes a program for improving student vocabulary skills. The targeted population was fifth and sixth grade students in two growing middle class communities located north of a large midwestern city. The problem of low vocabulary skills was documented through observation of student reading and writings, teacher surveys, classroom…

This paper describes a program designed to compare students' attitudes towards the use of traditional and alternative assessment practices. The targeted population consisted of a second and third grade general education class, a third grade physical education class, and an eighth grade applied technology class in three communities in northern…

This report describes a program implemented to improve the social skills of students with moderate to severe cognitive delays. The targeted population consisted of five elementary-aged students at site A and five high school-aged students at site B, both Chicago Public Schools. Analysis of probable cause data revealed that social skills issues…

An original goal of Chicano Studies was to promote improvement of social and economic conditions in the community, with Chicana and Chicano scholars at the forefront of community struggles. Within this perspective, research is problem-based and part of the community action process. Chicano community groups want to work with researchers and…

This booklet contains a synopsis of eight action research projects undertaken by educators from various Utah public schools presented at a series of workshops. Twenty-seven educators representing 19 schools, 9 school districts, and the Utah State Office of Education (USOE) attended the series of 4 full-day workshops held during October, February,…

A study examined how to increase active participation in a language arts class, based on the belief that such an increase would lead to better test scores and better learning. Subjects included a class of 30 homogeneously grouped accelerated sixth grade students, which meets five days a week for 90-minute periods. During the study, the class was…

In this book, the chosen theme is the democratic school or, more precisely, the democratization of school processes. Democratization as a concept provides a firm basis for concocting a strong antidote to the norms, standards, and uniformity of the application of market logic to educational analysis and policymaking. By pointing the spotlight…

A research project implemented a program to increase skills in critiquing art at the elementary level. The targeted population consisted of students in fifth grade in a lower-to-middle-class community located in western Illinois. Evidence used to support the problem's existence included the local visual art assessment test, teacher observations,…

Action research affords preservice teachers both opportunity and perspective to investigate practical needs and critical issues in classroom practice. A one-semester Educational Inquiry course enabled students to pose important questions as part of a required 2-hour experimental research course in a field-based teacher education program. This…

In exploring the connections among gender, schooling, and knowledge, this paper considers the relationships between, and the effects of silencing or expressing anger, in women and their work as educators. Data come from two action research projects: Women Teaching Girls retreats and the Exploring Gender and Knowledge. Each consisted of a series of…

Author proposes a model for organizational change using a behavioral science approach rather than the traditional authoritarian approach. (MB)

The relationship of research to various guidance and counseling settings is discussed. Twelve articles include descriptions of research models, action research, and a regional research laboratory. Research related to community mental health, career development, university counseling, and counselor training is explored. (RC)

Describes the use of participative action research to solve problems of work-related employee injuries in a rural midwestern electronics plant by increasing employee involvement. The researchers established an employee problem-solving group that interviewed and surveyed workers, analyzed the results, and suggested new work arrangements. (Author/RW)

Considers the rationale, value, and ethical issues for use of a particular action-research model for curriculum innovation. Describes the use of this approach in the implementation of an innovation concerned with differentiation of work in mixed-ability classes and the significance of findings for the action-research strategy. (DS)

Argues that current testing of student understanding provides insufficient information to a researcher investigating strategies for changing students' explanatory ideas. Outlines a new test based on recent work in child development. (DDR)