An action research study addresses validity and value in teacher education by discussing thematic constructs and making specific normative underpinnings explicit. Concerned with developing teachers' abilities to create democratic classrooms and dispositions toward social justice, this study is a multi-layered, longitudinal inquiry into classroom…

Students in the targeted school exhibited a decline in reading scores between second and fourth grade. Due to poor reading levels for 2 consecutive years the state put the school on a probationary list with in its district. Evidence for the existence of the problem included documented low reading test scores, below proficiency assessment records,…

The Lycoming County Literacy Project based in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, examined both traditional and family literacy General Educational Development (GED) program participants to determine which programs produce the best results. GED test scores were collected from instructors teaching both traditional and family literacy GED participants. Test…

The International English Training for Adults Program is an intensive ESL (English as a Second Language) program for foreign students. Students in the program take 18 hours of classes per week, including Conversation Partners, a 3-hour course designed to give students an opportunity to practice using English with Americans in a structured,…

This action research project addressed the problem of declining parent involvement at a Midwestern, suburban elementary school. In order to document parent involvement issues at the site, parent, educator, and student surveys were administered. Surveys were analyzed for effectiveness of home-school communication, perceived barriers to and benefits…

This action research project sought to improve student motivation in order to increase academic performance among eighth graders in an urban community. Evidence of academic underachievement and lack of student participation was documented by means of teacher observations, incomplete and missing assignments, and student questionnaires. Student,…

This book presents an inside look at the "white talk" of teacher education students, presenting information from an action research project in which student teachers and faculty explored white racial identity, examined the meaning of whiteness, and confronted the difficulties of thinking critically about race and racism. The book strives to deepen…

This report documents a program for improving science knowledge, attitudes, and higher order thinking skills through experiential science. The hands-on approach used successfully in the program is described, and evidence of student improvement is also presented. The targeted population consisted of students in the first, third, and fourth grades…

Describes the development and field testing of a handbook for nursery school staff on the management of children's behavior problems. The handbook includes four schedules (for behavioral assessment, general assessment, parent interviews, and agency resources) and discusses play activity, behavior modification, and problem-solving approaches to…

Change strategies that focus on improving local schools' abilities to manage change are described, and examples of how the strategies can be applied to help the schools prepare students for life in a global society are furnished. Specific strategies are based on the work of Las Palomas de Taos, an agency promoting change in the Southwest. (PP)

Reviews the use of female workers by multinational companies in Asian countries, examining issues of sex stereotyping, impact on values and behavior, and barriers to women's political participation. Suggests research, education, and mobilization processes to improve the status and opportunities of these women. (SK)

Reasons for the failure of the classical empirical concept of measurement to evaluate educational programs are discussed. Action oriented evaluation is presented as an alternative, and is illustrated by a program to integrate foreign and native language curriculum development and student testing in Germany. (CP)

Focuses on the challenges associated with the introduction of language education in a secondary classroom containing learners of diverse backgrounds. Presents the results of action research of two groups of girls studying French. Findings indicate that a large group of learners can develop language skills through pair work and group activities and…

Explores macropolitical aspects of state-mandated inclusion and the micropolitical barriers a newly appointed female superintendent faced when promulgating educational equity in a hostile environment. Parents of special-education and gifted children joined forces to campaign against inclusion, questioning schools' effectiveness at providing an…

Reports on an action research project that involved strategy training for several groups of first-year undergraduate students at the University of Hong Kong. The strategy training was used to experiment with ways of making students more active participants in their language learning. (Author/CK)