A Collaborative Learning Environment (CLE) for second year Physiology students, involving timetabled tutorials, a student-friendly learning space, and a variety of computer-based and traditional resources has been previously shown to impact positively on student learning. In the sessions described in this paper, students used a semester-long group…

An action research project implemented a program for the development of citizenship, cultural awareness, and positive character attributes. Targeted population consisted of middle and high school students in several growing, middle class communities located in northern Illinois. Problems of lack of awareness and sensitivity are documented through…

This report demonstrates that alternative assessments, nonstandardized ways of assessment, are more comprehensive ways of exhibiting student achievement. Alternative assessment includes such things as portfolios, checklists, rubrics, surveys, student-involved assignments, and reflections. The population for this study consisted of fifth, seventh,…

Teacher action research using both qualitative and quantitative methods of data collection were used to examine impacts of using visual learning strategies on five preschool children (ages 3-5) with autism in a self-contained classroom. During the six weeks of the study, pictures representing nine learning areas and specific developmental…

This report describes instructional strategies that will improve the revising and editing skills of sixth grade students during the writing process. The literature review suggested improved instruction and evaluation through a writer's workshop approach, which would include a positive environment, mini-lessons, teacher modeling, peer editing, and…

This project was conducted to determine whether using videotapes, designed for the purpose of teaching English pronunciation, would improve the pronunciation of English as a second language learners at the Lebanon Adult Education Center in Pennsylvania. The videotapes used were entitled "Perfect English Pronunciation." Learners were…

A project was conducted to redesign the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) Bureau of Adult Basic and Literacy Education required student tracking form to provide for better student tracking. The Student Intake and Data form supplied by the PDE from program year 1996-97 was used as a point of comparison, and evaluations of this form by…

This action research project sought to enhance parent, student, and teacher relationships and maximize academic time in the elementary school setting by implementing looping, the practice of teachers progressing with the same students through two or more grades. The targeted population consisted of second graders in a middle-class, blue-collar…

This action research project examined the impact of a social skills intervention to reduce the amount of inappropriate, rude, and disruptive behavior from elementary and secondary students. Targeted for this study were elementary and secondary students in three schools in rural western Illinois. The problems of lack of preparation for class,…

This study describes an approach for enhancing reading strategies through the use of technology for improving reading comprehension and vocabulary. The targeted population consisted of middle school students in a growing low to middle class community, located in central Illinois. The problem of declining reading scores was evidenced in data…

A program was designed and implemented to improve vocabulary knowledge and attitudes toward reading by focusing on direct vocabulary instruction. The targeted population consisted of 23 fourth grade students in a middle-class suburb north of Chicago. The community is very multicultural, so many of the students speak English as a second language.…

This paper describes how the researcher revised an action research class for preservice Masters students within the larger context of school improvement. Analysis of students' action research projects revealed some ironic and unintended consequences of linking action research to school improvement. Analysis of the researcher's own pedagogical…

This study examined whether the effects of collaboration between schools and higher education would persist 1 year after discontinuation of an action research project. Participants were teachers and other district personnel who had completed an action research seminar the previous year. They completed a survey that compared their present attitudes…

This report describes a program for developing literacy skills in order to reduce the number of at-risk students in the identified primary classrooms. The targeted population consisted of students in kindergarten, second, and fourth grades. The kindergarten and second grade classrooms were located in a middle to high socioeconomic area within an…

This action research project describes a program for decreasing disruptive behaviors in the classroom and encouraging children to be more respectful of others. The targeted population was sixth- through eighth-grade students in a Midwestern suburb. The problems of disruptive behaviors and lack of respect were documented using teacher and student…