This action research project report documents the action research project that was conducted to improve reading comprehension with second grade and third grade students. The teacher researchers intended to improve reading comprehension by using higher-order thinking skills such as predicting, making connections, visualizing, inferring,…

This volume discusses the ways in which teacher preparation programs around the country are actively embracing civic education from the belief that teacher education is inherently tied to both the preparation of civil servants and the work of preparing citizens. In the field of education, specifically the work of preparing teachers, there has been…

The teaching and learning of a complex section in "Theoretical Computer Science 1" in a distance-education context at the University of South Africa (UNISA) has been enhanced by a supplementary e-learning application called "Relations," which interactively teaches mathematical skills in a cognitive domain. It has tutorial and…

This paper discusses our experiences in moving to student centred learning. It describes the action research approach and the context for the module at Masters level in systems analysis and design. It discusses the learning materials provided as an alternative to lectures, including a book, a set of videos, courseware and a web site. The initial…

This chapter presents five case histories that describe literacy education practices in rural areas of England. All programs include the use of action research and the concept of open learning. Open learning is a nontraditional approach to education that includes the use of learning centers, computers, audio- and videotapes, and distance…

The gap between researchers and teachers has minimized the impact that research should have on school development. Using teachers as researchers is one way of empowering them to adopt the perspective of the researcher. Research-oriented activity is then seen as one promising means of improving the teachers' pedagogical expertise. It is assumed…

An action research project in Canada set up a penpal program between preservice teachers and middle school children. Its purpose was to promote the literacy development of the younger students and to provide the preservice students with an understanding of adolescents. Although the first year was especially successful and rewarding--the highlights…

School reform in the 1990s has been focused on school-based restructuring, with local efforts shown to be more successful than earlier central or remote control approaches. Success has followed changes in teachers' classroom behavior, in the structure of the school, and its school culture. The local school restructuring approach is illustrated…

The primary objective of a project undertaken by the University of Dayton (Ohio) and a local school district was to create an environment of academic inquiry built on a strong foundation of collaboration between the school district and the university. Using the Getzel Model of organizational interaction, teachers were paid, encouraged, and…

This paper proposes that despite the anticipated benefits of classroom research for improved instruction, there are identifiable factors that can interfere with its effectiveness. Examples are drawn from three research projects, undertaken in English-as-a-Second-Language instructional settings. First, the steps in the classroom research process…

The principles of action research were used to identify the reasons for substandard patient care in two long-term care facilities in Quebec; then, a 20-hour inservice education course for nurse managers at the facilities was developed, presented, and evaluated. Fifteen nurse managers (1 director of nursing, 12 health care managers, and 2 nurse…

This paper explores the concept of combining collaborative action research, used in examining teacher behaviors, with group dynamics, used to facilitate new ideas and increase motivation. Specifically, the study examines the effort by one team of middle school teachers to conduct teacher team collaborative research. After reviewing the literature…

Fundamental educational change is more difficult, complex, and controversial than the change professional literature has acknowledged. This Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD) yearbook is a collection of writings that address the difficulties of educational change. Following the foreword by Frances Faircloth Jones and the…

Science/Technology/Society (STS) is widely recognized as a major reform effort as correctives are sought around the globe to attain scientific literacy for all. The focus of this book is on STS offered as reform. The efforts during the decade from 1984-1994 have resulted in research that can be used to affect practices while also assuring that STS…

This evaluation report covers the first year of the Pattonville School District-Webster University (Missouri) Professional Development Schools (PDSs) Partnership. Representatives of both organizations met regularly to explore the meaning of a school-university partnership as well as the potential benefits and commitments that would result. The…