Explains the Wildlife Interpretive Gallery developed at the Detroit Zoo to portray nature and wildlife in their natural environments through displays on touchscreen interactive kiosks. Highlights include multimedia software development; focus group meetings; a virtual tour of the zoo; and graphics, sound, text, and video components used to create…

Examined the perceptions of African American university students and how they constructed meaning from high school experiences. Five urban students attending a moderately selective midwestern U.S. university participated in a focus group. Overall, the students had transcended the attitudinal disconnect from serious schoolwork and separatism. The…

Uses a qualitative study on children's perceptions of their emotional needs and well-being to illustrate methodological issues associated with actively engaging child subjects in research. Describes benefits of combining focus group discussions and individual interviews, and gives examples of a range of techniques that proved helpful. (EV)

Presents the results of a study that examined trainee teachers' perceptions of themselves as effective teachers. Focuses on the perceptions, ascertained through a questionnaire, of a Year 3 group (n=75) enrolled in a primary education teacher trainee course. (CMK)

Examines the experience of Tasmanian teachers who gave accounts of increased workloads in the 10 years between 1984 and 1994. States that they reported working longer hours, teaching more students, and having increased professional, pastoral, and administrative duties. Highlights the reason for the increased workload. Includes references. (CMK)

This study used focus group discussions with formal kinship caregivers in Maryland to examine the need for support services. Findings revealed that kinship caregivers were committed to providing safety and stability for the children placed with them and suggested that caregiving can be a significant adjustment for many kinship caregivers. Findings…

Explores the different attitudes of English girls and boys to General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) work. Provides suggestions to account for the differences, particularly related to peer pressure, image, and social groupings. Finds that boys were ridiculed more for working hard and were under greater pressure to confirm to a cool,…

Argues that higher education is a difficult choice for English working-class students and that the advantages and disadvantages of higher education are unequally distributed among members of different social classes. Presents a study of non-participant Londoners (n=109), ages 16-30, from a range of working-class backgrounds. Includes references.…

Reports on the impact of managerialist discourse on the lives of United Kingdom primary school teachers prior to and in the year following Office For Standards in Education (OFSTED) inspections. The study found teachers indicating that, one year after inspection, there has been no lasting impact on what they do in the classroom. (CMK)

The focus groups technique is described, giving details about the methodology. As a practical application, a study of teacher perspectives toward reform in the Spanish educational system is presented. Issues of group size, the moderator's role, and drawing conclusions from group responses are discussed. (SLD)

Provides an annotated bibliography of 14 recent ERIC documents on focus group applications in higher education. Includes documents describing colleges that have used focus groups to assess employer and public attitudes toward the college, assess institutional effectiveness, develop programs and curricula, and learn about student experiences. Lists…

Discusses results of a study examining self-perceptions of students moving from middle level to high schools. Kids reported a significant drop in perceived physical appearance, job competence, romantic appeal, conduct, and global self-worth. A transition team can help eighth graders develop an understanding of the academic rigors and cocurricular…

The needs of international students on American campuses differ from their American counterparts. This exploratory qualitative study provides insight into the unique vocational situation of this population. A focus group of 28 international students discussed 15 open-ended questions. Results identifying areas of vocational need are presented and…

Identifies barriers to the recruitment and retention of Pacific Islanders in higher education by using student enrollment and matriculation data and information from student surveys and focus groups. Describes a program at the University of Hawaii at Manoa to recruit and retain Pacific Islanders. (SLD)

Focus groups of six instructors and 21 physical-therapy students examined separately clinical and classroom experience. Results revealed (1) a mismatch between student and faculty expectations; (2) student preference for passive learning; (3) concern about teacher/student relationships; (4) student anxiety about career expectations; and (5)…