Substantial changes in the nature of undergraduate student politics are reported, based on a 1993 survey and focus group interviews, a 1995 survey of student leaders, and two surveys of student affairs officers. As a generation, current students are critical, optimistic, and activist. Activism is local in orientation, peaceful, and rooted in…

Discussion of a study conducted at the University of Wisconsin-Madison to elicit information about the library's online catalog. Highlights the use of focus group interviews. Topics include experience with other catalogs, approaches to searching, positive feedback, barriers to use, and changes to the catalog as a result of the study. (LRW)

Argues that training assessment needs should not only take into account the perspectives of employers but should also take into account those of the employee. Contrasts the perception of Oregon employers with those of employees using survey and focus group data. Contains two data tables. (JDI)

A national survey of 1,289 elementary teachers and focus groups examined effects of state testing programs on instructional practices and implications for gifted students' motivation. Results suggest that testing programs are likely to discourage effective classroom practices and instead lead to teachers engaging in one-size-fits-all practices.…

Fourteen teachers of students with visual impairments who were visually impaired themselves were either interviewed in a focus group or observed in their itinerant or resource room settings. Issues of transportation, access to information, assessment, and instructional responsibilities were addressed. Participants reported that while barriers to…

Reports on a study of student perceptions of learning via audioconferencing using two distinct instructional designs in university-level courses delivered at a distance. The use of field observations, interviews, focus groups, and mail surveys is discussed; pertinent literature is reviewed; and the importance of human interaction in distance…

Describes the relationship between Carnegie Mellon University libraries and Sirsi Corporation, their integrated library-management system vendor. Topics include Carnegie Mellon's expertise in library automation research and development; and three primary elements of the alliance: research, including user protocols, surveys, and focus groups;…

Investigated how high school teachers interacted with students regarding marijuana. Data from focus groups with high school students indicated that only some teachers knew when students were high, many teachers tried or used marijuana, and individual teachers varied in their responses to students who were high. Teachers appeared reluctant to…

This study used focus groups to examine the perspectives of students with and without learning disabilities and their parents regarding collaborative teaching. Both students and parents expressed high levels of satisfaction with the model. Concerns included poor communication regarding the model to parents, the need to ensure alternative models…

Outlines the policy context of New Zealand early childhood program evaluation and quality. Presents ethnographic research findings on key elements of program quality in relation to New Zealand National Early Childhood Curriculum; findings provide basis for self-evaluation framework through use of Teaching Stories as a focus for reflection and…

Describes the use of focus groups with teacher candidates to evaluate a pilot program within the Queen's University Faculty of Education. The pilot study was designed to uncover problems in implementing the program before candidates registered. After reviewing focus-group techniques, the article describes how they were used in the pilot study's…

Explains how librarians can develop a plan to anticipate the needs of teachers in the area of curriculum development, based on a study at a private special education K-12 school in Texas. Highlights include data gathering, including focus groups and questionnaires; and planning recommendations. (LRW)

Introduction: An earlier study of physicians' perceptions of interactive online learning showed that these were shaped both by program design and quality and the quality and quantity of interpersonal interaction. We explore instructor roles in enhancing online learning through interpersonal interaction and the learning theories that inform these.…

Introduction: The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario developed an enhanced peer assessment (EPA), the goal of which was to provide participating physicians educational value by helping them identify specific learning needs and aligning the assessment process with the principles of continuing education and professional development. In…

This study assessed, and identified factors in participants' learning ecologies that mediated, the effectiveness of an explicit reflective instructional approach that satisfied conditions for learning as conceptual change on preservice elementary teachers' views of nature of science (NOS). Participants were 28 undergraduate students enrolled in an…