The opportunities that philosophical hermeneutics provide as a research tool are explored and it is shown that this qualitative research method can be employed as a valuable tool for the educational researcher. Used as an alternative to the standard quantitative approach to educational research, currently being the dominant paradigm of data…

Suggests taking Habermas's notion of communicative rationality as a reference point from which to organize educational activities and evaluate their "being educational" in the classroom. Communicative rationality in the classroom provides a perspective from which one can establish a normative standard for being educational. (Contains…

Explores the attempt to deal instructionally with the challenges resulting from the various uses of language and modes of discourse among students and the hope of reconciling these ways with the typical classroom language demands of schools. Shows how this challenge was faced in one classroom setting. (HB)

Outlines certain ways that educators might remap certain assumptions about and discussions of pedagogy, focusing on the paradoxes of authority and power. Three sections present moments of theory and practice, examining excessive pedagogy, excessive writing, and excessive research. (SM)

Uses William B. Stiles' discourse analysis system to determine whether there are general differences in the way individuals varying in construct system development use their utterances to establish understanding with each other. Finds that construct system development was positively correlated with edification and question response mode use, and…

Explores intellectual discussion through interviews with 20 faculty and graduate students at a large U.S. state university. The article describes the following: the study's dilemmatic framework; the interview materials and discourse analytic method; and three sets of contrary beliefs about appropriate communicative behavior in intellectual…

In this paper, the authors depict performance ethnography as having multiple ethical dimensions and multiple implications for the relationships between the evaluator and program participants. They have found performance ethnography to be essentially an intimate form of representation that has tremendous implications for the ownership of…

Examines the Socratic method through a comparative analysis of early Platonic dialogs with theories of critical rationalism and cognitive theories based on achievement motivation. Presents details of the Socratic strategy of teaching and learning, including critical reflection, conversation, and intellectual honesty; asserts that these methods are…

Examines children's everyday discourse processes in three early education settings to document how friendship relations are produced in everyday discursive practices. Results indicate the importance of viewing friendship as a collective and cultural process. (CFR)

This paper describes a qualitative study that examined students' use of higher-order thinking as they use an interactive multimedia program based on a situated learning framework. The learning environment incorporated the following characteristics of a situated learning model: an authentic context; multiple perspectives; expert performances;…