A qualitative research approach with 20 secondary vocational teachers explored issues related to grading students with special needs, including (1) successful grading practices and problems/concerns of teachers; (2) teachers' perceptions of the messages that grades communicate; (3) preservice and inservice teacher preparation for grading; and (4)…

Studies the development of moral autonomy in 720 Australian secondary school and university students between the ages of 12 and 21. Examines autonomy development in the context of moral judgments. Finds the need to add a dimension of individual differences to the single dimension used to describe developmental changes. (Author/NL)

Surveys forms of narrative inquiry in educational studies. Outlines certain criteria, methods, and writing forms. Describes them in terms of beginning the story, living the story, and selecting stories to construct and reconstruct narrative plots. Describes two-part research agenda for curriculum and studies flowing from stories of experience and…

The author of EC 607 583 responds to questions about her research on mainstreamed behaviorally disordered aggressive adolescents' perceptions of helpful and unhelpful teacher attitudes and behaviors. Issues relevant to future research in this area are noted. (JDD)

In a long-term study of 14 adults with visual impairments, 11 of whom had diabetes, the concept of "the short life" emerged as a prevalent theme important for understanding the changing priorities, adaptive strategies, and general life planning of the participants, many of whose lives were marked by gradually deteriorating health and…

Asserts that qualitative research methodology represents a fundamental reconceptualization about knowledge, validity, and education. Reviews the history and trends of educational research and argues that it is increasingly legitimate to use qualitative methods. (CFR)

Presents a case study of a special education teacher candidate with a learning disability in mathematics. Issues discussed include the nature of learning disabilities in adults; possibility of workable interventions at the adult level; implications of these problems in teacher candidates; and implications for teacher education programs. (27…

Children in grade one (n=8) and grade five (n=9) were interviewed to determine the influence of contexts of meaning on their knowledge of earthworms. Four components of contexts of meaning were identified and discussed: episodic knowledge, metaphors, interpretive frameworks, and emotions-values-aesthetics. (Contains 20 references.) (MDH)

The relationship between drama in education and program evaluation is explored through the evaluation of an elementary school drama program. The compromise approach presents evaluation as a complex adaptation of an innovation or growth profile. The report contains enough hard data to be useful for policymakers but is rich in information…

Interviews with 32 traditional Lakota elders, educators, leaders, and mental-health providers found that prereservation Lakota approaches for ensuring social health and well-being were preventative, holistic, spiritual, and linked to the tribe's ceremonial life. Discusses a resurgence of traditional healing practices among the Lakota and…

Uses a qualitative, feminist, case-study methodology to research the feminist leadership of three women secondary principals in New Zealand. Being student-focused was central to feminist educational leaders' practice within a neoliberal context demanding increased financial, accountability, and marketing responsibilities. They prevailed by working…

Integrates findings from three independent studies (one national quantitative and two urban qualitative) to analyze two aspects of the teacher/student relationship: (1) how teachers and students view their mutual relationship; and (2) how this relationship affects academic achievement. All three studies highlight the importance teachers place on…

This introductory commentary discusses the following articles on studies that used in-depth case studies of students with learning disabilities to document individuals' progress over time, as well as the relationship between reading and writing instruction and students' development of self-regulation. The benefits of qualitative research are…

Globalization pushes aside social, cultural, and ethical goals of education in favor of marketplace goals. Two stories of the indigenous Ju/'hoansi tribe in Botswana illustrate how even well-intentioned multicultural education programs can marginalize indigenous people, and how "globalization from below," fueled by communities of…

Holistic educational research looks beyond test scores as a measure of student development and considers broader perspectives, such as quality of life and community interactions. Approaches to making research more understandable, accessible, and practical at a grassroots level include qualitative research, informal research, participatory research…