This paper outlines the potential benefits of using computers to enhance the action research process for classroom teachers. An argument is made for classifying action research as a type of qualitative methodology. This argument is then used to apply the literature on computer use in qualitative research to its use in action research; advantages…

This paper explores the roles students play in support of technology in elementary classrooms. In this ethnographic study, new models for support were developed by examining support for technology and the use of technology in three third and fourth grade classes. Data were collected through teacher interviews, informal conversations, observations…

Raises concerns about using interview data in phenomenological research, arguing such data are more related to discourse and the interviewee's perception of what is appropriate to say in the context than to "ways of experiencing," which is the object of study in phenomenography. Also argues that in important respects, discursive…

Reacts to a new methodology: consensual qualitative research (CQR). Provides an outline of the historical debate on psychological research methods, explains the distinction between discovery-oriented and verification-oriented research, and labels the CQR approach as a discovery-oriented design. Questions the CQR's emphasis on consensus and…

Presents profiles of six gifted Indian children with cerebral palsy. It analyzes their drawings and finds healthy minds and positive attitudes toward life. It also reports on results of participant observation in two schools and interviews with counselors, teachers, and parents. The normality and special talents of these children rather than their…

The potential of qualitative approaches to provide an informed critique of quantitative data, or a much richer understanding of motivation and attitudes toward information, was tested in 1994 in two Malawian rural communities. Results confirmed and questioned earlier quantitative studies; argues that the project is a model for practical,…

Describes an undergraduate sociology course that taught qualitative and quantitative data analysis. Focuses on two students and how they dealt with and overcame anxiety issues, subsequently achieving higher levels of learning and new learning strategies. (KDR)

A recruitment film to attract American Indian and Hispanic/Latino students to nursing was based on interviews exploring the meaning of education to seven nurses with these backgrounds. The meaning domains identified led to nine patterns of characteristics depicted in the film. (Contains 32 references.) (SK)

Presents a polylogue that represents the dilemmas, practicalities, tensions, and rewards encountered by four graduate students and two faculty members through participation in a seminar in qualitative methods and practice, a course that involved student-researchers in reading, reflection, and five weeks of fieldwork. Includes "prologues" for each…

Interviewed 17 parents and 26 school personnel involved with children in a 6-week summer reading and nutrition program, "Energy Express." Quantitative studies of "Energy Express" show significant increases in reading scores. This study indicates that children develop relationships with their college student AmeriCorps mentors and with each other;…

Examined the effects of question prompts and peer interactions in scaffolding undergraduate students' problem-solving processes in an ill-structured task in problem representation, developing solutions, making justifications, and monitoring and evaluating. Qualitative and quantitative results suggest that the peer interaction process must be…

Uses a two-tier, multiple-choice diagnostic instrument to determine (n=915) grade 10 students' understanding of the acid, base, and salt reactions involved in basic qualitative analysis. Reports that many students did not understand the formation of precipitates and the complex salts, acid/salt-base reactions, and thermal decomposition involved in…

Reports on a study of the knowledge of experienced science teachers in the context of a reform in science education in The Netherlands. Focuses on the major goal of the reform; that is, improving students' knowledge and abilities in the fields of models and modeling in science. Groups teachers into pairs based on their use of teaching activities.…

Employs the statistics-documentation portion of a word-processing program's grammar-check feature together with qualitative analyses to determine that Henry Watterson, long-time editor of the "Louisville Courier-Journal," was probably the South's famed Civil War correspondent "Shadow." (TB)

Shares the experiences of a researcher engaged in qualitative research. Looks at researcher sensitivity and flexibility, ethical dilemmas, and the importance of a good "research alliance" with participants. Discusses, the implications of including participants as collaborators and the role of co-researchers. Emphasizes the impact of…