This manual has been designed as a practical guide to quantifying and measuring the results, or outputs, of public library service to children. The basic output measures presented are tailored to reflect library services to children (defined as persons 14 years old and younger) and their care givers. Six categories of measures are presented: (1)…

This paper presents recently completed case histories of three pairs of elementary schools (one urban pair, one rural pair, one suburban pair) that have been observed over a 7-year period during the Louisiana School Effectiveness Study, phases III and IV. These pairs of schools were studied extensively in 1984-85 and again in 1989-90, using staff…

In recent years researchers have had a keen interest in scientific misconceptions and conceptual change. This paper describes approaches that can be used to provide a greater understanding of how students understand reality. The objective is to map belief space or terrain of belief regarding nature, i.e., to map the qualitatively different…

This study explores beginning elementary teachers' instructional computer use, with emphasis on the ways in which these teachers use the computer, influences on these uses, and the impact of these uses on their teaching and socialization into the profession. A qualitative case study research design, drawing on ethnographic methods, was used to…

After identifying the aspects of classroom life that school restructuring might influence, this paper summarizes findings on school principals' perceptions concerning the potential effects of fundamental school reform. Because so little is known about principals' views on restructuring, an exploratory study employing qualitative methodology…

Recent policy on teacher appraisal in Botswana emphasises that the process should be professional, non-threatening and constructive. The extent to which the teachers themselves experience their appraisal as meaningful was investigated. The findings indicated that teachers had varying experiences and mixed feelings about the appraisal process. It…

In the series introduction, Roblyer (2005) presents a conceptual framework for improving typical research on educational technology. This commentary is intended to extend and deepen Roblyer's very brief discussion of one particular type of research--studies of technology-based instructional designs--that she describes as "almost…

Why are some students more likely to succeed in or fail mathematics than their peers, in spite of similar learning opportunities? Frequently such differences have been framed within liberal or even conservative discourses that identify purportedly innate dispositions, such as the ability or intelligence, as the root of differential success.…

Introduction: This paper discusses how exploring the research process in-depth and over time contributes to a fuller understanding of interactions with various representations of information. Method. A longitudinal ethnographic study explored decisions made by two informants involved in scholarly research. Relevance assessment and information…

This study examined students' experiences of external study at Gippsland Institute through the method of student self-report study diaries. Questions which were addressed include: (1) Why are external students taking courses at Gippsland? (2) What do they hope to gain? (3) How do they handle particular study guides and assignment materials? (4)…

In 1987, the U.S. Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention contracted with the Social Science Education Consortium to study how law-related education (LRE) programs become institutionalized and what factors influence institutionalization. Interviews were conducted in eight school districts in four states and narrative case studies…

The focus of this study was to portray the ideas that students with four years experience in learning physics developed in regard to the second law of thermodynamics. Data were obtained through 34 clinical interviews with grade 10 students. An analysis of student arguments revealed deeply rooted difficulties in using concepts that were learned in…

The United States Department of Education's National Diffusion Network (NDN) has selected a number of science education programs to make available to schools across the country. The Life Lab Science Program (LLSP) is one such program. LLSP is a garden-based science and nutrition curriculum designed to raise students' level of science knowledge,…

An investigation of Ontario high school students' understanding of acids and bases with quantitative and qualitative methods revealed misconceptions. A concept map, based on the objectives of the Chemistry Curriculum Guideline, generated multiple-choice items and interview questions. The multiple-choice test was administered to 34 grade 12…

An assessment of the usefulness of case records in contributing practical information for improved administrator effectiveness, with a focus on the development of performance evaluation criteria, is the purpose of this study. Forty-two case records were classified according to content and outcome, and further classified as successful or…