The impact of travel on older adults was examined through semi-structured interviews of a purposively selected sample of eight individuals ranging in age from 56 to 89 years. The interviews were designed to determine whether interviewees' travel had resulted in any transformative learning experiences. The participants (three Caucasian married…

This paper outlines important considerations for program evaluators and school administrators when creating evaluation designs, disaggregating student outcome data, and interpreting and reporting achievement data for improved program implementation and informed classroom instruction to ensure treatment of English Learner (EL) students. Evaluation…

Efforts are currently being made across the country to strengthen the connection between students' service learning experiences and course content at the university level. A study used qualitative data for gaining insight into preservice teachers' experiences and perceptions related to service learning. Subjects were undergraduate students…

This paper describes and analyzes definitions of democracy and civic education of teachers and students in each of three types of secondary schools in an emerging democracy: the Czech Republic. The paper's theoretical framework is rooted in anthropological and sociological notions of the social context of culture that attend to the fact that all…

This qualitative study explored the perceptions of dental students, faculty, and graduate students on the development of a sense of touch in dental practice. Eight focus groups were held: four were comprised of third-year dental students (n=22), two of advanced, general dentistry postgraduate students (n=11), and two of dental faculty (n=8). Each…

This paper describes the teaching of an African American educator and her fifth-grade classroom in an elementary school in a working class neighborhood. The paper presents the results of a qualitative study of what makes the teaching of this teacher exceptional. Of the 17 students in this class, 7 speak English as a Second Language. Some are…

This study explored how and why special education policy issues were treated as they were in the formulation of Pennsylvania's charter school law, Act 22 of 1997. The qualitative study utilized formal and informal interviews of state policymakers, review of documents, review of archival records, and participant observation. Findings indicated a…

A substantial body of research elaborates and documents how practicing teachers support the writing development of young children (Atwell, 1987; Avery, 1993; Calkins, 1986, 1994; Graves, 1981; Lensmire, 1994; Routman, 2000). Yet, there is limited research about how preservice teachers learn about children's writing (Dahl and Farnan, 1998) or about…

This qualitative case study describes a portfolio program in the teaching of English as a foreign language in two Finnish upper secondary schools. Approximately 100 students participated in the portfolio program, whose topic area was culture. First, the purpose of this action research was to try out and develop portfolios in foreign language…

This project was part of the program evaluation of the Iowa Distance Education Alliance, a Star Schools Project funded by the U.S. Department of Education. Thirty Iowa high schools were selected to represent the state. Interviews were conducted with students, faculty, and administration at each of these schools; results were transcribed and…

This study compared three spelling interventions to increase the spelling accuracy of elementary students with learning disabilities. Thirty-six randomly selected third, fourth, and fifth grade students with learning disabilities were assigned to three interventions: (1) the traditional spelling procedure; (2) a multisensory procedure without…

Although museums are considered optimal venues for informal learning, this study concludes that most school classes visiting museums are restricted and structured, teachers use mainly task-orientated teaching practices, and the museum activities are rarely linked to topics being studied at school. A research-based framework to guide teachers in…

Describes a qualitative study of Miami Dade's Teaching/Learning Project designed to determine how to provide quality undergraduate education to the growing number of nontraditional students enrolled in community colleges. This model demonstrates the improved learning experience of the students as a result of collaborative institutional change. (22…

Argues that educational computing research has not kept up with the growing importance of educational technology. Examines criticisms of the research: the overtly optimistic tone permeating the majority of the literature, the avoidance of qualitative methodologies, and the distrust of a more theoretical analysis of the role of the computer in…

Qualitative research methodology was used to explore the perceptions of students and teachers participating in an interactive collaborative satellite-based mathematics course in 21 high schools. Results showed that the distance learning format gives teachers access to more resources, is useful for underachieving students, and is an effective way…