Thoughtful, well-planned and systematic reviews of both instructional and noninstructional programs provide community colleges with a way of determining whether programs are meeting stated objectives and what standards of performance should be maintained. Programs that need improvement or should be eliminated can be identified, and fiscal…

Approaches to studying enrollment decline are compared and limitations and advantages associated with each method in predicting response to decline are assessed. The literature is reviewed to identify research perspectives on decline. Variables consistent with each perspective are identified and measured on a sample of 56 small- to medium-sized…

This paper describes the development of an oral history project designed to help both preservice and inservice teachers gain a sense of perspective as they deal with complex educational changes. Students in the Introduction to Education course were required to select a period of educational history or a topic, such as desegregation, which…

Two innovative methods for collecting and analyzing qualitative data are vignettes and pre-structured cases. Vignettes are descriptions of situations or problems written by a professional, with a suggested outline and comments provided by a researcher. Advantages of this method are strength of impact of the written descriptions and efficiency of…

Given the extensive adoption of research orientations that employ qualitative data collection techniques in education, Margaret Haughey found it exciting to read about a meta-analytical method that combined findings from studies within these research orientations with those from the well-established traditional forms that most often employed…

Australia has a National Technology Statement (Curriculum Corporation, 1994) that specifies the content and process of technology studies in schools. However, as in the United States, the implementation of curricula is a state responsibility. In the state of Queensland the implementation has been a very gradual process with schools having the…

The purpose of this paper is to unveil how Peter McLaren's revolutionary brand of pedagogy, multiculturalism, and research colored my two-year qualitative research study, which unearthed twenty White female future teachers' experiences and perceptions in relationship to computing technology and male-centered computing culture. His ideas positioned…

Describes a study that investigated the activities and interactions of teachers and students in two Western Australian high schools. Reports findings dealing with activity structures, reward systems, teacher expectations, and disruptive students. Also contrasts the managerial styles of three teachers. (ML)

Describes an attempt to study and map the development of children's conceptions of materials. Interviews with preschool, first-grade, fourth-grade, and seventh-grade students revealed a dramatic improvement during the years studied in children's abilities to talk and think about materials. (ML)

Evaluation of campus activities is essential if the programs are to be justified, credited, or improved. Formal qualitative evaluations can provide a wealth of information beyond what could be obtained from traditional quantitive approaches. (Author/MLW)

Investigates patterns in readers' ratings of imagery, affect, and story structure in selected short stories read in a college classroom. Concludes that texts constrain the renditions of individual readers when they read for enjoyment. Finds that imagery appears to mediate affective associations of text viewed as structurally important. (MM)

Considers both qualitative and quantitative research approaches on second language learning, with focus on second language classroom research. Concludes that both approaches are relevant to determining the important variables to investigate and the relationships those variables have to second language learning outcomes. (Author/CB)

A methodology is described for conducting qualitative research on gender issues in education. Qualitative research, a critical step for achieving the global Education For All (EFA) goals, will assist identifying the issues, analyzing the contents, and formulating viable policy. "Gender" refers to the social roles and responsibilities that belong…

This study explores the intersection of placement in foster care and the emotional disturbance (ED) classification. It compares the demographic, placement, and educational experiences of students in foster care who are classified with an emotional disturbance (ED) with students in care who have other special education classifications, and with…

This document presents findings of Project SEARCH, a qualitative research study of how charter schools interpret laws and regulations governing the education of children with disabilities, especially the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). The project involved a preliminary 15-state policy analysis followed by in-depth case…