Using a survey and follow-up qualitative research design, an elaborate model of technology integration has been studied in a science education classroom. Using a coding system known as cognotes, teacher-interns were first taught how to recognize electronic discussion contributions consisting specifically of critical approaches such as compare,…

In an effort to prevent substance use and abuse by children and adolescents, the California Drug, Alcohol, and Tobacco Education (DATE) Program was initiated in 1991. This report evaluates the program from perspectives of school district personnel, and students, generating an explanation of the "whats" and "hows" of drug…

This report presents findings of a case study of the education of second language learners in a middle school of approximately 2,000 students undergoing middle school reform in California. The purpose of the study was to gain an understanding of the challenges faced by a school experiencing rapid demographic changes in a predominantly…

This paper addresses the continuing failure of racial and ethnic minorities, specifically Mexican Americans and American Indians, to gain full representation in doctoral graduating classes and college faculties. The demographics of minorities in doctoral programs is reviewed with particular emphasis on the Southwestern United States and the two…

This paper investigates the effect of engaging students in designing interactive multimedia programs. The design process has been shown to heighten motivation and to develop skills in project management, research, organization and representation, presentation, and reflection. At the same time, previous studies have also revealed that it is…

This study describes and explains changes in ninth- and tenth-grade social studies and science courses that emerged in the pedagogy of classroom teachers as a result of participation in a detracking project in an urban high school. The detracking project represented a profound change in the organization of school curricula. Four social studies and…

Two projects in the teacher education program at Seton Hall University gave assignments involving basic qualitative research methods as applied to a focused goal of interaction between future teachers and their students. The first project focused on life in community residential programs for adults with developmental disabilities, and the second…

Narrative accounts construct and reconstruct stories of school experiences in order to make meaning of them. This document reports the results of narrative inquiry in the mathematics experiences of 7 women and 15 eighth-grade girls in an effort to determine why women and girls avoid mathematics. Memories and reflections were gathered using…

"3-2-1 CONTACT Extras" (Extras) are television specials produced by "3-2-1 CONTACT," a television series on science and technology for 8- to 12-year-olds. The production of each Extra is typically accompanied by an extensive program of formative research, designed to examine issues of comprehension and appeal, that helps guide…

End-user interfaces for the online public access catalogs (OPACs) of OhioLINK, a system linking major university and research libraries in Ohio, and its 16 member libraries, accessible through the Internet, are compared and evaluated from the user-oriented perspective. A common, systematic framework was used for the scientific observation of the…

This product of an annual meeting presents abstracts of symposia, contributed papers, paper sets, discussion groups, reports, poster sessions, and panel presentations. Topics include: science teaching, gender differences, science education reform, constructivism, biological concepts, concept mapping, attitude/behavior change, conceptual…

The purpose of the research reported in this paper was the development of a learner-centered instructional model for the teaching of reading and writing skills. Specifically, the 14 APA (American Psychological Association) learner-centered principles were used as the conceptual framework for the development of the model. There are seven iterative…

This document contains three papers from a symposium on learning organization practices. "The Beliefs of Managers as Facilitators of Learning in Learning Organizations" (Andrea D. Ellinger) reports selected findings from a qualitative study that examined the perceptions of managers regarding their beliefs, behaviors, triggers, and…

This document contains four papers from a symposium on individual differences in learning. "Novice and Expert Learning: Impact on Training" (Barbara J. Daley) reports on a study in which 20 novice and expert nurses were interviewed to identify their different learning processes and the factors that facilitated or hindered their learning.…

In 1996, the Tennessee Department of Education collaborated with Appalachia Educational Laboratory to conduct research on the use of the Internet as a tool for instruction in Tennessee K-12 schools, focusing on ways in which experienced teachers use the Internet to enhance students' intellectual development. This study explored the following…