One of the modules in the course Food Chemistry at Wageningen University (Wageningen, The Netherlands) focuses on quantitative problem-solving skills related to chemical reactions. The intended learning outcomes of this module are firstly, to be able to translate practical food chemistry related problems into mathematical equations and to solve…

This case study examines how analyzing inaccurate referrals can provide key insights into managing change. The author analyzes what went wrong in an attempt to identify opportunities for an Access Services department to consider how it might adapt to constant change. She wishes to show how the nature of change today demands that one pay…

There is sufficient evidence that linguistic, social and psychological system variables are important in second language acquisition. This study examined the contribution of a selection of these components and characteristics to second language acquisition, specifically, the linkages between social structure (particularly the degree of…

Learning technologies are becoming a common, and in many cases essential, component of the contemporary learning environment. As such, those who design, implement and control these encompassing technologies have emerged as major contributors to the success (or otherwise) of such systems. This article considers the power and responsibilities of…

Online classes appear increasingly popular, making it critical in each discipline to study the advantages and disadvantages of learning online. Following up on anecdotal impressions that scientific/technical writing students appeared to do either better or worse in an online course than an offline equivalent (unpublished data), it was decided to…

One of the goals of Professional Development School (PDS) programs is to provide preservice teachers with opportunities for developing in-depth knowledge and experience as they learn to teach (National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education, 2001). A theme-based PDS adds value to the PDS program model because it allows faculty members to…

The experience of a two-year project to promote the use of Web-based teaching and learning at XXX University was presented. A total of 68 courses over two semesters were included in the study. Surveys of students and teachers suggested that the quality of learning and teaching were improved. Over 80% of the students had used Web-based teaching and…

Transition from primary to secondary school has been a focus of concern regarding pupil anxiety, social integration, lack of progression and under-achievement, particularly for children/young people with special educational needs (SEN). Previous studies often over-depended on data from professionals and treated all SEN as similar. This study…

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explore the ecology of collaboration between school and university partners using an appreciative inquiry theoretical perspective and to demonstrate how it enhances the social capital in school and university partnerships. Design/methodology/approach: A case study of a partnership of an inner-city high…

This research explored the organizational nature of cohorts with particular focus on the relation between structural factors, including conventions, culture, power, and unintended learning. An in-depth case study of a cohort project team of educational leadership students led to identification of four major themes. Students employed a…

This year-long case study examines how a struggling reader in a sixth-grade social studies class, a seventh grade mathematics class, and an eighth grade science class "transacted" with the reading task demands of her specific classroom. Through regular classroom observations and interviews, the researcher documents how each student responded to…

Between 1992 and 1996 the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) settled a number of legal cases involving housing authorities and agreed to take remedial action as part of court-enforced consent decrees entered into with plaintiffs. These housing authorities faced significant obstacles that impaired their ability to comply swiftly…

New teachers are unprepared for school politics and the conflicts they experience with administrators, colleagues and policies. Research and practice on mentoring often ignore organizational contexts. This article explores these under-examined contexts, asking: (1) What do mentors need to know and be able to do in relation to school and district…

Remarks on current educational language precede discussions of: pupils' educational development; pupil voice; adolescence and action research. There follows a report of an innovation in religious education pedagogy, designed to address concerns that pupils should be helped to understand the emergence of their own beliefs and values over time. This…

Over the last two decades there has been an increase in the use of qualitative research, particularly in the human sciences. Such a move has resulted in an increasing number of researchers across disciplines using various types of qualitative software specially designed for managing text and facilitating analysis of qualitative data. However, we…