A mixed-method program evaluation, concurrently using both qualitative interview data and quantitative questionnaire data, was conducted. It illustrated significant design and analysis issues related to integrating quantitative and qualitative methods, specifically between-method and cross-paradigm triangulation. (Author/GDC)

This book discusses two major approaches to social science research: quantitative research, which involves converting observations to numbers and analyzing them statistically; and qualitative research, which looks at participants' opinions, behaviors, and experiences from their own points of view and in a more subjective way. In the book,…

In a debate in the Forum section of the "TESOL Quarterly", Jones and Silva (1998) exchanged views about the merits and demerits of teacher-assigned themes and topics in tertiary-level EFL/ESL writing classes. However, much more remains to be explored. Should teachers assign the topics of papers, or even the content themes for the entire…

Purpose: Despite medical schools having some system in place to review student progress and promote students (referred to hereafter as academic review and promotions; ARP), little research has been done with the purpose of understanding personality characteristics of the students who appear before an ARP committee or governing body. A recent study…

This qualitative study followed 41 fourth- and fifth-grade students from the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 through December of that year, in an attempt to understand how these students were affected by the attacks and subsequent government actions. Class assignments and teachers' anecdotal journals were analyzed. Through their work and…

A study examined the dynamics present in middle-level schools to identify the issues of concern to parents, teachers, and the greater school community. It also attempted to identify those strategies used successfully by school leaders in response to those concerns. Four middle schools in different areas of the United States participated. The…

Written for students, educators, and researchers, "Methods in Educational Research" offers a refreshing introduction to the principles of educational research. Designed for the real world of educational research, the book's approach focuses on the types of problems likely to be encountered in professional experiences. Reflecting the…

This book provides those new to the field with a blend of practical and theoretical information. The author addresses a spectrum of recent information about the process of qualitative educational research and brings together in one volume the essential elements of all aspects of the field. The text: (1) Introduces traditions and influences in the…

Using as a starting point the painting "Las Meninas" by Velasquez, which depicts the painter within his painting, this paper discusses the interpretive paradigm in research and, within it, the value of metaphor as a research tool. Example situations from an ethnographic study of a master teacher and her kindergarten in Lisbon are used to…

This paper reports on an integrated methodology adopted to help solve the problem of accessing boys' fleeting, mobile, and often unvoiced self-work during the process of constructing their gender identity. The study is part of a larger investigation examining the experience and education of boys and young men in relation to matters of sexual…

The push to integrate computer-assisted instruction in the curriculum is a phenomenon experienced by many teachers at all levels of instruction. However, questions remain unanswered regarding the effect that such technology will have on both the communicative instructional style of the teacher and on the learning process of the students. To…

In civic journalism classes, students set aside the philosophy of "objectivity" that rules traditional journalism in order to develop closer relationships with community residents and understand their needs. Thus, civic journalism lends itself well to introductory service-learning courses. But students from privileged backgrounds often…

Noting that the German educational reform movement has deviated significantly from the international norm with its emphasis on progressive education and open instruction reminiscent of the 1960s, this study examined the elementary school reform movement in Germany, using analytical frameworks drawn from policy analysis and sociological theory, to…

Leslie Herrenkohl's work in science (1998) has demonstrated that introducing "problem-solving steps" and "audience roles" to an elementary classroom can have a dramatic impact on rates of student engagement as measured through classroom talk. It is not known to what extent the success of the intervention was due to its…

This document summarizes a doctoral dissertation that examined activities in school libraries, including educational and leisure activities. The research focused on how pupils in two senior high schools in Norway use the school library in their everyday life at school, who the users are, and what use of the library means to them. The focus was…