Addresses the following issues, as illustrated by methodological features of a year-long ethnography of two high-school English classes: (1) the particular features and purposes of ethnography as a research genre; (2) the contributions it has made; and (3) the greatest challenges facing the ethnographer. (TB)

A qualitative study of teacher educators investigated their ideological discourses. A number of ideologies were found to inform their work, though the social orientation tended toward conservatism rather than transformation. The paper claims that the recognition of multiple conservative discourses allows for possibilities for change in teacher…

Examined the academic literacy experiences and coping strategies of five English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) students during their first semester at an American university. Results found that the students came to the United States with a battery of well-elaborated strategies for dealing with the academic work load they would face. (contains 34…

Reports a study of 10 preservice biology teachers' subject matter structure (SMS). Using qualitative methods, the researchers sought to discover the nature and source of the SMS, the stability, and the relationship to the act of teaching. Among the conclusions are that these preservice teachers do not appear cognizant of their SMSs and that the…

Discusses seven propositions concerning science teacher preservice education. Authors describe the results of a study investigating the experiences and processes of change in 15 preservice teachers. Among the findings are that students did not progressively and sequentially address and surmount the different levels of teacher concern that were…

Beliefs about mathematics of 26 junior and senior high school students were explored using interviews conducted before and after exposure to problem-solving software. A concept model of subjects' general beliefs about mathematics and their relationships was developed. Data analysis did not indicate any change in beliefs about mathematics following…

Interview data exemplify students' attempts to integrate the concepts of electrochemistry with related knowledge that they had previously constructed or acquired in other classes. The implications for minimizing potential misconceptions center on the difficulties students experience when using more than one model for explaining scientific…

Discusses children's ideas about colored objects and colored shadows, with special attention to the organization of these ideas into mental models. The clarification of these models provides instructional tools that serve to assess and confront students' naive conceptions. Subjects were visitors to a science museum who engaged in interactive…

Interviewed 14 psychotherapy clients about their recollections of therapy session. Major category derived from grounded theory analysis of interviews was client's deference to therapist (concern about therapist's approach, fear of criticizing therapist, understanding therapist's frame of reference, meeting perceived expectations of therapist,…

Outlines methodology employed during six-month period to integrate quantitative and qualitative research results. The project, involving mainstreamed learning-disabled students' problems with homework assignments, was designed to study educational issues through use of directed focus groups in which groups discuss specific topic in detail.…

Presents an interim report on a study of 26 secondary school students' ability to seek, find, and use information to produce science-related video documentaries. Topics discussed include barriers to learning and the impact of prior learning, other life skills, production, and the subject matter itself on learning. (KRN)

Examines the basic tenets of qualitative, or naturalistic, research methods in terms of their grounding in social science and their value to library and information science research. Topics discussed include the research problems; data collection, including interviews; data analysis, including content analysis; theory development; and ensuring…

Examines the strengths and weaknesses of interpretive and quantitative research methods in comparative developmental research. Cites three recent studies of the Yupno, Fiji, and Mayan peoples to show how the interpretive approach contributes to the understanding of the meaning of behavior in context whereas the quantitative approach contributes a…

Presents a qualitative study of an Amish elementary school where classroom management and teaching methods prepare children to cope with their everyday lifestyle. Religious values are reinforced with reading lessons and Bible study. The article concludes with a brief description of Amish culture and lifestyle. (SM)

Rather than rehash the scholarly debate about appropriate inquiry modes, this article presents an alternative philosophical framework (based on the American Indian medicine wheel) through which to view the quantitative-qualitative issue. The article also discusses practical considerations of the debate and examines implications for research,…