Guidelines for the implementation of qualitative methods in special education research are offered, addressing rigor, sample selection, data collection, and data management/analysis. Five possible pitfalls are identified, including the quantitative-qualitative methods debate, premature data collection, the tendency to use a linear procedural…

This article interprets epistemological bias in recent educational research. It examines the qualitative research text as a culture form; analyzes the concepts of voice, hearing, listening, reading, and text; critically appraises attempts to recover and re-present the "voice" of the other; and proposes how this voice and presence can be…

This qualitative interview study examined mentor and intern relationships in one state-mandated beginning teacher internship program. Interviews with mentors and interns indicated that they jointly constructed their relationships. The relationships were undergirded by mutual respect and trust. Interns needed mentors who mainly supported them as…

Five authors representing diverse perspectives comment on the revised "Program Evaluation Standards" approved by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). Standards are considered in light of their development; measurement issues; program evaluation; evaluation in the local education agency; and the context of evaluation…

Reports the responses of families in Kansas who live with a seriously emotionally disturbed and violent child. Contains interview responses to specific questions posed to family members about how they counter the child's aggression, how they deal with acting out, how they de-escalate tension, how they rebuild the caring bonds, and how they manage.…

Researchers agree that academic self-efficacy beliefs are strongly predictive of academic performance. This study investigates four students' perceptions of the evolution of their efficacy beliefs about writing and of the relationship between these beliefs and their writing competence. (JPS)

A naturalistic study of Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) development included an examination of parent-professional relationships. Relationship quality and control issues emerged as significant factors in parent-staff interactions. A model is presented that can be used to monitor progress in implementing family-centered approaches.…

This article describes the status of qualitative research in applied linguistics and English as a Second Language (ESL), identifying trends through an informal survey of professional journals, an examination of relevant qualitative studies and research methods texts, and a presentation of the views of researcher methodologists. (88 references)…

Qualitative and quantitative techniques, including a telephone survey of 310 Taiwanese business owners, were used to study the unique features of Taiwanese immigrant businesses in Los Angeles (California). When provided with entrepreneurial capital, Taiwanese enterprises grow rapidly in the context of Los Angeles's economic restructuring. (SLD)

Examines the experience of four female therapists working with male sex offenders on an outpatient basis, and the variety of difficulties that they faced in maintaining care of the perpetrators. Four general themes emerged: developing a positive view of perpetrators, managing client beliefs and behaviors, controlling personal reactivity, and the…

Reports a study to examine the role of context on the ability to interpret graphs. Graph tests involving 2 ecological contexts were presented to 14- and 15-year-old students (n=23) in the form of an interview. Results indicated how students used their contextual knowledge in interpreting the graphs. (MDH)

Discusses issues involved with selecting a methodology and data analysis technique for studying divergent views of the family. Qualitative and quantitative methods, and linear and nonlinear models, are described. Statistical and theoretical issues regarding the use of discrepancy scores are examined. (BC)

Describes a classroom in which the teacher has developed a sense of community through her emphasis on whole-language instruction. Describes the organizational patterns of both the teacher's and the children's activities in this exemplary whole-language classroom. Documents instances of collaboration and student choice. (SR)

The use of qualitative data in the refinement of a research program in human immunodeficiency virus studies in a military population is described. Three mechanisms of patient participation (a protocol advisor, a participant advisory panel, and focus groups) provided important feedback for adapting the research process. (SLD)

Describes a study that used quantitative data from a mailed survey and qualitative data produced from focused interviews to explore what effects an academic boycott had on faculty members at South African universities. Differences in the effects of the boycott in science and technology, humanities, and social science are examined. (Contains 15…