This study observed the different ways in which 11 child care teachers constructed "teaching" in a high-quality program that included children with disabilities. Qualitative analysis revealed that teaching could be conceptualized as comprising four contexts consisting of a range of behaviors, practices, or beliefs about teaching: environmental,…

Reports on an exploratory study examining the conditions that contribute to the frequency with which social studies teachers use groupwork. Uses both quantitative and qualitative methods. Finds that the factors contributing to use of groupwork are school and classroom factors, and teaching objectives. (SLM)

Presented is a case study of a Science/Technology/Society course. Described are the specific goals and objectives of the course and the design of the study. The results of the study and the validity and transferability of this type of assessment are discussed. (CW)

Compares a discussion of class and gender by English upper-class girls with girls from lower-class families. Found both shared a perception of the problems of girlhood; but unlike the students from the comprehensive schools, upper-class females were uncomfortable with feminist theory. Analyzes the differences as discursive. (NL)

Describes four mathematics teachers' classroom discussions with small groups in their first year secondary (11-12 years old) classrooms. Analyzes interview results from one student in each group. Topic of the classroom was division of fractions. (YP)

Reviews the seven papers presented at a symposium entitled "Perennial Issues in Qualitative Research," part of the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association (San Francisco, California, 1986), and included in this issue. Discusses the demonstrated usefulness of qualitative methods in educational research, and also…

Explores the experiences of four Canadian prospective primary teachers during an eight-week practicum. Suggests that subjects' conformity to cooperating teachers' practices was not passive acceptance of the status quo, but rather a response to their interpretations of the constraints of being a student teacher. Contains 46 references. (Author/SV)

Describes an ethnographic study of the electronic community comprised of masters and doctoral students involved in a seminar on networking. Ethnographic research facilitated observation and description of the networked learning community. The exploration of the cultural meaning of class events led to enhanced understanding of online education and…

Describes a preliminary evaluation of classroom use of compact disc interactive (CD-I) and Commodore Dynamic Total Vision (CDTV) interactive media systems. Information is provided on the pedagogical, operational, and logistical characteristics of these media compared to interactive video. Problems of poorly designed or inappropriate software and…

Discussion of teacher education and the use of interactive multimedia focuses on two studies conducted at Arizona State University that provided qualitative data on the effectiveness of Teaching Mathematics Methods Using Interactive Videodisc, a prototype developed for an elementary mathematics education methods course. (LRW)

This paper considers nonempirical trends in Western thought and applies them to special education. Critical theory, postmodernism (a world view), and narrative as a form of interpretive research are introduced. A discussion and accompanying table identify characteristics of good qualitative research. (DB)

This ethnographic study observed five hearing-impaired children in public settings with their mothers. It discusses the families' busy schedules, reaction of the mother to her child when out in public, reaction of the mother to strangers, and communication between the hearing-impaired child and institutional figures such as doctors and day care…

Identifies the unsophisticated assumptions and conjectures, both intuitive and empirical in character, underlying secondary school science students' (n=25) portrayal of scientific knowledge and its production. Structured interview protocols explored not only the students' substantive knowledge base but, perhaps more important, their ability to…

Presents a study conducted to investigate the subjective experiences of a teacher making the transition from a traditional textbook, content-dispensing approach to a problem-solving approach to teaching science. Although outward changes in teaching materials and strategy are evidenced, the teacher shows little change in beliefs about the teacher's…

Questions that beginning educational researchers and evaluators will have to answer are discussed concerning: (1) which intellectual tradition to select; (2) the roles of basic and theoretical inquiry; (3) qualitative and quantitative distinctions; (4) the theory-practice relationship; (5) political influences; and (6) the correct emphasis on…