This study focuses on similarities and differences in expectations of cooperating teachers and student teachers in the initial stage of the mentor relationship in the context of an Israeli practicum program for pre-service student teachers. These expectations, particularly when they conflict, can serve as major obstacles to the formation of…

Focus group interviews were held with approximately 60 of the several hundred high school students who are participating in school-to-work transition programs offered through the Kalamazoo County (Michigan) Education for Employment (EFE) consortium, The 10 focus groups held involved 5-8 students each and were distributed across program types as…

In response to research indicating that Asian Pacific American (APA) students were considerably more dissatisfied with programs and services than any other ethnic group, Rancho Santiago Community College (RSCC), in California, conducted a series of focus group interviews with APA students to determine their characteristics and motivations. All…

This report summarizes the employment experiences of 103 individuals with HIV/AIDS in the context of the existing service delivery system. Seventy-four individuals with HIV/AIDS completed surveys about their employment-related experiences. In addition, five focus groups were conducted throughout Massachusetts with 29 individuals with HIV/AIDS.…

This report presents case studies of five American Indian tribes that employed the Tribal Disability Actualization Process for considering disability legislative and policy issues. The first section reviews the history of the relationship between Indian nations and the United States, and addresses the demography of disability among American…

This final report describes the activities and accomplishments of a 3-year model demonstration early intervention network serving infants who are deaf-blind and their families. The primary goal of the project was to build the capacity of early intervention programs. Sixteen early intervention programs participated in at least one component of the…

Public libraries are often a vastly underused resource for businesses and business people. This book shows librarians how to aggressively pursue businesses until they turn naturally to libraries for their information needs. The book provides a step-by-step process which teaches librarians how to identify the information needs of businesses,…

Case studies of focus groups as a useful educational research strategy for evaluating noninstructional interventions are described. Focus groups were used to evaluate the effectiveness of programs in the following Virginia school settings: (1) peer counseling programs in 4 high schools with 49 student counselors; (2) gifted programs in 7…

This study compared the ideas of researchers with those of practitioners in higher education regarding what is considered significant and useful literature in terms of content, methodology, and format. The findings were interpreted in terms of theories of action research and the quality movement. Data were compiled using focus groups of…

This paper explores how students from three different high schools (one all female, one all male changing to coeducation, and one previously all female, and now coeducational) experience school culture, how institutions, through their policies and practices, communicate normative behavior about gender, and how gender is communicated through…

The Talent Development Middle School model is a comprehensive school-change design aimed at raising the academic proficiency of all children in schools where large proportions of children are at risk of failure. Thirty-one teachers in two Philadelphia (Pennsylvania) public middle schools where the model has been piloted evaluated the…

This action research study developed a framework for moving teachers toward an inquiry-based approach to teaching science, emphasizing elements, strategies, and supports necessary to encourage and sustain teachers' use of inquiry-based science instruction. The study involved a literature review, participant observation, focus group discussions,…

This report synthesizes the findings of a week of focused group discussions during which Australian health care workers currently caring for people with human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immune deficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) and tertiary educators involved in designing/delivering curricula in various health and social disciplines shared their…

The purpose of this comparative case study was to explore English language teachers' beliefs, assumptions and knowledge about learner-centeredness and to see how they implement learner-centeredness in their classrooms. The study was conducted at one public and one private primary school in Istanbul. Focus group interviews were held in each school…

This study on barriers to online staff development for classroom teachers was conducted as part of the planning activities of a delivery models project designed to develop guidelines for implementing large-scale online staff development programs. The study involved engaging 54 general and special educators in several professional roles from nine…