Maintains that autobiography, as a form of qualitative research methodology, has the ability to incorporate a deep sense of the intricate relationships of the meaning and process of artistic practice and its embeddedness in cultural influences, personal experiences, and aspirations. Provides specific examples of how to use autobiographical…

Attempts to document the process of being immersed in the discipline of visual art making by presenting excerpts from an artist's studio diary. Includes post-diary commentaries on the excerpts and a discussion of how this process informed the artwork. Includes photographs of artworks produced during this period. (MJP)

Classroom interactions of seventh-grade girls and boys who differed in confidence in their ability to learn mathematics were compared. Boys were involved in more public interactions with their teacher than girls. High-and low-confidence students differed very little in their interactions with the teacher. (Author/DC)

Discussion of group processes in computer assisted instruction highlights a research program being developed in the United Kingdom to explore computer groupwork with 9-to 12-year-olds. Variables to be considered in the research strategy are described, data collection methods are explained, and student attitudes and teacher roles are discussed. (24…

This article reports results of a case study of text-based online and CD-ROM databases that identified design characteristics that are important to high school students' use for higher-level learning as well as for information access and retrieval. Implications for the design of databases are suggested. (Contains 62 references.) (LRW)

Examines strategies used by Hmong adults learning to read and write in their first language. Data collected through classroom observation and translation from Hmong research assistants identified cooperative learning behavior, learning through example, concern with explicit direction and reluctance to perform in front of others as predominant…

Presents results from elementary school classroom uses of the Computer Supported Integrated Learning Environments (CSILE) software that stores student productions, including text and graphics, in one database to which all users have simultaneous access. Educational uses, effects, and outcomes of CSILE are described; and knowledge construction is…

This study examined the language use practices of three bilingual students enrolled in a fourth-grade class and of the class as a whole. The study found that most children reported using greater amounts of English as they progressed through the grades, and that children consistently held very positive attitudes toward Spanish and bilingualism.…

A study used classroom observation in a two-way Spanish immersion kindergarten to identify aspects of the classroom environment that permitted and promoted participation by the English-speaking children despite their limited Spanish proficiency. Two participation structures were analyzed: teacher-directed lessons and child-centered activities.…

This study quantified possible changes in the classroom learning experiences of high- and low-ability pupils, which might accompany an organizational change from streamed to mixed-ability classes for science learning in secondary schools. Deteriorations in the quality of the classroom interactions of both high- and low-ability pupils were found.…

Reports findings from a double-blind, paired stable-outlier study of the relationships between aggregated student achievement test scores and extended school, classroom, and student observations in Louisiana schools. (SH)

Compared patterns of group interaction for (n=28) fifth- and sixth-grade students during small group discussions designed to reduce misconceptions related to division. Highly interactive patterns of discourse were found to be associated with effective learning. (Contains 25 references.) (MKR/Author)

Maintains that three curriculum goals (understanding, appreciation, and life application) lie at the core of constructivist teaching and should guide methods of assessment. Authentic assessment techniques could include the evaluation of students' written positions on important issues, descriptions of what they have learned, and student portfolios.…

Examines problems with representing poststructuralist research. Argues that researchers' positioning within major discourses governing education may have as much influence on what is seen in classrooms as does physical positioning. Challenges researchers to make explicit their underlying interests and agendas. Uses a study of gender-role…

A program on Hmong culture, language, and history was implemented in a diverse, urban, public elementary school. Observations of two Hmong students while in the Hmong program and in their regular classroom were compared. Being in a classroom with children of the same language and background, as well as having a Hmong teacher, promoted higher…