This sixth article in the Performance Technologist's Toolbox series focuses on the critical incident method of data collection. Critical incidents are narrative descriptions of important events that occur on the job and how employees behave in those situations. Critical incidents document the work context, the specific situation that arose, the…

Based on a national project to collect "diaries of 1,000 adult learners," this book contains the writings of men and women from across Britain about the joys and challenges of learning. Some write about courses such as those run by further education colleges or Open University, Workers' Educational Association, and Women's Institute.…

An introductory two-semester education course for preservice elementary school teachers addresses in the first semester the topics of childhood, and how the family and society relate to teaching. In the second semester topics include children in the classroom, teaching philosophies, and professional issues. Student writing is used as a feedback…

It is important that teachers help students to realize that writing is not simply a product, or a means to an end, but an exploratory, cyclical process. Research has shown that skilled writers conceptualize the effect of their writing as a whole, as a generative process, whereas unskilled writers are distracted by surface-level features and are…

The use of student journals in teaching introductory psychology was investigated at Kansas State University. Students in both a small honors class and a large general psychology lecture were asked to keep a journal with at least one entry weekly. While they were encouraged to relate course material to their own lives, nothing was restricted. The…

A report of the first year of war and peace studies at an undergraduate institution is based on data from student evaluations, material from student journals, discussion with participating faculty, and observations of the program coordinator. The rationale of the experiment--to implement a program relevant to students, to encourage a dialogue…

When English as a second language teachers reversed traditional roles and became learners of a foreign language (Chinese), analysis of their diary entries revealed that the role reversal made the teachers reconsider the roles of praise, grammar, repetition, revision, and communicative teaching. (CB)

Based on "Zlata's Diary: A Child's Life in Sarajevo" by Zlata Filipovic, this lesson plan presents activities designed to help students understand that historical drama, like other historical fiction, is rooted in history but contains imaginary elements as well; and that the author describes in her diary what it was like to be a teenager in…

Analyzed the diaries of Chinese students of English as a Second Language to ascertain their beliefs and knowledge about their listening to English. Findings indicate that many retained clear ideas about their own role and performance as second-language listeners, the demands and procedures of this listening, as well as listening strategies. (13…

Describes several ways of using journals, diaries, historical documents, and photographs found in attics or closets to provide stimulating classroom activities. Suggests ways of using the accounts and experiences of real people (preferably the ancestors of students) to enliven history and create interest in historical topics. (GEA)

Traces the development of a social studies curriculum in Botswana through journal entries and commentary covering a five-month period. Identifies advantages and disadvantages of developing curriculum in this particular location. Suggests an agenda for future action. (KO)

Used qualitative data from structured written diaries and observational data to compare the typical work performed during one day by child care staff, early childhood teachers, and administrators in England. Content analyses revealed a picture of the complexity of work, highlighting similarities and differences in work by people with different job…

Interviewed 32 families concerning their narrative practices, basic information about the children's story attachments, and the mothers' beliefs and practices concerning their children's attachments. Found that story attachments were social in two ways: Children created relationships with story characters, and formed story attachments with…

This qualitative study, employing an ethnographic research method, investigates how dialogue journal writing, which allows teachers and learners to engage in "written conversation", may provide an opportunity to bring critical pedagogy and foreign language education together in a productive way in the context of a critical literacy…

The Saskatchewan Mood Inventory (SMI) is a caregiver-focused assessment and research tool that was designed to enhance understanding of the emotional experiences of individuals with dementia and to identify relationships between level of cognitive impairment and family member ratings of pleasant and unpleasant emotional responses during daily…