Argues that, though ethnography is a powerful methodology, it has rarely been used by educational researchers. Describes the research tradition of ethnography, compares ethnography with more common educational research practices, and discusses advantages of improved commuication for both mathematics education and educational anthrpology. (PK)

Presents findings of ethnographic research on children's talk and behavior, specifically routines in spontaneous peer play and verbal routines in structured activities. Concludes that instructional strategies should incorporate some of the features of children's play routines and peer culture. (SRT)

Examines the historical development of educational anthropology in the context of the growth of professionalism and specialization of anthropology as a whole. Discusses several factors: 1954 Stanford Conference; organization of the Council on Anthropology and Education; changing economic support for anthropology; and modifications in…

The monochromatic view of early anthropologists tended toward oversimplification, reductionism, and the notion that all cultures were internally consistent. This view must be replaced by a "dual vision" which sees field research as an intercultural exchange. The dual vision can also apply to education, another field concerned with ethnicity,…

Ethnographic interviews with 23 college-aged women revealed most considered few career alternatives, relied on easily accessible information sources, made choices early in life, stayed with the choice, and decided to either "earn money" or "stay at home." The others considered several alternatives, pursued them, and linked them to relationships…

Ethnography provides a means to carry out interpretive science; it offers an alternative research perspective for vocational education and can be used to address questions concerning larger issues in the field. Interpretive science provides the appropriate research paradigm for those research questions studied by an ethnographer. (Author)

Included here are eight responses to the Courtney Cazden-Judith Kleinfeld dialogue (Spring and Winter 1983) on the role of anthropology and ethnography in education, and particularly teacher education. Responses touch on training for cross-cultural teaching, change as the status quo in education, and the integration of ethnographic and…

Challenges existing assumptions about literacy and literacy learning in an effort to both demonstrate and explore the transactive potentials of theory and methodology in the study of literacy. (HOD)

Teaching is a form of public service that may give personal fulfillment to those who are involved in it. It is important to highlight the personal dimensions of teaching along with the professional dimensions to help illustrate the teacher's role as a public servant. This paper discusses the practice of one Portuguese kindergarten teacher…

A four-year ethnographic study was conducted at St. Olaf College and examined six assumptions about student attitudes toward writing. The study, involving administration of the Writers Block instrument, writing samples, and several interviews with three students over their 4 years in college, evaluated the following assumptions: (1) that once…

This paper problematizes the role of caring in women's persistence in literacy programs. The paper draws from the author/researcher's doctoral research, a study of 10 mid-life multi-ethnic Adult Basic Education and English as a Second Language women learners and their lifelong experiences of literacy, schooling, and learning, both inside and…

An ethnographic study explored the social dynamics behind the discipline statistics provided by referrals. This paper describes the social context that creates the educational environment where social capital is generated and/or denied, starting with the application of detention as the initial step toward issuing referrals, considered a more…

A qualitative, interpretive case study utilized ethnographic techniques to discover what happens, and what preservice teachers think about what happens, within a credited community service learning component for a multicultural education course. Subjects were 24 preservice teachers studied as one case. Three roles and perspectives that emerged…

Evidence is presented from an ethnographic study of an eighth grade pre-algebra teacher's classroom in support of the idea that teachers' beliefs about the ontology and epistemology of math profoundly influence how they teach and thus what students learn. Specifically, beliefs based on a traditional view of mathematics as procedurally-based are…

A study examined Portuguese-speaking parents' involvement in and feelings about their special-needs children's education. Ethnographic interviews were conducted, in either English or Portuguese, with nine Portuguese-speaking limited-English-proficient and bilingual parents (eight mothers and one father) of severely challenged children. The report…