This paper reports on a year-long project in which students participated as both readers and writers of blogs. Specifically, this study examines the steps students progress through while reading and writing blogs, students' reactions to blogging, and how self-expression is characterised in the blogosphere. Data from student blogs, reports, and…

The purpose of this study was to determine methods for and barriers to including students with disabilities in high school service learning programs (HSSLPs) with non-disabled peers. Focus groups were conducted with adult stakeholders at five schools nominated as having exemplary inclusive HSSLPs and at least 3 years experience implementing such…

States that employing a Chicana feminist epistemology in educational research is one means of resisting traditional models. Presents a framework that uses the concept of cultural institutions, which are derived from personal experience, existing literature, professional experience, and analytical research. (SK)

Describes how an educator can use focus groups as part of an action research agenda. Includes tips for conducting and evaluating focus groups. (Author)

Purpose: This study aimed to develop home care quality indicators (HCQIs) to be used by a variety of audiences including consumers, agencies, regulators, and policy makers to support evidence-based decision making related to the quality of home care services. Design and Methods: Data from 3,041 Canadian and 11,252 U.S. home care clients assessed…

Sweeping changes to the Medicare program embodied in the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003 (MMA), including a new prescription drug benefit, changes in payment policies, and reform of the Medicare managed-care program, have major implications for rural health care. The most efficient mechanism for research to…

This study considers the effectiveness of initial teacher education in one university college in Northern Ireland in preparing students for teaching in an increasingly diverse society and promoting a culture of tolerance. A cohort of 168 students in their final year were surveyed and this was followed by three focus group interviews. The findings…

In a qualitative investigation of young feminists' experience of body consciousness, 25 feminist women each participated in one of 6 focus groups examining the ways they experienced body image and negotiated cultural messages about women's appearance. Participants described their experience with objectification and its impact on their body image,…

In these days where "accountability" is the byword, organizations more and more frequently seek to evaluate their programs. They often hire outside evaluators to help them assess the effectiveness of their programs, to find out what works and what doesn't, and to determine what programmatic changes would be beneficial. ActKnowledge, a…

Adults looking to gain a foothold in the changing economy are seeking a college degree in greater numbers. Yet, their "non-traditional" characteristics--part-time enrollment, full-time employment, financial independence, and/or parental responsibilities--create needs and priorities that differ from those of traditional students and make it…

Financial aid-related information and services are provided to students and families in a variety of ways. The timing of when information is shared with these groups also varies. Financial aid information is typically provided through events sponsored by high schools, colleges and universities, and multiple community and government-sponsored…

This agenda item provides a progress report on the Commission's advisory committee that is examining community college services in rural and remote areas of the state. Two policy solutions under consideration by the committee are discussed. The item also describes a focus-group research protocol that is being developed to elicit student input.

The Korean film "My Sassy Girl" was very popular among young people in urban China in 2001. After the release of the movie, the new image of the "sassy girl" emerged in different media. This study uses the media image of the sassy girl as a stimulus material in interviews and focus groups to explore how young men and women make…

This article deals with the impact on Catholic teachers resulting from the inclusion of non-Catholic students in Catholic schools. Deriving findings from focus groups of Catholic teachers drawn from four urban Western Canadian Catholic high schools, this article proffers that although inclusion heightens Catholic teachers' uncertainty regarding…

In contrast to other countries in Southeast Asia, the HIV/ AIDS epidemic is in the initial stages in Viet Nam, although the rates have increased notably since 1997. This study examined attitudes towards the use of an HIV vaccine (when one becomes available) as a means for preventing the disease. Since injecting drug users are the great majority of…