This qualitative study investigated P-12 school administrators' perceptions of teacher education candidates' online digital portfolios for hiring purposes. Over the course of three semesters, focus group interviews and an online questionnaire gauged administrators' perceptions of selected candidates' portfolios and how they might be used to help…

This article discusses modern stereoscopic displays for geographic education, focusing on a large-format display--the GeoWall. To evaluate the potential of the GeoWall, geography instructors were asked to express their reactions to images viewed on the GeoWall during a focus group experiment. Instructors overwhelmingly supported using the GeoWall,…

This article reports on parents' perceptions of the way music CDs and DVDs were used with children under the age of five in the home environment. This was part of a study that explored the musical practices of parents with children at home. A survey was sent to parents in three preschools, asking about parental music background, young children's…

Food insecurity in older adults is influenced by financial constraints, functional disability, and isolation. Twenty-eight social- and community-service providers participated in four focus groups to report (a) perceptions and experiences with food insecurity in their older clients, (b) beliefs about their potential role(s) in promoting food…

Genital human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is the most common sexually transmitted virus in the United States, causing genital warts, cervical cell abnormalities, and cervical cancer in women. To inform HPV education efforts, 35 focus groups were conducted with members of the general public, stratified by gender, race/ethnicity, and urban/rural…

This evaluation study, conducted in 2005, examined the impact of the pilot Programme of Inclusive Education of the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment in two States of India: Karnataka and Uttar-Pradesh (U.P.). The dual objective of this evaluation was to assess the usefulness of the programme for children with disabilities and the…

Purpose: This paper aims to examine how students from foundation degrees (FDs) run at local further education colleges coped (academically and to a lesser extent psychologically) with the transition to a final year honours degree at a university. Design/methodology/approach: This paper is based on the experience of FD graduates who joined the…

This article provides a children's rights critique of the concept of "pupil voice". The analysis is founded on Article 12 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, which gives children the right to have their views given due weight in all matters affecting them. Drawing on research conducted on behalf of the Northern…

Multiple perspectives regarding the definition of quality child care, and how child care quality can be improved, were examined using a focus group methodology. Participants were representatives from stakeholder groups in the child care profession, including child care center owners and directors (3 groups), parents (3 groups), child caregivers (3…

This article is concerned with some of the theoretical and methodological complexities of collecting young people's preferences for sexuality education content and using them to inform educational practice. Data are drawn from focus groups and questionnaires undertaken by 16-19-year-olds. Participants' suggestions often reflect dominant discourses…

This article reports findings from a critical ethnographic action research project at a US Midwestern high school in the 2004-2005 academic year. The project engaged seven teacher inquirers in an intercultural peace curricula development process. Data collected from participant observation, from personal interviews and from focus group meetings…

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explore the debate surrounding quality of training as it has unfolded in Australia and how concerns about high non-completion rates have entered the debate. Design/methodology/approach: This paper bases its discussion of quality in VET training on analysis of qualitative data collected from focus groups and…

This study was conducted with the purpose of assessing the Master's program in Library and Information Science at Kuwait University as well as its further development, based on the insights and perceptions of employers, professionals, academics, and students. Three focus group interviews with 32 participants were conducted during spring 2006.…

The importance of group learning has increased significantly in higher education in the past two decades (Houldsworth and Mathews, 2000). The primary focus of this study is to explore the feelings and experience of students regarding group work and group assessment in higher education. The study is exploratory based on a qualitative focus group…

The purpose of this qualitative study was to evaluate if the environment of the National FFA Organization's Nominating Committee training fosters transfer of training to the job they are required to perform, selecting National FFA Officers. Nominating Committee members, advisors, National FFA staff, and National Officer candidates participated in…