This ethnographic study examined school literacy experiences of 10 young students with Down syndrome over two years. Two broad definitions of literacy were identified. When reading was a hierarchy of psychologically deduced subskills, children with Down syndrome were usually excluded, but when literacy was the construction of shared meaning in…

This article reviews the literature on high school athletics and the dynamics of athlete-coach relationships, describes the methodology of an ethnographic study of the culture of an inner-city high school swim team, and examines the characteristics and impact of one coach as he encouraged high academic achievement and talent development in his…

Uses ethnographic methods to examine cultural norms regarding inclusion and cooperation at a multiethnic middle school serving predominantly working-class Caucasians and Chicanos. The principal's strong leadership and the cultural congruity of socioeconomic norms help explain the high degree of cooperation and inclusion in the school. (SLD)

An ethnographic research project of the Center on Families, Communities, Schools, and Children's Learning focused on exploring how 137 urban African American families of different structures and income levels promoted and supported children's early school success. Survey data provide a positive picture of parent involvement and African American…

Maintains that the studies presented in this collection combine cultural with political analyses to illuminate educational processes. Elaborates on the key constructs, including contextualization with agency, sociopolitical dynamics in designing school practices, and personal self-definition in relation to sociocultural context. (Author/KB)

Discusses problems women academic scientists in India face because of gender. Women scientists are aware of how their position in the academy is different from that of men but have not made efforts to address their problems collectively. States that these women have a feminist perspective of a kind but have been disassociated from the women's…

Reviews three qualitative case studies on the educational systems of Japan, the United States, and Germany, conducted as a component of the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS). States that the studies provide a basis for understanding the differences in mathematics and science achievement among Japan, Germany, and the United…

Understanding culture is a critical part of the work of creating educational environments that meet the needs of diverse students. The three ethnographic works reviewed in this article can, each in its own way, inform the work of crafting an educational practice that is more responsive to students' cultural heritage. (BF)

The purpose of this study was to investigate the beliefs of six experienced high school science teachers about (1) what is successful science learning; (2) what are the purposes of laboratory in science teaching; and (3) how inquiry is implemented in the classroom. An interpretive multiple case study with an ethnographic orientation was used. The…

I use examples from my ethnographic work on early childhood education and care settings in Japan and France to demonstrate that quality standards are cultural constructs and to question the universality of such core U.S. standards of quality in ECEC as low student-teacher ratios and multicultural curricula. My argument is that quality standards…

The facilitation of experiences through group discussion is well documented in adventure education literature. Using an ethnomethodological approach this article draws attention to how the leader in these facilitation sessions structures the discussions. It is argued that the current practice of facilitation based on verbal discussions conducted…

Parents know adolescents can be cruel. They do not want their child rejected by peers. What is it like to be denigrated by one's middle school classmates? How common is a predatory anti-teacher peer culture in junior high school? Does it typically last into high school? How do peer norms of different crowds in a school get established? Who sets…

This article describes a four-year ethnographic and pedagogical project set in an urban community with historical ties to rural Appalachia. It begins with a close reading of pedagogical discourse situated in an after-school reading project for preteen girls. It then traces the deep roots of language seeped in class meanings--words such as "nasty"…

This article, focuses on the experiences of two Ivy League graduates to examine the notion of transformational resistance. Combining data from a two-year ethnographic study with follow-up interviews over a decade, the author analyzes how students acquired skills and credentials that enabled them to serve their tribal communities. Strategies of…

This paper deals with a required methods course, based on the national curriculum of science and technology for junior high schools. The course participants are pre-service teachers who study towards a B.Sc. degree in education in science and technology parallel to their studies in one of the faculties of sciences or engineering. Working in small…