An ethnographic study observed a kindergarten classroom community, as "Peley" (of Southeast Asian origin) and "Raji" (of Indian origin) interacted with students and staff to develop their English literacy. Data included field notes collected at home and at the suburban, central New York elementary school. In-depth interviews…

Representing part of the first phase of a 5-year ethnographic research project, this report explores connections between school achievement and Irish ethnicity. Part 1 of the report reviews Irish history from 400 B.C. through the Irish famines of the mid-1800s, highlighting England's cultural and economic suppression of Ireland. Part 2 describes…

The International Media section of this collection of conference presentations contains the following 15 papers: "Testing the Interaction of the Third-Person Effect and Spiral of Silence in a Political Pressure Cooker: The Case of Hong Kong" (Lars Willnat); "The Use of Small State Variables in Research on Coverage of Foreign Policy:…

This book is based on research conducted in a bilingual, (Spanish and English) working-class neighborhood third-grade classroom. It is a qualitative, ethnographic study of the classroom as a system that uses exemplary teaching to show how whole language learning can be explained as a tension between personal invention and social convention. The…

Focusing on the emerging nature of teacher voice in educational change, this ethnographic study examined the process of teacher-initiated change through collaborative research in an elementary school. Four elementary school teachers, their principal, and a university professor were involved in the research. Qualitative data was collected through…

In the spring semester of 1997 an ethnographic study of the teaching of personal narrative at Boston College was conducted. A doctoral student worked with an undergraduate who wrote a personal narrative about her alcoholic father. Two issues arise when teaching autobiographical writing: potential problems with psycho-cognitive distance between…

Use of ethnographic methods to assess learning and staff development needs for workplace adult education programs is discussed, focusing on the teacher's role as ethnographic researcher. Four stages of ethnographic research are identified: (1) open-ended, inductive study; (2) structured observation; (3) analysis; and (4) speculation and sharing of…

The Knight Scholars Program--a collaborative project between Heritage College (Washington), three local school districts, and one tribal school--aimed to increase the number of Native American teachers in Washington. The project sought to develop programs to facilitate the teacher preparation of Native American instructional aides and to assist…

This study investigated how and why high school students in Papua New Guinea may resist education, particularly as these factors affect individual identity and academic success. The study was in response to concern over declining student achievement. In a coastal village and two schools in the provincial capital, informal interviews were conducted…

This book is designed to provide knowledge about educational research and to help graduate students in education organize and conduct their own research. No prior familiarity with the principles, procedures, or terminology of educational research is required. Chapters are: (1) "Educational Research: Its Nature and Rules of Operation"; (2) "Types…

A study examined simultaneously household and elementary classroom life, and collaborated closely with teachers to develop implications for the teaching of literacy. The study consisted of three main, interrelated activities: an ethnographic analysis of the use and transmission of knowledge and skills within and among households (represented by 24…

This annotated bibliography includes 438 selected references to books, journal articles, essays within edited volumes, and dissertations that provide significant information about peaceful societies. Peaceful societies are groups that have developed harmonious social structures that allow them to get along with each other, and with outsiders,…

This case study presents findings from a year-long ethnographic study of a principal of an elementary school in a stable, urban environment. It concludes one of seven studies conducted in elementary and intermediate schools in urban, suburban, and rural settings to investigate the instructional management role of principals. Although previous…

A classroom ethnographic study of the uses of sound was conducted in church- and state-sponsored kindergartens in Haifa, Israel, and Konstanz, West Germany. Three German and four Israeli classes were selected for systematic study. Structured observations were made of class activities, the uses of space, and salient movements in the classroom.…

Many of the arguments in the Victoria Department of Education, Australia, against the involvement of school councils in the selection of principals are based on careerism, opportunism, and protectionism. To move away from the lock-step adherence to the values that lead to accession by seniority requires the application of democratic methods.…