To obtain practitioner input on the research agenda for adult basic education (ABE), practitioner leaders from the Practitioner Dissemination and Research Network (PRDN) conducted nine focus groups with ABE practitioners in their states. The focus groups examined three topics: issues that concern practitioners in ABE; ways practitioners see their…

The 1998 Work Force Development Study focuses on Spartanburg Technical College's (STC's) (South Carolina) role in preparing new workers and training/retraining the current workforce. Surveys were mailed to employers in business and industry--the response rate was 10%. In addition, a series of focus groups, including various business, industry,…

This report presents results of focus groups which addressed critical issues identified by a Tennessee study as creating the greatest barriers to the expansion of quality supported employment for persons with disabilities. After an initial introduction, a section explains the interagency Tennessee Initiative on Employment (TIE) in which 20…

As part of a project which evaluated online public access catalogs (OPAC's) through analyses of library patrons' needs and perceptions, self-administered questionnaires were completed by library patrons who were OPAC users and non-users at nine academic and public libraries. Focus group interviews were conducted with OPAC users and non-users, as…

In today's era of global competition, organizations must manage their functions and activities in a manner such that they are responsive to customers' needs and can provide excellence in service to the customer while also being efficient and cost conscious. These issues are extremely common in corporate organizations, but such concerns are equally…

This paper reports on a case study aimed at developing a better understanding of the different dimensions of blended learning technology. Drawing upon learners' experiences, it examines the circumstances in which learners are more likely to choose among different learning preferences and explores learners' preferences for human and online learning…

This training is designed to help learners improve their transition processes through more effective planning, implementation, and evaluation. By the end of training, participants should be able to: (1) form a comprehensive transition team; (2) initiate a needs assessment process; and (3) explain how to conduct a focus group; (4) initiate a…

In the fall of 2003, PACER Center's Parent Partnership Project for Children's Mental Health conducted a survey to better understand what parents and families need from the children's mental health system in Minnesota. The research team developed a survey questionnaire, a telephone interview, and a focus group session directed at learning what was…

This paper presents the background procedure and outcomes of a study of two Year 1 classrooms, one in Seattle, Washington, and the other in Sydney, Australia, that engaged in the constructivist learning experiences of a social studies unit, "Families in Their Neighborhoods" (McGuire, 1997). The unit employed the "Storypath" planning and teaching…

Researchers are aware that grouping students by prior knowledge may result in moderate gains in intermediate grade students' mathematics achievement. Despite this research, many teachers continue to teach the way they were taught: one curriculum for all students regardless of students' readiness. Additionally, researchers have raised concerns…

Eastlake High School, a high school in a district in the Seattle (Washington) suburbs, opened a new campus in 1993. The school agreed to work with the Washington Research Institute to examine reform efforts in the developing school. The focus was on ensuring that the needs of special education students were being met as the school unfolded its…

This report discusses the findings of a project that conducted a series of six focus groups to gather information from different employee groups about their perceptions of issues pertaining to the employment of individuals with disabilities. Focus groups were convened with human resource managers, supervisors, and coworkers of employees with…

The Tomas Rivera Policy Institute conducted focus groups in the summer of 1997 to gain insight into why there is a gap in computer ownership between Hispanic middle-class families and non-Hispanic families of the same middle class income bracket (between 25 and 50 thousand dollars). Results from 6 focus groups of 15 to 20 heads of household each…

This study of Utah single welfare parents attempts to respond to several questions. What are the characteristics of this population, especially with respect to self-sufficiency? For instance, what percentage of the population requiring child care, has completed job training, etc.? What segments exist in the population? What are the clusters of…

As a followup to a survey of distance education faculty, the National Education Association conducted two 3-hour focus groups with 12 higher education faculty members in June 2000. The purpose of the groups was to gain more understanding of the complexity of feelings and opinions expressed in a telephone survey conducted in March 2000. The…