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Participatory Action Research (PAR) has gained significant attention in recent decades, particularly in developing youth program and in community-driven field such as sports for development across various group of underserved communities. Participatory action research prioritizes the active involvement of the participants as co-researchers from the initial stages up to closure of the research initiatives through integrating their insights, lived experiences and expertise into the research process to ensure that findings are directly relevant and beneficial to target community. Literature on sports for development suggest that participatory action research is relevant and widely used approach as it aligns well with sport initiatives aiming to develop a sustainable community program for marginalized or underserved communities in low resource settings. This approach has been proven to enable more effective, inclusive, and sustainable solutions, fostering empowerment and resilience especially in marginalized communities. The goals in sports for development often extend beyond physical fitness, focusing instead on social inclusion, community engagement, mental well-being, and skill-building. In PAR method, the needs and priorities of the community are central to the initiative that offer unique opportunities in this context by allowing researchers and participants to co-create program. It is evident that sports-based participatory action research has been particularly effective in empowering youth, addressing gender equality issues, promoting social inclusion, diminishing stigma and discrepancies and supporting people living with disabilities. Despite the potential of participatory action research in sports for development, there is limited systematic evidence on the specific approaches and methods used, the challenges encountered, and the factors contributing to validity and reliability of the project.

Participatory Action Research (PAR) has gained significant attention in recent decades, particularly in developing youth program and in community-driven field such as sports for development across various group of underserved communities. Participatory action research prioritizes the active involvement of the participants as co-researchers from the initial stages up to closure of the research initiatives through integrating their insights, lived experiences and expertise into the research process to ensure that findings are directly relevant and beneficial to target community. Literature on sports for development suggest that participatory action research is relevant and widely used approach as it aligns well with sport initiatives aiming to develop a sustainable community program for marginalized or underserved communities in low resource settings. This approach has been proven to enable more effective, inclusive, and sustainable solutions, fostering empowerment and resilience especially in marginalized communities. The goals in sports for development often extend beyond physical fitness, focusing instead on social inclusion, community engagement, mental well-being, and skill-building. In PAR method, the needs and priorities of the community are central to the initiative that offer unique opportunities in this context by allowing researchers and participants to co-create program. It is evident that sports-based participatory action research has been particularly effective in empowering youth, addressing gender equality issues, promoting social inclusion, diminishing stigma and discrepancies and supporting people living with disabilities. Despite the potential of participatory action research in sports for development, there is limited systematic evidence on the specific approaches and methods used, the challenges encountered, and the factors contributing to validity and reliability of the project.

the article review to action research paradigms

the article review to action research paradigms

the article review to action research paradigms

the article review to action research paradigms

Philip Morris Records; bibliography; budget; budget review; form; research proposal, scientific; extr, extra; marg, marginalia

Philip Morris Records; bibliography; budget; budget review; form; research proposal, scientific; extr, extra; marg, marginalia

Philip Morris Records; bibliography; budget; budget review; form; research proposal, scientific; extr, extra; marg, marginalia

Philip Morris Records; bibliography; budget; budget review; form; research proposal, scientific; extr, extra; marg, marginalia

Philip Morris Records; bibliography; budget; budget review; form; research proposal, scientific; extr, extra; marg, marginalia

'Ministry of Education: Action taken by Government on the Recommendations contained in the Fourteenth Report (Second Lok Sabha) of the Estimates Committee on the erstwhile Ministry of Education and Scientific Research Special Education (Feb-1963)' from the Parliament Digital Library

'Ministry of Education: Action taken by Government on the Recommendations contained in the Fourteenth Report (Second Lok Sabha) of the Estimates Committee on the erstwhile Ministry of Education and Scientific Research Special Education (Feb-1963)' from the Parliament Digital Library

This article is from BMC Medical Research Methodology , volume 14 . Abstract Background: Randomised controlled trials may be of limited use to evaluate the multidisciplinary and multimodal interventions required to effectively treat complex patients in routine clinical practice; pragmatic action research approaches may provide a suitable alternative. Methods: A multiphase, pragmatic, action research based approach was developed to identify and overcome barriers to nutritional care in patients admitted to a metropolitan hospital hip-fracture unit. Results: Four sequential action research cycles built upon baseline data including 614 acute hip-fracture inpatients and 30 purposefully sampled clinicians. Reports from Phase I identified barriers to nutrition screening and assessment. Phase II reported post-fracture protein-energy intakes and intake barriers. Phase III built on earlier results; an explanatory mixed-methods study expanded and explored additional barriers and facilitators to nutritional care. Subsequent changes to routine clinical practice were developed and implemented by the treating team between Phase III and IV. These were implemented as a new multidisciplinary, multimodal nutritional model of care. A quasi-experimental controlled, ‘before-and-after’ study was then used to compare the new model of care with an individualised nutritional care model. Engagement of the multidisciplinary team in a multiphase, pragmatic action research intervention doubled energy and protein intakes, tripled return home discharge rates, and effected a 75% reduction in nutritional deterioration during admission in a reflective cohort of hip-fracture inpatients. Conclusions: This approach allowed research to be conducted as part of routine clinical practice, captured a more representative patient cohort than previously reported studies, and facilitated exploration of barriers and engagement of the multidisciplinary healthcare workers to identify and implement practical solutions. This study demonstrates substantially different findings to those previously reported, and is the first to demonstrate that multidisciplinary, multimodal nutrition care reduces intake barriers, delivers a higher proportional increase in protein and energy intake compared with baseline than other published intervention studies, and improves patient outcomes when compared with individualised nutrition care. The findings are considered highly relevant to clinical practice and have high translation validity. The authors strongly encourage the development of similar study designs to investigate complex health problems in elderly, multi-morbid patient populations as a way to evaluate and change clinical practice.

Industrial democracy as process-participatory action research in the Fagor Cooperative Group of Mondragon-1992

Philip Morris Records; bibliography; budget; budget review; chart; form; graph; lab protocol; research proposal, scientific; resume; extr, extra

199 pages ; 22 cm

199 pages ; 22 cm

199 pages ; 22 cm

A Chinese government investigation has found that 80%, yes eighty percent, of Chinese biomedical research is fabricated. I bet that is an underestimate for Traditional Chinese Pseudo-Medicine.

The SeNTRE Consortium led by the AeroSpace and Defense Industries Association of Europe (ASD) completed in January 2006 a 14 month study under the first call of the Preparatory Action for Security Research (PASR 2004), issued by the European Commission. The SeNTRE study developed and proposed a Strategy for Security Research to the European Commission, Directorate-General Enterprise & Industry. This paper presents the SeNTRE methodology, the outputs as well as the major results relevant to tactical decision making and situational awareness for defense against terrorism. It focuses on the main challenges and user needs as identified in SeNTRE through a series of capability and technology workshops each covering specific security related themes and involving a large community of users, industry representatives and academia. A more detailed reference to SeNTRE results concerning crisis management is being made and specific implementation perspectives are proposed.

The research examined the dimensional characteristics of several self-report techniques of potential value in a diagnostic questionnaire to be used in organizational effectiveness (OE) research and intervention. A survey questionnaire administered to 320 enlisted personnel stationed in West Germany contained items from the OE-derived Work Environment Questionnaire (WEQ) and a variety of criterion measures of satisfaction and motivation. Analysis of the responses showed that the organizational variables fell into nine broad categories, of which two--quality of life and supervision--were significantly related to measures of satisfaction and motivation. The supervision factor primarily applied to job-related factors such as effort, while the quality of life factor concerned non-job-related factors such as intention to reenlist.

The research examined the dimensional characteristics of several self-report techniques of potential value in a diagnostic questionnaire to be used in organizational effectiveness (OE) research and intervention. A survey questionnaire administered to 320 enlisted personnel stationed in West Germany contained items from the OE-derived Work Environment Questionnaire (WEQ) and a variety of criterion measures of satisfaction and motivation. Analysis of the responses showed that the organizational variables fell into nine broad categories, of which two--quality of life and supervision--were significantly related to measures of satisfaction and motivation. The supervision factor primarily applied to job-related factors such as effort, while the quality of life factor concerned non-job-related factors such as intention to reenlist.

The research examined the dimensional characteristics of several self-report techniques of potential value in a diagnostic questionnaire to be used in organizational effectiveness (OE) research and intervention. A survey questionnaire administered to 320 enlisted personnel stationed in West Germany contained items from the OE-derived Work Environment Questionnaire (WEQ) and a variety of criterion measures of satisfaction and motivation. Analysis of the responses showed that the organizational variables fell into nine broad categories, of which two--quality of life and supervision--were significantly related to measures of satisfaction and motivation. The supervision factor primarily applied to job-related factors such as effort, while the quality of life factor concerned non-job-related factors such as intention to reenlist.

The research examined the dimensional characteristics of several self-report techniques of potential value in a diagnostic questionnaire to be used in organizational effectiveness (OE) research and intervention. A survey questionnaire administered to 320 enlisted personnel stationed in West Germany contained items from the OE-derived Work Environment Questionnaire (WEQ) and a variety of criterion measures of satisfaction and motivation. Analysis of the responses showed that the organizational variables fell into nine broad categories, of which two--quality of life and supervision--were significantly related to measures of satisfaction and motivation. The supervision factor primarily applied to job-related factors such as effort, while the quality of life factor concerned non-job-related factors such as intention to reenlist.

A thesis presented to the faculty of the Episcopal Theological School in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Bachelor of Divinity.

This article is from BMC Health Services Research , volume 14 . Abstract Background: Implementation of World Health Organization case management guidelines for serious childhood illnesses remains a challenge in hospitals in low-income countries. Facilitators of and barriers to implementation of locally adapted clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) have not been explored. Methods: This ethnographic study based on the theory of participatory action research (PAR) was conducted in Kenyatta National Hospital, Kenya’s largest teaching hospital. The primary intervention consisted of dissemination of locally adapted CPGs. The PRECEDE-PROCEED health education model was used as the conceptual framework to guide and examine further reinforcement activities to improve the uptake of the CPGs. Activities focussed on introduction of routine clinical audits and tailored educational sessions. Data were collected by a participant observer who also facilitated the PAR over an eighteen-month period. Naturalistic inquiry was utilized to obtain information from all hospital staff encountered while theoretical sampling allowed in-depth exploration of emerging issues. Data were analysed using interpretive description. Results: Relevance of the CPGs to routine work and emergence of a champion of change facilitated uptake of best-practices. Mobilization of basic resources was relatively easily undertaken while activities that required real intellectual and professional engagement of the senior staff were a challenge. Accomplishments of the PAR were largely with the passive rather than active involvement of the hospital management. Barriers to implementation of best-practices included i) mismatch between the hospital’s vision and reality, ii) poor communication, iii) lack of objective mechanisms for monitoring and evaluating quality of clinical care, iv) limited capacity for planning strategic change, v) limited management skills to introduce and manage change, vi) hierarchical relationships, and vii) inadequate adaptation of the interventions to the local context. Conclusions: Educational interventions, often regarded as ‘quick-fixes’ to improve care in low-income countries, may be necessary but are unlikely to be sufficient to deliver improved services. We propose that an understanding of organizational issues that influence the behaviour of individual health professionals should guide and inform the implementation of best-practices.

This article is from Global Health Promotion , volume 20 . Abstract The global health burden due to physical inactivity is enormous and growing. There is a need to consider new ways of generating evidence and to identify the role of government in promoting physical activity at the population level. In this paper, we summarize key findings from a large-scale cross-national collaboration to understand physical activity promotion in Brazil. We describe the main aspects of the partnership of Project GUIA (Guide for Useful Interventions for Activity in Brazil and Latin America) that sustained the collaborative effort for eight years and describe how the evidence gathered from the collaboration triggered political action in Brazil to scale up a physical activity intervention at the national level. Project GUIA is a cross-national multidisciplinary research partnership designed to understand and evaluate current efforts for physical activity promotion at the community level in Latin America. This example of scaling up is unprecedented for promoting health in the region and is an example that must be followed and evaluated.

This article is from International Journal of Circumpolar Health , volume 71 . Abstract Background: In 1999, the Government of Canada regulated the use of lead shot for hunting. Concurrently, the Nunavik Regional Board of Health and Social Services (NRBHSS) was informed of the results of an isotope study that pointed to lead ammunition as a likely source of lead exposure in Nunavik. Rapidly thereafter, a coalition for the banning of lead shot was implemented by the NRBHSS as well as by regional/local partners and by Inuit hunters in order to disseminate this information to the public. Objectives: The purpose of this article is to describe the intervention conducted in the winter of 1999 by the NRBHSS and to assess the combined impact of national legislation and an awareness campaign on blood lead levels in Nunavik. Study design: Impact assessment of the intervention for the banning of lead shot conducted in 1999 in Nunavik using blood lead levels data before and after the intervention. Methods: Data on blood lead levels in Nunavik describing foetal exposure as well as during childhood and in adults published between 1992 and 2009 were compiled. Blood lead levels in Nunavik prior to and after the interventions were compared. To assess the current situation, the most recent blood lead levels were compared with those from surveys conducted during the same period in North America. Results: Analysis of blood samples collected from umbilical cord and from adults show that blood lead levels in Nunavik significantly declined between 1992 and 2004. Nevertheless, lead exposure in Nunavik still remains higher in comparison to that observed in other North American surveys. Conclusions: The current situation regarding lead exposure in Nunavik has significantly improved as a result of the implemented intervention. However, according to recent data, a gap still subsists relative to other North American populations.

A data-gathering project using elements of Participatory Action Research was conducted at the Auraria Library, which serves the University of Colorado Denver, the Metropolitan State College of Denver and the Community College of Denver. The project was administered in order to shape a plan to develop a Learning Commons environment at the library. The researcher thought that the needs on a campus with many non-traditional, commuter students might differ from the needs of a more traditional college campus. Information was gathered using surveys, spontaneous focus groups, flipcharts and observation. Results were used and interpreted by students in an architecture class.

In June, four SPNN Youth producers attended the Allied Media Conference held in Detroit, MI. Watch their video documenting the Youth-led Participatory Action Research Workshop!

Violence against women in Solomon Islands: Translating research into policy and action on the social determinants of health This document was prepared by Jennifer J. K. Rasanathan (consultant and principal writer). ISBN-13 9789290616467

This item represents a case in PACER, the U.S. Government's website for federal case data. If you wish to see the entire case, please consult PACER directly.

This item represents a case in PACER, the U.S. Government's website for federal case data. If you wish to see the entire case, please consult PACER directly.

Recent advances in instructional knowledge, as well as their usefulness for fitting instructional strategies to individual students, are the subject of this four-chapter survey of research literature. Chapter 1 summarizes research on learning styles--the ways in which individuals perceive, analyze, interpret, and respond to learning situations. Examined in this chapter are cognitive styles, including data reception and concept formation and retention; affective styles, comprising attention, expectancy, and incentive styles; physiological styles, such as developmental and sex- and health-related differences; and practical considerations in the use of instruments to measure learning styles. Chapter 2 covers research on brain lateralization (the location of different functions in the brain's right or left hemispheres), the brain's building of models of reality, and brain growth stages. Learning time research is considered in chapter 3, which reviews findings about time on task and about variations among students in the time needed to master a subject. The final chapter looks at the administrative implications of recent research, noting first the problems with earlier attempts to individualize instruction and then discussing the implications of findings in the three areas of learning styles, brain development, and learning time. (RW)

There are numerous benefits to be gained by the school counselor who chooses to do action-oriented research. Program evaluation and planning are facilitated through the use of measurable student outcomes obtained through action-oriented research. Collaborative research efforts are made possible by data gained through action-oriented research. Practical action-oriented research is the basis for proactive public relations for school counselors and school counseling. School counselor efficacy is enhanced by action-oriented research which documents the value, effectiveness, and necessity of school counseling programs. Action-oriented research may serve as the basis for grant applications and legislative efforts to improve and expand school counseling programs or mandate K-12 developmental school counseling. Research is a proactive professiona activity which will contribute to the accountability, advocacy, and advancement of school counseling. (ABL)

Project WATCH! (Writing Across the Curriculum Hawks!) was the 1999-2000 schoolwide action research project at the A.D. Henderson University School grades K-8. The study question, "How can teachers build schoolwide capacity to support improved student writing across the curriculum?", examined whole-school collaboration where all teachers understand and are able to support the writing curriculum. The study was conducted through several phases: (1) the overall design of the project action plan; (2) implementation of three action research study groups who collaboratively supported the writing curriculum through actions and activities; (3) professional development to support teachers in changing instructional practices; (4) support data-driven decisions through the collection and analysis of data; and (5) coordinate the findings of the study and implement new actions to support schoolwide high-level writing performance. Data were gathered using four major evaluation measures: Pre/Post Writing Support Questions, Pre/Post Writing Assessment, Implementation logs recording FCAT Writes! Poster and Proofreading Marks Guide Use; teacher observations and reflections, the Florida Comprehension Assessment Test administered to fourth and eighth grade students, and observations and reflections by the FAU liaison and on-site coordinator. Teacher's findings indicate a general improvement in writing performance of students in kindergarten through eighth grade. Exemplary teaching practices included increased vocabulary development, use of the FCAT Writes! rubrics for modeling and/or grading, definitions of the types of writing, focus on the 5 paragraph essay format, ongoing review of literary devices, linking examples of quality literature to student writing, use of a student/teacher feedback format, use of peer conferencing, and the use of a NCS Staff Development/"Florida Writes!" CD-ROM program. The analysis of teacher reflections and observations, collected throughout the year, supported the accomplishment of one of the major goals of this study--to develop a collaborative learning organization. In conclusion, student writing was improved by implementing the schoolwide focus on improving writing performance. Contains 16 references and 6 unnumbered tables of data. (RS)

This project was conducted to determine whether using videotapes, designed for the purpose of teaching English pronunciation, would improve the pronunciation of English as a second language learners at the Lebanon Adult Education Center in Pennsylvania. The videotapes used were entitled "Perfect English Pronunciation." Learners were given a pretest that consisted of groups of words that used various sounds in English pronunciation. These sounds were heard in the beginning, middle, or end of words. Throughout the project, the instructor observed the learners and kept field notes. At the end of the project, the learners were given a posttest. Each learner in this 12-week intermediate class showed at least an 80 percent improvement in the English pronunciation of discrete sounds. A few students demonstrated a 95 percent improvement. Students also demonstrated greater confidence in their ability to communicate as a result of the project. (YLB)

A new teacher appraisal process involving 5 competencies and 163 indicators has been devised by the Provincial Government of Ontario, Canada. Principals are being held responsible for the appraisals, and the competencies and indicators are being imposed on professional practice. This paper suggests that a better approach to professional growth could be developed within the structure of the imposed approach by focusing on the values-based desires of educators to influence improvements in students learning. The approach is focused on the embodies knowledge carried in what teachers are doing as educators. It assumes that each can make a contribution to the professional knowledge base by creating his or her own living educational theory in inquiries of this kind: How can I improve my practice here? (J. Whitehead, 1989). It includes the embodies values of educators, the capacity for knowledge-creation in a cyclic, self-reflection model of action research, and personal responsibility for professional growth. (Contains 29 references.) (Author/SLD)

There is little reason why educational research in Australia should be progressive and highly developed, given that its history and direction are subject to the economic and political determinants of an increasingly globalized and uncertain world. Educational research cannot be a neutral endeavor; it demands that researchers identify a political perspective or world view from which new knowledge is described and interpreted. Such fundamental questions have confronted the design and implementation of Nyerna Studies, a bachelor of education program being conducted in partnership between Victoria University of Technology and the Koori people of the Echuca region of Australia. The program is highly innovative and community-based, pursuing holistic and enquiry learning and projects that are negotiated around integrated areas of student interest. "Naturalistic inquiry" processes are more appropriate to generating community knowledge than the more formal processes of the physical sciences. With participatory action research, Nyerna Studies is addressing issues of community partnership and two-way enquiry learning, with opportunities for cultural interaction and influence on the educational public sphere. Participatory action research may be the only framework appropriate for democratic community research, although it is not yet legitimated within the pantheon of available methodologies and philosophies. (Contains 22 references.) (Author/SV)

This study reported how four science teachers used action research to promote their students' motivation in learning physical science. Four teachers with one of their 8th grade physical science classes participated in the study. A combination of qualitative and quantitative research design were used in the study, and data collection included Students' Motivation toward Science Learning (SMTSL) questionnaire surveyed in the beginning, middle and at the end of the study, interview with students and teachers, and classroom observation. Findings of the study indicated that four teachers had their preference teaching methods in promoting their students' motivation. However, they still shared common teaching activities which included having lab activities, making science relevant to the experiences of students' daily lives, providing opportunities for students to work and discuss together, giving more praise for students' good effort, and accepting students' responses without criticizing them. Toward the end of the study, students' scores showed a significant difference (p

This is part II of a case study involving a large federally funded technology grant program implemented across several central Texas school districts and was followed by the researcher-participant at the university level as well as one of the campus sites. Many ethical research questions were raised during this study such as the use of participant e-mail addresses for coding purposes (not allowing for true anonymity) and the impact of K-12 organizational structure on compliance issues. This case study critique and several non-educational cases were reviewed in this two part article on research ethics and the much utilized Collaborative Action Research (CAR) Methodology. This brief series which appeared in the Journal of Applied Educational Technology in 2003 and 2004 initiates many unanswered ethical questions and an interview in part II with CAR expert Richard Sagor which helps address some of these concerns. [For "Ethical Research Practices: Collaborative Action Research Part I," see Journal of Applied Educational Technology (JAET) v1 n2 p1-4 Win 2003.]

Background: Even though action research has been employed in an increasing number of fields of practice including teaching, nursing, and business, application in learning has been scarcely reported. This case study is one of the first attempts to apply action research principles to help learners improve their learning performance. Purpose: This study explored the possibilities of action research for learners to improve their learning and described the improvement process. Setting: The author facilitated one undergraduate student at a liberal art college. The learner applied action research principles to study his learning process and improve his performance. Study Sample: This case study had 1 male college student as a sample. Intervention: At the beginning of this study, bi-weekly sessions (normally 15-30 minutes) took place to facilitate the action research procedure, and the facilitation gradually faded out. This study lasted for 15 months. Research Design: Descriptive; Single Subject; Longitudinal; Qualitative; Control or Comparison Condition: N/A. Data Collection and Analysis: The author kept a log in which the facilitation process, the learner's progress, related questions and tentative solutions to those questions were recorded. Periodically the author reflected on the facilitation process by reviewing the log. The learner kept his own log in which he wrote about his daily learning activities. Findings: This study showed that the action research that is conducted by a learner on his/her own learning can be a powerful tool to improve his/her learning performance. This report identified and described the factors that improved learning and the moments that led to significant changes. Another finding was that there was a pattern in the change that action research brings about. There are stages in this pattern such as: (1) Stage of uncertainty and random trials; (2) Stage of dormant or slow change; (3) Stage of confidence; and (4) Stage of rapid growth. Conclusion: This study found a significant improvement in learning when an action researcher applied empowering principles to his research on learning. However, it is not certain how the findings in this study can be transferred to broader learners. The strategies, techniques, and procedure that were employed in this study must be tested for different learners who are different in age, gender, intellectual ability, learning style, and educational background. Citation: 6 references. Mike's final report is appended. (Contains 1 figure.)

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This handbook is a roadmap for action research facilitators to help groups as they work through the research process. It offers quotations, handouts, strategies, resources, and insights from actual experiences. The sections of the handbook follow the action research cycle, focusing on: "What is Action Research?"; "What is the Action Research Process?"; "Why Action Research?"; "Developing a Question"; "Activities and Strategies"; "Data"; "Writing About Action Research"; "Sample Agendas"; "Getting Started in a School District"; "Facilitation Skills"; and "Resources." For each section, title pages describe the tools and processes included; clipboards describe the activities that facilitators can use to help action researchers as they move through the process; resource pages provide background information and support material; and balloons include comments that reflect what facilitators have learned about the process and working with groups. (Contains 28 references.) (SM)

The California History-Social Science Project (CH-SSP), a legislatively-mandated professional development program is administered out of the University of California, Office of the President. The Executive Offices are based at UCLA, and oversee 17 local sites across California. As part of its mission, CH-SSP engages teachers in action research on the use of technology based discourse tools to support the development of a discipline based reflective thinking process, which promotes student ability to engage in historical thinking and understanding. This action research project grew out of a previous project in 1999 and 2000 in which teachers explored the uses of technology in K-12 history classrooms and developed lessons plans for statewide distribution. Although it was felt that the work which emerged from that project was of a high quality, teachers did not seem to be exploring the issues involved in technology and the classroom at the depth that the researchers were interested in. The program was modified in two ways. Instead of being asked to generate lesson plans, teachers were asked to engage in action research in the classroom. It was felt this methodology was more likely to get teachers to think about their teaching in a reflective manner. The second change was the stronger focus on online discourse tools. So in 2001, 26 teachers from across California conducted research in grade 3-12 classrooms with diverse student populations, low performing and ESL students. The collective results of these research studies were surprisingly uniform. Students, particularly low performing and ESL students, engaged in significantly higher levels of discourse than in the traditional classroom; and they were either learning to engage in or engaging in discipline based activities. The interaction of these two--discourse and activities--lead to higher levels of historical thinking and understanding, as reported by the teachers. This result was only true when the teachers provided scaffolding in the form of discourse supports. (AEF)

This document presents the course syllabus for Education 590 Culminating Experience at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga's teacher licensure program. It also includes action research projects from spring 2003: "'To Track or Untrack...That Is the Question'" (Sarah Armes); "Providing Urban Students with the Motivation to Succeed in School" (Laura K. Cline); "Understanding the Structure of DNA" (Gary S. Dunn); "The Effectiveness of Direct Instruction with High Priority (Low Performing) Middle School Students" (Andrew Falk); "Pythagorean Theorem Learning Assessment in Urban High School Geometry" (William A. Floyd); "Flexibility with the Sit and Reach Test" (Heather Huffman); "Total Physical Response Storytelling and Vocabulary Retention in Second Language Learning" (Christina L. McCombs); "The Use of Mnemonic Devices in the Teaching of Mathematics in Middle School: What a Group of Eighth Graders Remember that Help Them Solve Math Problems" (Charles C. Milam, Sr.); "Learning through Directed Instruction vs. Cooperative Learning" (Julie Burnes Novak); "Effects of Emphasizing the Processes of Scientific Inquiry in Relation to Student Motivation and Achievement in the Middle School Science Curriculum" (John Ramey); "The Merits of Geography Teaching that Engages and Provides Experiential Learning for Students" (John Shearer); "Children's Theatre" (Erianona M. Vali); and "Gender Bias in the Science Classroom: An Analysis of the Science TCAP Achievement Test for 2002" (Jason Wohlers). (Papers contain references.) (SM)

This study explores the impact of spiral teaching on students' performance on Quadratics at O-level. Eight boys from Grade 11 participated in the action research study, in which a mixed method was used. Data were collected using questionnaires, worksheet and interviews. Analysis revealed that spiral teaching has positive impact on students in terms of mathematical fluency, content retention and mastery of concepts in quadratics. Most of the students agreed that spiral teaching helped to improve their understanding of the topic. However, a major challenge is the subsequent reduction in instructional time when reviewing of previous lessons.

Action research is a systematic approach to investigation that enables people to find effective solutions to problems they confront in their everyday lives. A significant feature is that action research lays claim to the professional development in education. Action research as any systematic inquiry conducted by teachers, administrators, and counselors with a vested interest in the teaching and learning process, for the purpose of gathering data about how their particular schools operate, how they teach, and how their students learn. Education is perhaps the most prolific source of action research resources. Action research can be done by teachers in their own classrooms with the goal of improving pedagogy and student learning. This research aims to conduct a review on Springer's action research approach for teachers and others involved in schools to engage in systematic inquiry with the intent of improving their educational practices or solving significant problems they experience in their professional life. This review article shows action research provides a fruitful avenue of investigation for teachers, administrators, and others involved in education. This study describes the process of Springer's action research that enables teachers to keep track and take account of the many aspects of their work with students through a systematic routine.

This article presents ways that the author has been involved in action research, beginning with student teachers for whom action research was a focus during the student teaching semester. With brief descriptions of action research as a part of a professional practice school partnership, the article concludes by presenting action research experiences of graduate students in a literacy certification program.