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Presenting the #EU #Defence Action Plan, the industrial & research pillar of our EU Defence package https://t.co/Re7ambvvpf European Defence Action Plan EU Commission proposes a European Defence Fund and actions to support more efficient spending in joint defence capabilities, strengthen citizens' security and foster a competitive industrial base

Significant breakthroughs in cancer detection and treatment have been made over the last ten years, with the help of organizations like the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network. Mayor Walsh joins medical professionals and cancer research advocates at the organization's annual breakfast at the State Room in the Financial District, to thank ACS CAN for protecting the needs of cancer patients and their families.

2002 Pepperdine OMAET EDC638 Action Research Project 2001 2002 “ Why Computers Don’t Belong In The Classroom Interview With Clifford Stoll" [article]

Successful teachers strive to ensure that their students learn to their maximum abilities. Is action research a valuable way for graduate students to review their effectiveness as teachers? Do students learn more through varied teaching strategies and techniques? The authors examined graduate students' perceptions of action research projects analyzing student achievement. Three middle school teachers conducted the action research projects with their assigned students. This article has two purposes: 1) to share experiences encountered while creating an action research project and implementing the plan; and 2) to share summaries of graduate students' action research.

Despite the vast amount of literature regarding boys and their underperformance in the literacy realm, only some research indicates that boys' low literacy levels may be attributed to unchallenged literacy classroom practices. Sustained Silent Reading (SSR) is a free voluntary reading program in which students are expected to read (usually books) for a period of time. Observing an SSR period during the teaching practicum as a pre-service teacher, the unstructured nature of the lesson disengaged many of the boys. In the lesson, the students are expected to select a book from the library and read in silence for the duration of forty minutes. How is one to know if our students are engaging in reading practices without some form of dialogue between their peers and the teacher that enables them to share their individual understanding? In the action research, the aim was to explore whether such a program is a vehicle for the production of critical literacy skills for male adolescents or if an accepted pedagogical practice, such as SSR is prohibiting our boys from attaining literacy in our schools. This paper refers to Kemmis (2009; 2006) to examine the guiding principles of action research.

I conducted an action research study with intermediate-level language and literature students, examining meaning making as adolescents engaged in a developmental writing and performance project. The study was guided by theory and research highlighting the valuable role of overt student reflection to improve engagement in learning. Data collection methods included interviews, teacher observations, reflective journals, and audio/videotaped performance. Data analysis was iterative throughout the study, using both within-case and cross-case sampling, but drawing heavily on self-reports as authentic representations of meaning-making. The findings suggest that learning through the arts provides a vehicle for students to become actively engaged in the construction of their own learning.

Background: Singapore launched the first Masterplan in 1997 to guide the integration of ICT (information and communication technology) in education. Since then many schools have started to explore using ICT in their curricula. The school reported in this paper developed a web-based learning environment to assist students in the use of ICT. However, a number of problems were identified with the English version learning environment. The Mother Tongue Department in this school decided to develop a Chinese version web-based learning environment to help students in essay writing. Aims: The aim of this study was to develop an interactive online portal that is more practical for students to write essays in Chinese. Specifically, the Chinese version learning environment aimed to: i) encourage the use of Chinese language; ii) promote student's interaction with peers and with the teacher; iii) allow the teacher to control the quality of students' posts; and iv) provide a more user-friendly environment for both students and teachers. Sample: In the third round of prototyping, 110 students were surveyed. They were all girls of 14 years old. Majority of them (74%) used English as the first language at home. The others spoke Mandarin or dialects at home. Five of them were selected for an interview based on the survey results. Method: A survey and a face-to-face interview were conducted. The data collected from the survey questionnaire were tabulated, and the interview results were described. Results: The results found that students posted longer essays with fewer spelling mistakes. The students were satisfied with the content, tools and interface of the environment. However, not all students enjoyed online learning and their Hanyu Pinyin skills needed to be further improved. Conclusion: The action research approach is useful for school teachers to design a complicated system that has not been fully articulated. The design processes of the CL Portal reveals that the action research approach allows a research team to gradually revise a system based on the comments collected and eventually produce an optimal product. (Contains 2 figures and 1 table.)

This paper presents an action research approach to exploring methods of improving the learning styles and outcomes of first year university students within large class environments. The genesis of this project stemmed from an observation that entire tutorial groups were often lethargic in their approach to learning. Following a survey of learning styles, students were exposed to more student-centric teaching styles within tutorial groups, with a view to encouraging deeper student learning and self-regulated learning behaviours. Although the project was successful in motivating students' participation in class activities, no noticeable change to a sustained deeper learning style became evident. The findings suggest that simply motivating students to participate in class does not necessarily alter overall learning styles, at least in the short term. This suggests that the process of "unlearning" previous learning styles may pose a significant problem for instructors and it appears likely that the process of changing from surface to deep learning may require more than a single course intervention. However, there is some evidence that student-centred and self-regulated learning results in a more positive learning experience for both students and teachers. The article concludes with a model of proposed relationships uncovered by the research which deserve further exploration in the quest to provide greater levels of student satisfaction with their higher education experiences. (Contains 2 figures.)

Peck tries to record again

Recent changes in schools have caused changes in the consultation roles for school psychologists. Action research serves as a guide for an expanded school psychology consultation role. Although action research has been used in various fields, including teacher development and education, adult education, and agriculture, it has seldom been applied in school consultation models familiar to school psychologists. Action research serves as a useful guide for individual consultation with teachers as well as for collaborative work aimed at school change. A literature review is included on school consultation and action research. It presents the proposed use of action research in consultation and discusses its application in school settings. (Contains 69 references.) (Author/JDM)

This paper describes how master's degree students in a principal preparation program facilitated action research with teachers to promote school improvement. The study identified effective strategies used with teachers during classroom action research, noting instructional strategies future principals considered most effective during the learning process of action research and processes university faculty used to determine preferred practice. Eight future principals conducted action research projects on improving classroom educational processes. Informal interviews with master's degree students and faculty examined their perceptions of the action research process. The researcher analyzed the action research reports, which provided data on design methodology, data analysis, formulation of an action plan, and the graduate student's interaction with the teacher, who was involved in the action research process. The researcher also acted as a participant observer. The paper discusses the longitudinal process used to accomplish the action research and describes how the dialogic process between students and faculty provided critical feedback. Results revealed that the model engaged teachers in critical and reflective thinking. One outcome of the research was the development of an alternative form of action research, reflective conversation. (Contains 16 references.) (SM)

Noting the need for research to support and inform early childhood classroom practices, this paper describes action research and presents examples of studies prepared by preservice teachers or by certified teachers pursuing master's degrees in education. Action research, aligned with regularly used assessment strategies, is a method whereby educators and child care practitioners can obtain information through literature review, data collection, and personal reflection to inform their practice without using the strict controls or statistics applied to traditional research design. Three of the action research examples presented concern teachers' needs to learn about language development in young children. One of the examples focuses on year-round schooling. The final example concerns parental perceptions regarding teachers' competence. Each of the action researchers defined their own research strategies to obtain needed information and acquired knowledge important to them. The paper concludes that organizing a study to solve a specific educational problem or to discover more information about given environments is the true nature of action research. Contains 20 references. (KB)

Teacher knowledge and skills are critical elements in the student learning process. Action research serves as an increasingly popular technique to engage teachers in educational change in classrooms. This document focuses on action research reports of elementary school teachers. Chapters include: (1) "First Graders' Beliefs and Perceptions of 'What Is Science?' and 'Who Is a Scientist?'" (Laura G. Joanos); (2) "Implementing an Authentic Science Learning Experience" (Jennifer W. Yelverton); (3) "Changing a Teacher's Role To Evoke Meaningful Learning Behaviors" (Paul M. Veldman); (4) "Does Student Responsibility for Learning Increase When Students Ask and Answer Their Own Problem-Solving Questions?" (Toni B. Haydon); and (5) "So You Want To Do Action Research?" (Angelo Collins and Samuel A. Spiegel). Each chapter contains references. (YDS)

Linked with professional development programs to support the implementation of Te Whariki, the national early childhood curriculum in New Zealand, a project was designed to: (1) construct a framework for assessment and evaluation in early childhood programs in Aotearoe-New Zealand; and (2) use this framework to develop an evaluation process through an action research trial in six early childhood centers. This report sets the context of the research project, outlines the theoretical foundations and the methodological approach, summarizes and synthesizes the data, and suggests some overview issues and implications for self-evaluation processes in early childhood centers. The action research trial used learning and teaching stories, narrative reflections used by teachers and practitioners to assess children and evaluate programs within their own centers over the course of one year. The trial found that center staff varied in their knowledge and confidence about Te Whariki. The learning and teaching story framework was useful in understanding the curriculum, and using the framework changed staff behaviors with, and attitudes toward, children and parents. Involving management and large number of parents in the process proved administratively complex. The project served to expand on the idea that evaluation of early childhood programs should be grounded in quality from the child's perspective. A number of key features of the action research process, as a process for self-evaluation, emerged. (Ten appendices include a project flyer, information on research dissemination, links between evaluation projects, and an outline of the assessment/evaluation framework. Contains 78 references.) (KB)

This museum study advances knowledge on science teacher learning that takes place outside of the formal institution or college and describes the types of collaboration and resource sharing that are required to do so. A case study documents a "curriculum for teachers" initiative that evolved out of current science education reform. It highlights a series of resources and approaches that extend the college experiences, not replace them. The report provides an introduction to the museum's infrastructure for working with teachers and teacher education institutions and provides a chronology of the activities of the study. It concludes with a discussion of the preliminary findings and a summary of five salient cornerstones of the work: (1) pay attention to reform policies and standards for science teaching; (2) structure museum learning opportunities in the same ways that formal programs do; (3) exercise scholarship through evaluation, revision, and dissemination of initiatives; (4) respect the mission and vision of partner institutions; and (5) maintain clarity in the fact that this program is not just about institutionalization--ultimately it is about facilitating access to knowledge and resources. (Contains 21 references.) (MVL)

A research group was interested in how an understanding of multiple intelligences might translate into a variety of teaching techniques and strategies directed toward specific intelligences they found in their eighth-grade science classroom. Because of the tremendous effect of mass media and other visual/spatial influences on students, the study of multiple intelligences was narrowed to visual/spatial. It featured a collaborative group conducting action research to explore how visual/spatial teaching techniques and strategies might affect the integration of the curriculum. The research process involved four chronological phases and a planning phase for future cycles. The four chronological phases were based on the recursive collaborative group action research cycle (illustrated in Figure 1). Phases 1-4 comprise the first research cycle of Cycle 1, and all other phases may repeat the cycle to gain more information. A complete cycle, consisting of the phases outlined, were conducted during the study. Unit lesson plans were developed and evaluated for the multiple intelligences included. The group discussed the results of the integration of the curriculum with visual/spatial techniques or strategies. This effort highlighted the value of collaboration and the ongoing assessment of techniques teachers use in the classroom to improve student learning and on-task time. By exploring regular, deliberate use of the visual/spatial multiple intelligence in lesson planning and evaluating the success, the group was able to address student needs and integrate the curriculum in ways that otherwise would not have occurred. (Contains 19 references.) (BT)

The Greater Pittsburgh (Pennsylvania) Literacy Council (GPLC) is a volunteer-based literacy council that provides adult basic and literacy education services to the area's citizens. The GPLC conducted an action research project to determine whether adding monthly meetings for professional teaching staff and providing opportunities for interaction with other GPLC staff would result in a teaching staff that was more integrated and more mutually supportive. During the project, the GPLC's four professional teachers met four times. They discussed common issues, participated in problem solving, and shared teaching methods. All teachers were scheduled to attend professional development activities, including at least one group activity. The teachers were interviewed and asked to complete an oral questionnaire six months later. All four teachers valued the teacher meetings enough to continue them for the next contract year. All four teachers stated that they valued the meetings for providing an understanding audience for brainstorming and general commiseration. Three of the four teachers found time for additional professional development activities that allowed for interaction with GPLC staff and other literacy professionals. Three teachers stated that the meetings made them feel less isolated, and two stated that the meetings made them feel much more integrated into the agency. (MN)

The Greater Pittsburgh (Pennsylvania) Literacy Council (GPLC) is a volunteer-based literacy council that provides adult basic and literacy education services to the area's citizens. The GPLC conducted an action research project to determine whether adding monthly meetings for professional teaching staff and providing opportunities for interaction with other GPLC staff would result in a teaching staff that was more integrated and more mutually supportive. During the project, the GPLC's four professional teachers met four times. They discussed common issues, participated in problem solving, and shared teaching methods. All teachers were scheduled to attend professional development activities, including at least one group activity. The teachers were interviewed and asked to complete an oral questionnaire six months later. All four teachers valued the teacher meetings enough to continue them for the next contract year. All four teachers stated that they valued the meetings for providing an understanding audience for brainstorming and general commiseration. Three of the four teachers found time for additional professional development activities that allowed for interaction with GPLC staff and other literacy professionals. Three teachers stated that the meetings made them feel less isolated, and two stated that the meetings made them feel much more integrated into the agency. (MN)

The Greater Pittsburgh (Pennsylvania) Literacy Council (GPLC) is a volunteer-based literacy council that provides adult basic and literacy education services to the area's citizens. The GPLC conducted an action research project to determine whether adding monthly meetings for professional teaching staff and providing opportunities for interaction with other GPLC staff would result in a teaching staff that was more integrated and more mutually supportive. During the project, the GPLC's four professional teachers met four times. They discussed common issues, participated in problem solving, and shared teaching methods. All teachers were scheduled to attend professional development activities, including at least one group activity. The teachers were interviewed and asked to complete an oral questionnaire six months later. All four teachers valued the teacher meetings enough to continue them for the next contract year. All four teachers stated that they valued the meetings for providing an understanding audience for brainstorming and general commiseration. Three of the four teachers found time for additional professional development activities that allowed for interaction with GPLC staff and other literacy professionals. Three teachers stated that the meetings made them feel less isolated, and two stated that the meetings made them feel much more integrated into the agency. (MN)

The Greater Pittsburgh (Pennsylvania) Literacy Council (GPLC) is a volunteer-based literacy council that provides adult basic and literacy education services to the area's citizens. The GPLC conducted an action research project to determine whether adding monthly meetings for professional teaching staff and providing opportunities for interaction with other GPLC staff would result in a teaching staff that was more integrated and more mutually supportive. During the project, the GPLC's four professional teachers met four times. They discussed common issues, participated in problem solving, and shared teaching methods. All teachers were scheduled to attend professional development activities, including at least one group activity. The teachers were interviewed and asked to complete an oral questionnaire six months later. All four teachers valued the teacher meetings enough to continue them for the next contract year. All four teachers stated that they valued the meetings for providing an understanding audience for brainstorming and general commiseration. Three of the four teachers found time for additional professional development activities that allowed for interaction with GPLC staff and other literacy professionals. Three teachers stated that the meetings made them feel less isolated, and two stated that the meetings made them feel much more integrated into the agency. (MN)

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Silent footage of filter components being tested.

Silent footage of filter components being tested.

228p. : 27cm

This report on extension activities of member institutions of the National Association of State Universities and Land Grant Colleges describes 91 program innovations and action oriented research activities. Objectives, sponsorship, program evaluations, and other data are cited for program innovations in such areas as continuing medical education, engineering and science, drama, family therapy, gerontology, management development, religious education, poverty, public administration, law enforcement, and oceanography. Projects on educational television, women's education, poverty, law enforcement, youth employment, civil defense, air pollution, management development, correspondence study, women's education, and several other topics appear in the second section. (ly)

In this article I outline different elements of action research in an attempt to describe and define participatory action research (PAR). There is a lot more material available to readers these days, some of which I will refer you to in this article. I see my role here is to summarise enough of this material to help support your reading of the other articles that appear in this issue of "Kairaranga". This material (I have tried to use work from Aotearoa New Zealand in the first instance) refers to the ethical, political and context characteristics of PAR, as well as the design and format for conducting such research. (Contains 1 figure and 2 footnotes.)

A significant challenge for all participants in the autism spectrum disorder participatory action research (ASD PAR) project, including the Ministry of Education, the local project teams (LPT) and mentors, was the lack of availability of a single ethics approval process for the project in its entirety and, in particular, one that could accommodate the iterative, dynamic and participant-led action research process. To address this gap, participants in the ASD PAR project adopted both individual and shared responsibility for ethical reasoning. As with ethics in general, there was no one right answer that could be routinely applied to ethical dilemmas. A guiding framework of ethical principles proved useful for participants. Central to the success of the ASD PAR project was participants' ability to self-reflect, question and share resolutions. In essence, refections on ethical dilemmas as they arose were an interwoven strand through the life cycles of the ASD PAR project. (Contains 1 figure.)

This article is an analysis of the reports submitted to the Ministry of Education by teams and mentors who took part in the autism spectrum disorder participatory action research (ASD PAR) project. The key findings highlight the importance of: individualised support based on a sound knowledge of the child or young person; strategies targeted at the child's environment and the people within it as opposed to addressing perceived within-child challenges; and interventions thoughtfully linked to outcomes and carefully implemented in accordance with the culture and context of the child and the team. (Contains 3 footnotes.)

Far too often, educational leadership doctoral programs fail to develop competent researchers and ensure that they graduate with a doctoral degree. Using the conceptualization of the ideal practitioner-scholar, this article describes how action research and cohort structures can help to develop school leaders who are competent, confident, and capable researchers. Specific examples of existing action research and collaborative cohort strategies are provided as well as recommendations for how doctoral programs can be organized better to measure their success in developing practitioner-scholars. (Contains 1 figure and 2 tables.)

Graduate students commonly experience isolation and estrangement when conducting their final research projects, which can contribute to difficulties in completion. A creative and socially beneficial way to offset academic isolation is for graduate students to engage in participatory and action-oriented research projects with local communities. Facilitating a research study with a local partner can be a richly rewarding experience. This article argues that students who enjoy working in collaborative environments and want their final research projects to lead to beneficial social change can find fulfillment in action research (AR) methodologies. Critiqued by some for its lack of tangible and practical methods and its over-reliance on ideology, others, including the author, argue that the benefits of participatory research far outweigh the challenges.

Of late, South African higher education sectors have been engulfed with spontaneous and frequent protests by students. These protests have often led into violence and horrifying physical injuries to some victims, some victims being students, while some are members of the public. Amongst others, the latest episodes of the #FeesMustFall movement and protests bear witness. During this violence, valuable time is lost and assets are vandalized and also destroyed. The state has also suffered implacable budgetary loses when property gets torched and destroyed. Various studies have mushroomed investigating the causes of these violence and in addition their resolves. However, this literature has a gap because it fails to investigate the critical issue on decision-making during critical times. Decision-making plays a major role during these times. However, decision-making being not a simplistic issue needs to be developed to an extent of worthwhile decision-making and avoiding naïve arguments as well as opportunism. The aim of this article is to improve decision-making capabilities through knowledge management and critical thinking. Critical thinking enhances the potential of being judgmental. This qualitative study which uses desktop approach and PARA focuses on the higher education sector of South Africa. However, the higher education sector is vast as it includes hundreds of TVET colleges and several universities for example. For the purpose of this study, one rural-based university was purposively selected for study. The data was collected through qualitative technique. Collected data was analyzed using thematic code and results presented as main report.

Action research is a means for teachers and researchers to develop evidence-based practices. This paper reports the process and outcomes of "teaching sprints," an approach to action research, conducted by secondary school mathematics leaders as part of a professional learning program. Mathematics leaders consistently reported the value of developing collaborative practices throughout the planning, enacting and reflection of the teaching sprint.

This research study looks at the implementation of an action research project within a blended learning human resource management class in employee and labor relations. The internal and external environment created conditions that converged in the Perfect Storm and resulted in an almost disastrous learning experience for faculty and students. What is critical about this project is that it could happen in even the most benign and calmest of waters. In an integrated system, the manipulation of one variable creates an impact on the other variables/systems within that environment. The failure to predict the impact and mitigate the damages can lead to disastrous results. The institution must be ready, at all levels, to implement and leverage technology to create distance-learning only environments for traditional students (and faculty) with a bias toward face-to-face educational experience.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the status of teachers' engagement in action research and identify their challenges and opportunities to undertake such projects in primary schools of Bahir Dar City, Ethiopia. The study was conducted as part of a collaborative action research project that aimed at improving practice. For this purpose, a mixed-methods research approach was employed. Data were collected from 251 primary school teachers and six educational experts of the city administration through questionnaires and focus group discussions respectively. Both quantitative and qualitative techniques were used to analyze the data. The findings revealed that teachers' engagement in action research in the primary schools of the city was low. It was also engulfed by many challenges. However, some opportunities which reinforce the practice were identified. Based on the findings, areas of intervention that could help to increase teachers' engagement in action research in the primary schools of the city were suggested.

Action research designs are systematic procedures used by teachers to gather quantitative and qualitative data to address improvements in their educational setting, their teaching, and the learning of their students. Action research enables teachers to keep track and take account of the many aspects of their work with students through a systematic routine. This study aims to investigate the critical reading strategies employed by Iranian EFL students. To achieve the aim of the study, the Stringer's Action Research Model that is a cyclical and repetitive process of inquiry i.e. Look, Think, and Act was utilized. This study used Bloom's taxonomy as useful reference tool to describe the ability of thinking simply for high school EFL students.

Successful school library programs occur through careful planning and reflection. This reflective process is improved when it is applied in a systematic way through action research. The action research described in this paper enabled school librarians to reflect based on evidence, using data they had collected. This study presents examples of the types of projects chosen by the librarians, aggregate outcomes from 156 action research projects conducted by thirty-nine school librarians over a two-year period, and the results from a follow-up survey completed by nineteen of the thirty-nine participating school librarians. This study was designed to determine whether the school librarians viewed their action research as being feasible, valuable, and empowering. The review of literature and the Implications section of this report are framed using Susan E. Noffke's concept that there are three families of action research: the professional, the personal, and the political.

English writing plays an indispensible part in EFL (English as a Foreign Language) learning for Chinese students, which accounts for a high score in an English test in China. And it is also a comprehensive reflection of students' abilities in L2 application. However, most non-English majors in vocational and technical colleges have great trouble in English writing and writing incorrect and inappropriate sentences ranks number one among all the English writing problems. English writing teaching is always a weak part in English teaching. The researcher conducted an eleven-week action research on basic sentence pattern translation drills among 50 non-English majors from 4 classes who didn't pass CET-3 in a Vocational and Technical College. Before the action research, students' writing problems were identified via questionnaire, sentence test and writing pretest. Then an eleven-week action plan was carried out and one adjustment was made to the plan in the light of results of interviews. Writing posttest was taken and another interview was made afterwards. It was found from data collection and analysis as well as analysis of students' writing samples that students could write correct sentences in English and their English writing scores and abilities improved a lot after the action research.

For more than a decade, hundreds of thousands of India's young adults have volunteered to collect data for an annual household education related survey. The survey is called the Annual Status of Education Report or ASER, for short. The ASER survey is a unique methodology of citizen-led assessments. The purpose of this article is to describe and report about how the ASER methodology is implemented. This article examines a case study of ASER volunteers (n = 37) who are prepared to carry out the ASER methodology. This article also analyzes how the ASER methodology supports a conceptual framework about equipping everyday citizens, like the volunteers in the case study, to better understand and use data-driven evidence to take action to improve the education and schooling in their communities.

This study was an action research project evaluating the effectiveness of selected reading strategies on student learning. The action research was conducted in an undergraduate measurement course in a teacher preparation program. Students used a pre-selected reading strategy to read assigned readings then completed a quiz on the readings and a survey on their perception of the effectiveness of each reading strategy. A mixed-method approach was employed. Results indicated the active processing strategies were effective, with the "I" graphical organizer perceived by most students as an efficient tool for quizzes and also perceived as being more efficient than reflections.

In 2014 the National Adult Literacy Agency (NALA) published a research report titled "What Really Counts Next: Action Learning Project with Numeracy Tutors" (Sellers and Byrne, 2014). The report provided an in-depth insight into the way tutors made changes to their practice, and offered practical tips on how to teach numeracy to adult learners in order to support their numeracy development. This article summarises the main findings from the report and provides two mini case studies showcasing numeracy work in action.

As a part of the teacher licensure program at the graduate level at The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (UTC), the M.Ed. Licensure candidate is now required to complete an action research project during a 3-semester-hour course that coincides with the 9-semester-hour student teaching experience. This course, Education 590 Culminating Experience, has been renumbered (from Education 598) and redesigned to meet a known gap in the degree program: No formal project was seen to completion in which the student planned and revised a project based on newly-acquired knowledge and reflection throughout the licensure process. Since 1997, the beginning of graduate teacher licensure program for all elementary and secondary majors aside from exceptional student education, the student has completed a prescribed set of eight, 3-semester-hour courses, followed by Education 598 (now 590) Culminating Experience (3 hours) and Education 596 Induction Experience (9 hours). Undergraduate courses are also required to meet specific content area needs for licensure, as determined by the Tennessee Department of Education. (Individual sections contain references.)

As a part of the teacher licensure program at the graduate level at The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (UTC), the M.Ed. Licensure candidate is required to complete an action research project during a 3-semester-hour course that coincides with the 9-semester-hour student teaching experience. This course, Education 590 Culminating Experience, requires the student to implement an action research plan designed through (a) the Education 500 Introduction to Inquiry course, (b) one of the two learning assessments required during student teaching, or (c) a newly-designed project not used as one of the learning assessments. With funding through a UTC Teaching, Learning, and Technology Faculty Fellows award, the Education 590 course is conducted through the use of an online, course management system (Blackboard Learning System Release 6), allowing for asynchronous discussion and use of the digital drop box feature for submitting required papers. The course syllabus for Education 590 Culminating Experience is presented in the next section, followed by action research projects from spring semester 2007. The following papers are included in this document: (1) Alternative Grading: A B from You, an A from Me (Julia L. Anderson); (2) Expanding Technology Use for the 21st Century Classroom (Natasha Brunton); (3) Congress Comes to the Sixth Grade (A Role-Play Exercise) (Andrew Campbell); (4) Factors behind Students' Bad Behavior at School (Nighat Jonathan Cecil); (5) Multiple Intelligences Responding Positively to a Writing Curriculum with Integrated Technology (Esther Clark); (6) Using Technology in Instruction: Internet Web Sites (Jonathan E. Craig); (7) An Investigation Of Homogeneous versus Heterogeneous Grouping in Cooperative Learning Situations (Chara Davis); (8) Using Classwide Peer Tutoring to Increase High School Math Students' Academic Performance (Stephen C. Durand); (9) Effective Strategies for Mastering Spanish in Grades 9-12 (Julieta Goode); (10) English as Second Language Students in a Kindergarten Classroom (Emeri D. Gordon); (11) Impact of Qualified Teachers on Head Start Education (Karina Hendrix); (12) Are Educators Meeting the Needs of all Students? (Allison Hughie); (13) Can Flying Objects Induce Identifiable Respect? (Carl. Kiefer); (14) An Evaluation of Learning in a Eurasian Geography Unit through a Pre-Test/Post-Test (Wayne Kohlwes); (15) Improving Middle School Students' Problem Solving Skills by Increasing the Use of Word Problems (Sarah Lail); (16) Perceptions of Faculty and Administration on the Effectiveness of In-School Suspension for the Modification of Student Behavior (NaJuana P. Lee); (17) Photographs Used in the Classroom to Enhance Children's Literacy Experience (Sean Loftin); (18) Should I Really not Smile until Thanksgiving? Discovering the Key to Effective Classroom Management (Jessica Power); (19) Using Computers in the Classroom to Enhance Students' Acquisition of Knowledge (Eric N. Roberts); (20) Using Probeware Technology to Teach pH Chemistry: A Pre-Test and Post-Test Evaluation (Scott C. Siegel); (21) Writing to Learn (Tina Varnell); (22) Can Mathematics Avoidance Be Avoided? (Kara White); and (23) Rhythm and Rhyme--The Effects of Music on Vocabulary Development of Kindergarten Students (Andrea Ziegler). (Individual papers contain references.) [Abstract modified to meet ERIC guidelines.]

The "Research & Action Report," published twice a year, is a window on the activities and initiatives at the Wellesley Centers for Women. The report typically features news about the Centers, interviews with researchers, commentary on recent events or social trends affecting women and girls, announcements of new publications, and much more. Articles featured in this issue include: (1) Telling the Truth about Power; (2) Battered Mothers Fight to Survive the Family Court System; (3) School Interventions, Not Zero Tolerance, Prevent Gender Violence; (4) Afterschool Learning for the Heart and the Head; (5) Interview with Jo Kim; and (6) Commentary (Nancy L. Marshall). [This publication was produced by the Wellesley Centers for Women, Wellesley College.]

The "Research & Action Report," published twice a year, is a window on the activities and initiatives at the Wellesley Centers for Women. The report typically features news about the Centers, interviews with researchers, commentary on recent events or social trends affecting women and girls, announcements of new publications, and much more. Articles featured in this issue include: (1) Adolescent Literacy and Achievement: Widening the Path to Success (Commentary by Michelle Porche and Stephanie Harris); (2) Squeeze Play: Why Title IX Is Not Enough (Q&A with Laura Pappano); and (3) Women and Children: The Human Rights Relationship (Asia Regional Conference). [This publication was produced by the Wellesley Centers for Women, Wellesley College.]

Background: The penetration of video games in media consumption behaviors is statistically very significant all over the world. Education and media education cannot ignore this phenomenon, as it is so relevant for such a considerable part of the population, especially youth. The application of media education principles and goals to video games is very recent, because these electronic media are relatively young, and because of some deeper pedagogical and organizational reasons. In fact, media literacy has to deal with the cultural prejudice that video games, considered just like toys, don't deserve to become the subject of a discipline and to be present in school curricula. Furthermore, media literacy activities about video games require technological facilities, which are not necessarily expensive, but which are not generally available in schools and educational centers; last, these activities require staff with specific video game skills, a background that teachers and educators usually lack. Purpose: Design and experiment a course about video game literacy, including the production of an action game by youth people. Test and improve a new game-authoring software, expressed designed for an educational use. Setting: Public Educational Youth Centers, between the years 2007-2008. Research Design: Single Subject; Qualitative. Findings: The possibility and usefulness of bringing popular culture into education, developing in the adults attitudes of understanding and mediation, not of censorship; The opportunity to develop critical thinking skills in youth, by increasing knowledge and competence about video games; The benefits of a teaching approach that integrates video game analysis and production; and The usefulness of the collaboration among media producers, educators, and researchers. Conclusion: Media education can be applied even in the field of video games; in some way, we are going towards a "video game literacy", inspired by the same well-known and accomplished philosophy. (Contains 4 figures.)