This commentary on a paper by L. Heshusius (EC 600 327) describes key ideas of direct instruction and reflects on the original paper from a perspective that incorporates the realities of classrooms. The commentary calls for serious, systematic inquiry that explores instructional environments for special education students using constructs from…

This paper reviews both the content and the methodological issues involved in the small but growing number of empirical studies on the use of Direct Instruction programs and teaching procedures with special populations. The research reviewed includes experimental and quasi-experimental work, summative evaluations of entire programs, and…

This article focuses on curriculum analysis, an aspect of direct instruction that is frequently neglected or obscured by an emphasis on classroom management and teacher performance. Explicit strategies that are used to teach higher cognitive skills and the importance of teacher training in the appropriate use of direct instruction are discussed.…

Fifteen rural elementary school teachers in classrooms with high proportions of limited-English-speaking students completed self-reporting instruments and their supervisors evaluated their effectiveness. Those teachers with the most effective strategies for low-achieving students reported lower toleration of maladaptive behavior and some active…

This article reviews key findings from school-reform studies of the 1980s on sustained use of effective teacher practices in the classroom and explains their relevance to special education. Recent findings are also highlighted and unresolved issues are identified. An appendix lists sustainability factors and issues. (Contains references.)…

Presents a conceptual framework for teaching science to students with disabilities. The framework suggests integration of explicit instruction in critical concepts, with cognitively-based approaches that emphasize problem-solving skills on real-world tasks. Implications for policy, professional development, and creation of learning environments…