While noncompliance is a concerning challenging behavior and commonly reported by educators, its measurement is likely to be invalid and inaccurate given the subjectivity of the operational definition. Engagement is offered as a more valid, accurate measurement that may provide data regarding the amount of instruction accessed by the student. In…

Very limited research explains students' responses to specific motivational climates in sport, and many physical educators do little more than casually observe the sporting behaviors of students in their care. Therefore, the purposes of this article are to encourage physical educators and youth coaches to develop and maintain a task-mastery…

The authors developed a classroom observation protocol for quantitatively measuring student engagement in large university classes. The Behavioral Engagement Related to instruction (BERI) protocol can be used to provide timely feedback to instructors as to how they can improve student engagement in their classrooms.

Just as the classroom guide must prepare for observation in the classroom, so too should parents prepare themselves for classroom observation. What is the purpose of their observation? What is the procedure? What should they note? What points of awareness should they keep in mind? Using the format of a letter to parents preparing to observe in a…

This paper demonstrates how classroom trouble warranting teacher intervention can stem from transgressions in different layers of the complex moral order regulating classroom interactions. The paper builds from Durkheim's treatment of schooling as the institution responsible for the inculcation of a shared moral order, Bernstein's distinction…

In acknowledging the privilege that we as Montessorians are given, "the privilege of being present as children construct themselves," Mary Caroline Parker proposes that parents also should be given that same privilege. Parker created an "Art of Observation" workshop for the parents at her school. She walks us through the…

The question of how schools can help parents experience joy in observing their children led to a quest to identify experiences that can contribute to the awakening of consciousness. Workshops, surveys, discussion, and interviews yielded data that led to some unexpected conclusions about sources of personal transformation. [Reprinted from "AMI…

This article discusses research in classroom time usage and the benefits and weaknesses of prior research in this area. The article addresses in particular how to precisely measure the use of time in classrooms and how to address the issue of partial engagement, in which only a portion of the class is academically engaged. The article defines…

Studies of primary education within the UK have shown that small groups can feature within classrooms; however, equivalent research within secondary education remains scarce. Research has established effective group work approaches, yet secondary teachers may encounter difficulties employing approaches tied to parameters embedded within primary…

This article presents a mathematical algorithm that relates student achievement with directly observable, quantifiable teacher and student behaviors, producing a modified form of the Walberg model. The algorithm (1) expands the measurable factors that comprise the quality of instruction in a linear basis of research-based teaching components and…

Describes how behavior management and a classroom guidance program were combined and implemented to help a fourth grade teacher gain control of her students in an inner-city school. (Author)

This booklet focuses upon ways in which a teacher can increase the amount of time students apply themselves to learning. Methods are presented for observing how much time students actually spend learning, for identifying which students are off-task, and for selecting teaching methods to increase students' learning time. Contents include…

The study observed 30 secondary vocational educators to gather data on the instructional environments of vocational education programs relevant to learning-disabled students. Data were collected on curricular content, curricular format, student behavior, teacher behavior, and teacher focus. Differences between exploratory and preparatory programs…

Offers observational tools that physical education teachers can use to gather objective data on their teaching for the purpose of reflection. The tools are based on complex research tools associated with effective teaching. The three types of observational tools focus on student behaviors, teacher behaviors, and teacher-student interactions. (SM)

Explains the shadow-study observation record of a child's daily actions in an educational environment, describing the processes involved in the shadow-study technique. Suggests that the shadow study is suitable for use in any early-childhood classroom for a variety of purposes, providing valuable information to teachers and researchers. (JPB)