An instrument is presented for recording and analyzing student and teacher behavior in laboratory or activity-centered vocational education classrooms. The instrument uses categories of behavior, such as: (1) asks extended thought questions, (2) shows or illustrates, and (3) management of lesson, for teachers; and categories such as: (1) asks…

The plans included in this manual were developed for use in training data collectors to administer the Teacher Performance Assessment Instruments (TPAI). They were designed by classroom teachers and present data collectors with types of plans which might be encountered while assessing teachers in the field. Each set of plans was developed to serve…

The author explains a school-specific lesson observation format that meets the specific needs of teachers and evaluators. The lesson observation components of teacher evaluation become a positive experience for both teachers and evaluators using this system. (MD)

This report presents findings from two investigations of the use of classroom artifacts to measure the presence of reform-oriented teaching practices in middle-school science classes. It complements previous research on the use of artifacts to describe reform-oriented teaching practices in mathematics. In both studies, ratings based on collections…

This study focuses on the perspectives of pre-service teachers exposed to cases in an educational psychology course. It considers how students view cases and how their thoughts, beliefs, and attitudes regarding case-based activities change throughout the semester. Both qualitative and quantitative data (participating observations, interviews,…

Strategic Programs for Innovations in Undergraduate Physics (SPIN-UP) set out to answer an intriguing question: Why, in the 1990s, did some physics departments increase the number of bachelor's degrees awarded in physics or maintain a number much higher than the national average for their type of institution? During that decade, the number of…

Describes a study that compared the effectiveness of screen designs for system interfaces by tallying keyboarding errors during online searches. The methodology is described as an unobtrusive means for obtaining objective and empirically based data for interface comparisons. A questionnaire used to determine users' reactions to screen designs is…

An auxiliary study of the direct observation method for counting periodical usage in Evans Library at Texas A&M University found that student observations contain substantial error and that aggregation problems and cost issues are fundamental constraints to this method. Concludes direct observation may be useful in calibrating the results of…

The purpose of this technical report is to summarize the research methodology of the Novice Teacher Study (NTS) strand of the Teacher Quality Partnership (TQP) research. The Ohio TQP embarked on a series of research studies to learn more about the characteristics of effective teachers and to identify the patterns of teacher performance in both…

This book provides the schedules, scales, and procedures for systematic assessment of child care environments. It also suggests the way to develop a scale oriented to the physical environment. The introduction notes that of various scales available for describing and evaluating different aspects of child care programs and centers, many scales are…

The System for the Classroom Observation of Teaching Strategies (SCOTS) is described. The schedule requires a higher level of inference by the observer than many researchers may find acceptable. The paper argues that inference can be controlled within acceptable limits and that issues of objectivity and subjectivity are very complex. The SCOTS…

A study was designed to develop a comprehensive approach to observing teaching in early childhood settings. A systematic method of observing developmentally appropriate and inappropriate behaviors was sought. The result was a comprehensive model based on Gordon's (1968) conceptualization of instruction. The model proposes that presage variables,…

The manual details an observational code designed to track a child during an entire day in a preschool setting. The Eco-Behavioral System for Complex Assessments of Preschool Environments (ESCAPE) encompasses assessment of the following three major categories of variables with their respective subcategories: (1) ecological variables (designated…

In order to understand how the database software or online database functioned in the overall curricula, the use of database management (DBMs) systems was studied at eight elementary and middle schools through classroom observation and interviews with teachers and administrators, librarians, and students. Three overall areas were addressed:…

These guidelines outline the role of the visiting team members and the team leader and familiarize the team with details necessary to conduct a comprehensive external evaluation of Wisconsin secondary vocational programs. First, the three goals of the on-site evaluation are outlined. A discussion of the team selection and team members' functions…