The results of a three-year study designed to identify sets of teaching skills necessary to meet the demands of a fourth-grade classroom environment are discussed. (LH)

In order to develop an ecological theory of teaching, the classroom must be viewed as a sociological unit. The unit of interest was the teacher-student learning group. The basic question explored was: What is the relationship between human interactions and the physical and social contexts of the group? Teams of scholars met in seminars, each…

The effects of class size, classroom organization, and grade on friendship choice and clique formation were examined using cross-sectional and longitudinal sociometric data. Classroom characteristics affected friendliness and popularity, incidence of cross-sex friendships, number of social isolates per class, and number and size of cliques.…

This study focused on social and cooperative behavior in traditional science classrooms. Students in 30 junior and senior high school science classes were observed in terms of the amount of time spent on task, or time spent concentrating on the lesson. The physical organization of the classroom, the instructional style of the teacher, and the…

Following a review of research findings on the relationship between teacher behavior and student achievement, current activities in teacher effectiveness research are discussed. Two major trends emerge in recent research studies. Existing correlational findings on the topic are being integrated and applied to contexts beyond basic skills…

The instructional organization patterns used by experienced teachers in coping with classroom environmental demands is described. Observations of teachers in natural settings were conducted using both a self-designed observation schedule and brief narratives to capture the nature of the classroom climate. Results suggest that teachers use…

The ecological theory of teaching views the classroom as a unit within which social and psychological interactions determine the learning patterns that will take place. Three fourth-grade classrooms were observed to test and clarify this theory. A description is given of the characteristics of the pupils in each class, the teacher's instructional…

Publications produced from research projects conducted by the Texas University Research and Development Center are listed. Information is given concerning the following university-based projects: 1) Classroom Organization and Effective Teaching; 2) Dimensions of Classroom Instruction; 3) Student Perceptions and School Behavior; 4)…

The intent of this theoretical paper is to recast our ideas about teaching mathematics as a result of an extensive research review on teaching behaviors. The product of this review is an explanatory curricular model which takes into account the content being taught. The purpose of studying teaching from a curricular perspective and the constructs…

This longitudinal study investigated the frequency and type of cross-sex peer interactions which occurred in six first grade classrooms. The effects of task structures (or patterns of instructional organization), and the impact of the racial composition of the classrooms on the frequency and type of cross-sex interactions were also explored.…

Daily observations of children in the classroom and on the playground show how children construct and experience gender in school. Observations were made in working class communities and emphasize the experiences of fourth and fifth graders. Most children were White, but a sizable minority were Latino, Chicano, or African American. It is argued…