Informed by decades of research and standards-based policies, there has been a growing demand for high-quality teaching and learning in mathematics and science classrooms. Achieving these ambitious goals will not be easy; students' opportunities for learning as shaped by the tasks they are assigned will matter the most. The purpose of this article…

This paper presents an overview of research on academic tasks in the classroom and describes some of the themes that are emerging from studies in this area. The concept of "academic task" is defined along with problems associated with using this theoretical construct in classroom research. Three conceptions of how content should be represented to…

This paper contains a description of the status of a project on student information processing responses that mediate teaching effects in classroom settings. The central activity of the project is the construction of a conceptual model that relates classroom task structures to student information processing and to subject-matter achievement. The…

A report is given on research exploring the theory that stimulation from the teacher does not directly initiate student learning but activates cognitive processes that result in learning. Combined research into classroom processes and student information processing was conducted. An analysis of treatment theories that operate in research on…

These two reaction papers provide a synthesis of the issues raised by the papers presented in this issue of the "Elementary School Journal." Each reaction paper approaches student variables from a different vantage point, and each brings a novel and imaginative perspective to the study of students in the classrooms. (MP)

This paper is focused on a relatively new emphasis in education research: the nature of academic work contained in the curriculum of elementary and secondary schools, how that work is organized and accomplished in classrooms, and what modifications in academic work are likely to increase student achievement. The paper is divided into two major…

This report describes the conceptual background, design, and methodology for a study of management of academic tasks in junior high school. Previous research suggests that tasks students accomplish in classrooms determine what they actually learn, and acquisition of higher cognitive skills related to interpretation and planning is essential for…

This report includes an overview of the design and procedures used in the junior high school phase of a study of managing academic tasks (MAT) conducted by the Research on Classroom Learning and Teaching Program at the University of Texas at Austin. A description of the current status of data analysis, a summary of preliminary findings, and…

This report contains a description of the conceptual background and methodology for a study concerning how academic tasks are managed in senior high school classrooms. This high school study is Phase 2 of the Managing Academic Tasks (MAT) study. The MAT study is focused on understanding how curriculum experiences are shaped by the classroom…

This paper describes some practical lessons derived from the Managing Academic Tasks studies conducted at the Research and Development Center for Teacher Education at the University of Texas at Austin. The research included case studies of academic work conducted in 10 junior and senior high school science, mathematics, social studies, and English…