The usual interpretation of the person and task variables in between-persons measurement models such as item response theory (IRT) is as attributes of persons and tasks, respectively. They can be viewed instead as ensemble descriptors of patterns of interactions among persons and situations that arise from sociocognitive complex adaptive system…

Educational technologies have advanced one of the most important visions of educational reformers, to customize formal and informal learning to individuals. The application of a complex systems framework to the design of learning ecologies suggests that each of a series of ten desirable and malleable features stimulates or propels the other ten,…

Research Findings: The purpose of this article is to examine how dimensions of the preschool instructional context predict child-teacher relationship quality. A total of 118 low-income, predominantly Latino/a children and their teachers participated in this study. Children were observed in their 1st preschool classroom. Measures of instructional…

Ways of making the educational process more humanizing are discussed. (CK)

If American education is to turn out the independent and creative type of person we say we want, then the needs of the individual child must be identified, and teachers must be trained to perceive these needs. Teacher education programs have begun to train teachers in the use of individualized instruction methods, but there is a great need for…

The purpose of this study was to analyze interaction in individualized instruction and to compare this with interaction in a regular classroom. A class of sixth grade pupils was video taped for a week during mathematics, social studies, and science lessons, and the tapes were analyzed using a modification of Bellack's coding system. Compared to…

The author summarizes his observations of interactions in two classes of an individualized, self-paced, laboratory-based high school science course for students who normally do not take physics or chemistry. Based on these and other observations of classroom behavior of teachers and pupils the author postulates that two agendas are operative in…

Describes two studies in the United Kingdom that evaluated the effectiveness of intensive interactive teaching with pupils having profound and complex learning difficulties. The Intensive Interaction model stresses individualized staff response to a student's focus of attention. The two studies found the Intensive Interaction model facilitated…

This branching programmed instructional workbook focuses on how people behave when they hear messages. Included are materials on audience/receiver behavior and a self-instructional supplement to materials that are a part of other communication studies. Drawings and diagrams illustrate the discussions of self-analysis, selection of audiences and…

Includes brief description of all minicourses completed or under development. (RT)

The major emphasis of this paper (a summary of the results and implications of recent research into the nature of the teaching process) is the relationship between teacher behavior patterns and teacher effectiveness. The underlying thesis is that application of the scientifically supported systems approach to teacher training can yield (and has…

Studies of classes in which teachers used a science curriculum developed by the Australian Science Education Project are reported. (GW)

Understanding the spirit and philosophy of open education constitutes the most important ingredient for successful adaptation to an open classroom; teachers need training and retraining before implementing an open classroom. (JD)