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…

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…

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…