The process of building empirical evidence for knowledge about teaching will be long and slow. (MM)

A four-stage approach in second-grade classrooms which: (1) contrasts urban vs. rural settings, (2) explains achievement results on standardized tests, (3) compares past program implementation with present. (Author/DAG)

Reports a study of kindergarten children's strategies for acquiring and protecting status in interactions with peers. Focusing on children's negotiations of relative social standing in face-to-face interactions, discusses strategies children used to improve and defend their relative positions in the social structure of their peer group. (NH)

The effects of naturally-occuring within-group variations in social density were assessed via observations of children in an extremely crowded township nursery in South Africa. The nursery class consisted of 83 children who ranged in age from 32 to 64 months. Levels of crowding at home appeared to exert only a small effect on sensitivity to…

Describes the University of Minnesota's graduate program for training second-language teachers. Program components include an intensive nine-month on-site clinical experience; the development of skills in self-examination and teacher observation; and a research component which allows students to study second-language teaching and learning in…

This article argues that little is known about assessment in the classroom by teachers. Much of what is known comes from research on testing and not from research on teaching which has been neglected. The implications of neglecting research on routine classroom assessments are discussed and corrective measures are suggested. (JAZ)

Describes strategy analysis procedures which enable preservice teachers to implement science lesson segments in a manner that was consistent with strategies incorporated into science teaching models. Conformity to the model was uniformly high for phases related to preparing the learner, investigation planning, and data processing. (JN)

A formative evaluation model was used to evaluate a physics curriculum for technical vocational high schools. The evaluation focused upon the curriculum materials; the student in the classroom, in small groups, and as an individual; students' conceptual frameworks; and students' ability to cope. (GDC)

Reviews the literature on colleague evaluation of classroom teaching, discusses issues instructional developers need to be aware of when consulting with faculty on colleague visitation program design, and suggests practical guidelines for instituting such programs. (11 references) (MBR)

Techniques for categorizing the social and cognitive aspects of children's play on an observational instrument are outlined in this article. Correlates between social cognitive aspects of play and other measures of educational attainment are mentioned. Implications for teacher educators are discussed. (Author/DF)

Spatial mapping is a category system for directly observing instruction in art classrooms. A rationale for studying the spatial dimensions of teaching is presented, how to train observers is explained, procedures involved in a mapping episode are described, methods for analyzing data are suggested, and examples of instruments are presented.…

This article presents guidelines to be used by student teachers for developing observational skills in field experience situations. Suggested topics for observation include: classroom arrangement, classroom interaction, teacher movement, social interaction, analysis of teaching techniques, classroom control, and participant-observers' involvement.…

Discusses a view of observational competence which consists of three proficiencies--proficiency in making observations well, in reporting them well, and in assessing correctly the reports of observations. The conception offers detailed sets of conditions for observing and reporting observations and a set of principles for assessing observational…

The Self Lesson Report Form (SLRF) was designed as an alternative to direct classroom observation or to commonly used questionnaires in which students and/or teachers report on general practices used in their classes. Describes the SLRF, assesses its validity/reliability, and illustrates kinds of information obtained using the SLRF in Israel…

Discusses the theoretical considerations of readers' response to literature. Explores procedures for monitoring and evaluating children's responses to literature. (HTH)