This study analyzed the instructional practices of more versus less effective U.S. History teachers identified by a multiple regression model. Using surveys, observations, and focus-group interviews, the study found that the most effective teachers had a more complete package of rigor, relevance, and relationship strategies than less effective…

The purpose of this investigation was to quantitatively and qualitatively identify the study methods and learning strategies that veterinary students used to study anatomy during their first year of professional school and to correlate these with their academic achievement and long-term recall of information. It was surmised that active study…

This paper explores the process by which mathematical knowledge is socially constructed. Interactional analysis of a lesson on fact families shows how one third-grade mathematics class negotiated the meanings of writing a number sentence for a picture and a fact family. In the course of classroom interactions, teacher and students shifted the…

This paper addresses issues surrounding attempts to describe instructional practices and learning opportunities. It draws from the data and experiences of researchers associated with the Reform Up Close (RUC) Study conducted by the Consortium for Policy Research in Education (CPRE) for the National Science Foundation. The paper focuses on the…

For better or worse, administrators observing classroom teaching is a leadership priority in many American schools. In a whole language environment, a variety of activities are usually occurring simultaneously. Goals are therefore needed to provide instructional direction and to clarify for observers, the teacher, and students why the students are…

This paper provides guidelines for improving the objectivity, quality, and relevance of classroom observations. Suggestions are organized according to the three stages of the observation process--prior, during, and after the observation. Tips for establishing and maintaining a positive climate and for necessary preparations prior to the…

Various combinations of personality type components have been suggested as possible attributes of teaching style. However, there is little evidence available as to how these teaching styles relate to teaching effectiveness. This report compares various combinations of personality type with observable teaching effectiveness behaviors. One purpose…

One of the main advantages of the naturalistic approach to classroom research is that the observations are of natural phenomena, occuring in circumstances which the researcher ultimately hopes to generalize. Some problem areas are associated with this approach, however. Observers must obtain complete and accurate records of classroom activities…

The premise of this article is that the positive influence colleagues may have on one another in the area of instructional supervision is often overlooked. (RC)

Offers 12 rules for using feedback to effect change and describes a system for stimulating change in teaching behavior in a school setting. (Author/IRT)

The first article in this column describes the observation strategies designed to train high school students to reliably conduct classroom observations. The second article examines the influence of classroom reading material and five basic reading series on the career development of children in the second, fourth, and sixth grades. (HMV)

Researchers as well as others evaluating teachers or programs are often interested in the verbal and non-verbal behaviors related to the learning of students in classrooms. The Student Record of Behavior (StRoBe) is a classroom observation instrument designed to provide simple low inference information concerning student behaviors related to…

An approach to the assessment of classroom thoughtfulness is presented. The approach recognizes the importance of in-depth knowledge, intellectual skills, and dispositions; it also emphasizes general qualities of discourse such as teachers posing higher order challenges and students giving reasons. The approach is contrasted with those that…

This study employed a classwide peer recording (CWPR) program to demonstrate the efficacy of peers as behavior change agents in a physical activity setting. The study sought to determine whether or not the frequency of stimuli conditions presented by a game changes when a CWPR procedure is in effect, and whether or not the frequency of actual…

This module, intended for use by special education teachers, defines pragmatics as the ability to use verbal and nonverbal language to take part in a conversation, based on the situation and the conversational partner. It provides responses to seven frequently asked questions about pragmatics and the transition from school to working life for…