A two-year evaluative study of a Child Parent Center Compensatory Education Program examined specific program characteristics and parent involvement as they affected achievement, locus of control, and home environment. Based on this quasi-experimental study, the program increased achievement, promoted greater feelings of control, and stimulated…

Anthropological field methods can be adapted for use by preservice teachers to help them link macro-sociological perspectives about education with practical outcomes in the schools. First-year education students analyzed information based on observation of secondary school classrooms as part of a sociologically-oriented course. (Author/PP)

Supervising teachers need to share specific behavioral information with student teachers concerning the use of particular behaviors and how they relate to motor learning theory and teaching style. Use of the Cole Descriptive Analysis System, an observation instrument that provides feedback about motor skills, is described. (PP)

Student involvement in 24 science classes (grades 8, 9, 10) during instruction involving teacher exposition, exposition with prop, and demonstration was videotaped. Findings indicated that only nine teachers used class demonstrations and that the increased levels of pupil attention and task involvement increased during demonstration lesson…

Reports on an ethnographic study of peer relations among children in two kindergarten classrooms in a desegregated school. Analyzes the way that a teacher's method of organizing classroom events affects the extent to which children engage in cross-racial friendships. (Author/GC)

Observed 34 children in a Midwest rural two-room school. Teacher strategies are described, as well as child behavior, as they differed from urban schools. Comparison of the Metropolitan Achievement Tests and the Science Research Associates (SRA) scores yielded little or no differences in performance between urban and rural children. (Author)

Reports on a study in which attempts were made to instantiate the same task in a series of classroom lessons and activities and which used two process coding systems to evaluate teacher performance. Discusses the strengths and weaknesses of each type of coding system. (FL)

Reviews studies on the psychosocial learning environment of science classrooms focusing on: (1) assessment of classroom learning environments; (2) predictive validity of environmental perceptions in science classrooms; (3) past criterion validity studies; and (4) directions for future research. (DS)

Observations were conducted in desegregated elementary school classes to determine the relationship between classroom conditions and pupils' interracial behaviors. Diffuse positive intergroup contacts were more likely to occur when teachers emphasized interpersonal concerns. Purposeful intergroup contacts were facilitated by teacher patience and…

This study was concerned with the measurement of a set of indicators of teacher competence, defined by the teachers themselves as observable in their classroom behavior. It was concluded that keys could be constructed to yield stable and consistent measures of most indicators of competency. (Authors/JN)

Academic achievement of pupils working in small cooperation groups was compared to that of students taught in the traditional whole-class approach. Pupils in grades 2, 4 and 6 from small-group classrooms excelled on high level items; the groups did not differ on items measuring low level cognitive functioning. (Author/GSK)

The effectiveness of an instructional-learning management system designed to minimize the time needed for students to complete specified learning tasks and to maximize the opportunity for the individual students to complete the tasks is investigated. Instructional design makes use of teacher's and student's school time more effective. (Author/RD)

Behavior of eight emotionally disturbed boys improved dramatically after a school psychologist observed their class and suggested management techniques. The psychologist clarified the teacher's role as educator, not clinician; restructured the daily schedule; increased the teacher's understanding of reinforcement; and implemented a token economy…

Describes the peer observation program developed by faculty at California State University, Dominguez Hills, its structure and adaptations, outcomes, and recommendations for development of formative peer observation programs. The program helps reduce faculty professional isolation by providing an informal structure for discussion of teaching and…

College faculty peer coaching encourages better teaching while addressing the unique nature of college instruction. It is non-evaluative, based on classroom observation or instructional materials review, and targets specific instructional techniques. Programs should have clear purposes and procedures, provide formal coaching training, provide…