A two page checklist was developed to assist educators in predicting the success or failure of children in open classrooms. The checklist was based on the results of a survey of ninety-one open classroom teachers who were asked to list the characteristics of successful and unsuccessful children in open classrooms. Content validity was established…

This paper reports a technique for classroom observation of children's activities considered relevant to the acquisition of reading. It is part of a larger study conducted by the University of Bristol called the "Children Learning to Read" Project, an attempt to study the learning experiences of individual children as they occur in a…

In this chapter, a path to learning about individuals interacting with settings is proposed. Settings may be places where individuals work, live, care, become committed, or engage in any type of living. The path consists of observational and reflective techniques that may be fruitfully used by educators or any persons interested in enhancing the…

Discusses ways in which talk during writing and group discussion can help children's writing, including (1) helping teachers learn to listen, (2) teaching children to elaborate and clarify, (3) giving children experience with an audience and reasons for writing, (4) helping children gather ideas and assistance, and (5) teaching children to be…

To increase the academic achievement levels of its students, the District of Columbia Public Schools adopted a teacher training model known as Academic Learning Time. A description of the training of observers and teacher trainers is included. (Author/DF)

Reciprocal interactions between teachers and two groups of preschoolers (four autistic, four mildly developmentally delayed) were observed and recorded. Teachers or aides ignored most negative initiations. Although most neutral interactions (e.g., question-answer) were reciprocal, students (especially the autistic group) did not respond…

A field study was conducted to investigate classroom management from the perspective of high school students. Findings suggested that students use six strategies to achieve two major goals during classroom events and that the combination of strategies used by students is based on different context features of each classroom. (Author/BS)

This paper discusses steps and problems involved in self-evaluation of the teaching performances of language teacher trainees and suggests a procedure and a format based on the analysis of comments by participants completing their practice teaching. (Author/SED)

This interview and observational study examined differences in the behavior of teachers and students in high- and low-ability reading groups within 20 kindergarten and first grade heterogeneous classrooms, to determine if intraclass ability grouping interferes with the academic development of low-income and minority students. (PN)

Documentation is a process of observing, collecting, and organizing evidence of children's knowledge, skills, and dispositions. Noting that documentation can be used as an effective method for assessing children's growth and development over time, this 20 minute videotape discusses characteristics of documentation in the early childhood classroom.…

Examined relationships between teacher characteristics (N=30 inservice teachers) and verbal interactions in the classroom. Characteristics examined included teacher lecture, training, intelligence, attitude, extraversion, and neuroticism. Other factors examined included teacher accepting behavior, teacher rejection of responses, teacher-student…

Male student behaviors and student-student interactions were studied in racially integrated activity-centered junior high classrooms. Coded behaviors included: how time was spent by both Black and White students, the number and nature of within-and cross-race interactions, and the relationship between learning behaviors and grades. (Author/PN)

Investigates both the reading and writing behaviors of eight good readers and writers in order to identify shared cognitive-linguistic patterns that might mark both processes, developmental differences between the age groups, and patterns of academic and nonacademic influences on the writing. (HOD)

With reference to EJ 198 838, this article reports similar analysis. Commonality analysis was applied to data gathered on sixth-grade social studies lessons. Variations were found in the proportion of variance achievement. Content coverage was the most powerful process correlate of achievement. (Author/GDC)

The author's research reveals that the presence of a responsible, interactive adult attracts more children to an area than does that of a nonresponsive, passive adult. The authors concluded that the mere presence of a "passive" adult had no impact on maintaining children's interest in a specific learning area. (Author)