Results indicated the degree to which the cognitive performance of classes and individuals was influenced by the combination of student ability and anxiety aptitudes, and teacher structuring and demand for student participation. Four aptitude-treatment interactions were found; these were consistent with prior research. (Author/CP)

Describes a vocational education teacher training program emphasizing improvement in verbal interactions in the classroom. Samples of behavior were recorded on time sample recorders, and feedback was provided to teachers using the Flanders system of verbal interaction analysis. Study results indicate that this instructional model is valid and…

Two experiments examined the possibility that student expectations regarding teacher competence can be communicated to the teacher and bring about expected behavior. Results showed significant differences in student attitudes, performance, and nonverbal behavior according to expectation. Positive and negative nonverbal student behaviors had…

Under general guidelines, each teacher at Angier School designs his/her own system for pupil evaluation, including anecdotal reports and parent conferences. This article describes the school's pupil evaluation policy and the workshops on observation and behavior description that were conducted to help teachers implement the system. (SJL)

Defines creativity as the process of being original, spontaneous, and/or unique, using prior knowledge and available information to think or act in a new way. Creativity can be fostered by acceptance and encouragement, by an atmosphere of trust, and by selection of classroom activities and materials. Children need uninterrupted work time for…

Results from a study of at-risk boys in a summer camp suggest that critical thinking can be fostered effectively in an instructional framework that emphasizes teacher modeling, an indirect approach to instruction, group collaboration, and strategy facilitation. The study examined changes in critical- thinking scores, as well as teacher and student…

Presents an observational study of multicultural educational practices within 12 elementary schools in a major metropolitan area of the south central region of the United States. Reveals the use of the Multicultural Teaching Observation Instrument in measuring teacher support of students, classroom equity, and integration of students' culture…

Reports the results of a case study of three elementary school library media centers (LMCs) that investigated the degree to which LMCs contribute to students' development of positive self-concepts. The relationship between self-concept and academic achievement is discussed, and research methodologies including interviews, observations, and written…

Evaluated first use of a classroom environment instrument in a Year 1 class. Students responded to both the actual and preferred forms of the inventory. The teacher then implemented selected strategies in a practical attempt to improve the classroom environment in ways preferred by the students. Follow-up assessment indicated that the environment…

Investigation of the developing oral English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) skills of native French speaking elementary students in a five-month intensive ESL course found that teachers' use of form-focused instruction and corrective feedback influenced students' correct use of "-ing" structures and adjective-noun order. (47 references) (Author/CB)

Describes the interactions of high school girls and boys during coeducational science lessons. Analyses of the audiovideo recordings of 144 lessons taught by 12 male teachers indicate that girls were more likely to initiate classroom discourse. Findings did not support the hypothesis that gender disparity in science achievement in favor of boys…

Three case studies illustrate how recent classroom observation research has led to more active participation on the part of teachers, principals, and supervisors. The groups have worked closely to understand how the core French program works in the classroom. Participatory research is seen as an important professional development opportunity for…

To determine whether men dominate language in a mixed-gender adult classroom, 4 lessons were observed and recorded at a training course for 10 supervisors in London. Men helped maintain women's silence by the competitive nature of their discourse. Men's linguistic domination is related to research on children's classrooms. (SLD)

Describes a study that explored the social interaction among second and third grade students when a microcomputer was introduced into the classroom. The emergence of children who are microcomputer experts is discussed, the influence of such children on peers and peer preferences is examined, and implications for teachers and students are…

Teacher educators visited the classrooms of elementary teachers they had prepared to observe and interview them. Their research discovered an interplay between the philosophy and pedagogy of their program and the graduates' practice, the individual teacher's preparation and practice and the school culture, and what observers saw and understood.…