Teachers in England and Wales are working to implement the targets and programs of study for technology, which was defined in the 1993 National Curriculum as "the creative application of knowledge, skills, and understanding to design and make good quality products." To determine the needs and attitudes of primary-school staff,…

In contrast to standardized tests, which do not accurately reflect the achievement of young students, portfolio assessment is a valuable tool for documenting a student's development. Portfolio assessment can be conducted formally or informally through observation or by interview. Documentation of observations can take the form of checklists,…

Case studies have emerged as a viable tool for exposing novice teachers to mundane and unique situations that might be encountered in the classroom. This paper discusses the utilization of video taped case studies as a valid method for assessing the reactions and perceptions of preservice teachers to an introductory field observation course.…

This study examined the efficacy of Techniques of Responsive Intervention to Validate Effective Teaching (TRIVET) as a model for training administrators and teachers to provide instructional leadership through effective classroom appraisal. The study dealt with the first of a multi-step process to have principals and teachers impact what happens…

The framework and results of a study exploring the effects of alternative assessment on mathematics teaching are reported. The instrument for the observation of alternative assessment in the classroom, based on the processes defined by P. L. Peterson (1988), is described along with a discussion of the methodology and the data implications.…

The purpose of this study was to investigate differences in Texas Teacher Appraisal System (TTAS) scores when considering the scores of the first four individual domains (Instructional Strategies, Management and Organization, Presentation of Subject Matter, and Learning Environment), the sum of the scores of Domains I through IV, and the overall…

The study reported here was conducted to improve student teachers' skills in asking questions capable of eliciting learner responses on a higher cognitive level. Participants, senior student teachers, were chosen randomly for video evaluations of their question asking strategies. Following video recording of lessons, the student teachers performed…

This study was conducted by the teacher education program, University of Saskatchewan, to determine the effectiveness of practicum supervisory practices by cooperating teachers. Student teachers (N=126) were surveyed with respect to 31 present and ideal clinical supervision behaviors before and after a 4-month internship. Training and experience…

This annual journal presents the latest thinking and research on important issues of faculty, instructional, and organizational development in postsecondary education. Essays in this issue and their authors are as follows: "Faculty Development and the New American Scholar" (William B. Bondeson); "Improving Higher Education: Issues…

A set of self-evaluation procedures using videotape was developed to provide teachers with a means for observing their teaching and then reflecting on what occurred. The self-evaluation model consists of two components: (1) a transition observation instrument (TOI) which was designed based on classroom management variables known to influence…

The validation of a classroom observation instrument to be used in evaluating teacher interns under the Kentucky Teacher Intern Program is described. The validation project began in 1988. Fourteen educators from state universities comprised a jury that judged the initial version of the instrument and compared it with the instrument previously…

Essential elements of teacher preparation programs should become the foundation of instructional leader training. Techniques of Responsive Intervention to Validate Effective Teaching (TRIVET) is an administrative training program that provides instructional leaders with the skills and knowledge to collect data, diagnose instructional…

A number of studies indicate that student teachers can change their behavior quickly, sometimes dramatically, when under a supervisory program which focuses upon behavioral change during the experience. Such change is contingent upon the extent to which student teachers have specific objectives to achieve and regular, precise feedback about their…

This observer training manual was developed as a central component of a research effort, Changing Teacher Practice (CTP), which was designed to increase the frequency of effective teaching behaviors and staff development strategies in an ongoing school system. The observations focused on two major aspects of classroom teaching--instruction and…

Effective schools research has delivered some relatively concrete findings on important issues facing this country's educators. The result has been an extensive collection of effective schooling practices which have potential for increasing performance in young people. In reviewing effective schools literature, implications of the data were found…