A response to Richard E. Clark's conclusion that media research needs to stop emphasizing descriptive research and focus on prescriptive research designs and questions, this paper reiterates the distinctions between disciplines and applied fields of study, and suggests that these distinctions should be evident in the descriptive/prescriptive…

Seven features of valid classroom observations procedures, a five-step measurement schemata, and a systematic classroom observation procedure designed to reduce measurement error are presented. The following features are addressed: (1) the inference of the observation is established a priori and confirmed post hoc; (2) craft knowledge and…

An observational instrument was developed to measure social competence in kindergarten classrooms. Social competence was specified in terms of four broad behavioral categories: obedience, cooperation, interaction, and autonomy. Each category was further particularized in terms of observable behaviors. Initial 5-minute observations using the…

In 1982 an experimental program of weekly school observations was added to the required Education Psychology course for elementary education students in their junior year at Nazareth College of Rochester, New York. The program was extended to include secondary education students in 1985. Weekly reports from student observers became an important…

Egon G. Guba and Yvonna S. Lincoln were among the first to develop a set of extensive criteria for establishing naturalistic inquiry as a disciplined research methodology. The naturalistic paradigm--also called post-positivist, ethnographic, phenomenological, and qualitative--has gained acceptance as a legitimate alternative to the previously…

Communication scholars have addressed a number of theoretical issues concerning the basis of knowledge and reality. They have not, however, accompanied their theories with parallel empirical studies. Given the important implications such work might have for the interpretation and generalizability of observer accounts, two studies were conducted…

Two studies, labeled A and B, were conducted (1) to investigate relationships between early infant and mother behaviors over situations and over time, (2) to explore relationships between maternal experiences and behavior, (3) to compare infant-mother pairs with and without interaction problems, and (4) to compare infant-mother pairs in which…

This study examined the relationships among reading activities, rules for pupil participation, student engagement, and subsequent student achievement in reading lessons taught by student teachers (ST) and experienced teachers (ET). Two ST/ET dyads were observed and interviewed while they instructed third and fourth grade pupils in reading. The…

Evaluation methods lack direction to improve efforts of teachers because the methods operate on vague impressions. Congruence analysis techniques offer promise for diagnostic determination of strengths and weaknesses in teaching practices over a variety of specified criteria. The analysis circumvents some of the problems of linking objective data…

Architectural considerations and recommendations to facilitate the work of an Educational Research Center for Child Development are presented. The purposes of the center are to demonstrate model programs for children, train student and child development professionals, and facilitate and disseminate research on young children. Program…

This study investigated the relationship between peer relations and help-seeking behavior. Seventy-four subjects, predominately black boys and girls, were drawn from the third and fifth grades. A roster-rating sociometric scale was used to obtain measures of children's perceived academic competence, desirability as a helper, and friendship status…

To many people, the term "clinical supervision" now means the Hunter Model, which involves monitoring of teachers' classroom behavior for usage of Hunter's essential elements of instruction, feedback of these results, reinforcement of desired practice, and a prescription for remediation of teachers' performance. In contrast, the…

The Preschool Interest Inventory (PSII) has been developed to meet the need for an informal measure of the interests, play behaviors, and communication skills of young children between the ages of 2 and 6 years, particularly those exhibiting delays in language development. The first step in the Inventory process is the Caregiver Interview. In the…

A three-stage model to diagnose and treat learning difficulties is presented. The three stages include: status assessment; cause estimation; and treatment recommendations. This paper concentrates on the first part of the second stage--that of generating likely causes for the learning difficulties in a given case. A list of questions is offered to…

This paper examines teacher assessment in light of contemporary cognitive science and anthropological research on teaching. Attention is given to why some teacher tests are inappropriate for assessing competence and the need for development of an effective, comprehensive assessment system that acknowledges the inadequacy of current test…