Describes the development of a two-session home observational scheme for the study of the interactions between mothers and their two- and three-year-old children, with the main thrust on socio-emotional development. The tool focuses on parental responsivity and sensitivity, affect, social communication, and social control and has a combination of…

This study examines teachers' interactions with fourth- and fifth-grade Mexican American (n=40) and Anglo American (n=59) students who were similar in terms of socioeconomic background, level of academic achievement, and English proficiency. The relationship of these interactions to students' achievement is also examined. (PN)

Defines participant observation as a research methodology whereby investigation is conducted in the subjects' natural habitat over a long period of time in which the researcher shares as intimately as possible in the life and activities of the subjects being studied. (Available from the Journal of Applied Communications Research, Ed., Drawer NJ,…

The studies discussed investigate the concept of teacher effectiveness and attempt to determine whether different educational treatments have had different effects on student improvement. (MM)

Considered are some objections to the use of systematic observations of student behavior in special education practice and research. (IM)

During the first half of the 1990s, the British government turned inspection into an ambitious instrument of educational policy-making. What happens when schools are inspected is the subject of this book. Based on a 3-year study, it answers such questions as "What happens when the inspectors announce that they intend to call?,""How…

This study investigated 16 K-12 English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) teachers' experiences being observed at different stages of their teaching careers. Participants included classroom teachers seeking ESL endorsement in a graduate certificate Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) program and master's level TESOL graduates.…

This book provides those new to the field with a blend of practical and theoretical information. The author addresses a spectrum of recent information about the process of qualitative educational research and brings together in one volume the essential elements of all aspects of the field. The text: (1) Introduces traditions and influences in the…

This paper describes a 1998 evaluation conducted by one Texas school district of its K-5 physical education (PE) program. The director of PE developed a plan for gathering information on scheduling; student performance (motor skills, fitness, and social skills); and teachers' use of best instructional practices. Teachers assessed student…

This study examined the relationships between teachers' self-assessment and their ratings by master teachers on key dimensions of proficiency as defined by Oregon's Continuing Teaching Licensure (CTL) requirements, and it explored differences between teacher behaviors and practices as a function of their teacher preparation programs. It also…

This paper describes two approaches to the evaluation of student learning skills and learning styles: the "One Minute Paper" and classroom observation of students in cooperative learning groups. The One Minute Paper developed, by R. Weaver and H. Cottrell (1985), is a form completed by students at the end of class that asks students to indicate…

This handbook was written in response to an identified need for more public information on Ontario's old growth forests. It is meant to be taken into old growth stands, where the learner can see, touch, and study the natural ingredients of old growth forests. Much of the handbook is a guide to forest history, helping the learner to discover…

In this paper two educational consultants, one a researcher in South African issues and the other a researcher in Kazakstan issues, share their respective experiences of teaching in South Africa and Kazakstan and examine their assumptions and methods of consultation. The paper analyzes how the consultants' observations of education in these…

The Learning Record is a framework teachers can use to translate their observations of students into a disciplined, systematic, standards-based reporting process. This guide offers all the information necessary to use the Learning Record in elementary school. The chapters are: (1) "Documenting Prior Experience"; (2) "Documenting Student Learning";…

The Work Sampling System is a performance assessment system that is used in preschool through fifth grade to document and assess children's skills, knowledge, behavior, and accomplishments across curriculum areas. This handbook for teacher educators explains the use of the Work Sampling System. The chapters are: (1) "The Work Sampling System…