This study investigated how classroom teaching behavior mediates the relationship between personality and college teaching effectiveness. Instructional effectiveness was measured by end-of-term student ratings. Path analysis revealed that approximately half of the relationship between personality and teaching effectiveness was mediated by…

Nonverbal behaviors associated with classroom conversation in Choctaw Indian and white middle class public schools were videotaped with two cameras providing a view of the teacher and class and the listener-gaze of individual students. Results indicated cultural differences in nonverbal behavior were associated with classroom interaction.…

A trained eye can make almost any part of the landscape into a vehicle for historical awareness. Discussed is how one farm in Canada is the product of its historic circumstances. (RM)

The usefulness of four standardized rating scales in assessing student behavior problems is discussed: the Child Behavior Checklist (completed by parents); the Teacher Report Form; the Direct Observation Form; and the Youth Self Report. Four case studies illustrate the use of these checklists in school-based assessment. (Author/GDC)

Describes some of the activities teacher researchers are doing in their classrooms, focusing on ways they use language, literature, and literacy activities to examine their students' development as well as their own growth. Also outlines ways teachers organize and analyze their observations in an effort to make them somewhat systematic. (HOD)

A comparison of teacher ratings, peer roster ratings, and self-ratings with observational data, involving 22 learning disabled or educable retarded and 16 nonhandicapped high school students, yielded such results as that the peer and teacher ratings effectively measured time-on-task during classroom activities, but did not correlate well with…

Investigates administrative metaphors and the school principalship in the current literature. Three metaphors--maintenance, survival, and vision--are explored through participant observation of the behavior of five principals. (MLF)

The behavior of children from a wide range of family backgrounds was observed in elementary school classrooms several years after program services had been delivered. The results indicated that program participants benefited, particularly in the area of academic learning behavior. (Author/BW)

Discusses the assessment center approach to employee selection and describes its background, history and use, methodology (including simulation and observation), and possible applications, including its use in a professional certification program for instructional/training designers. (MBR)

Structured naturalistic observations and student surveys were analyzed to determine (1) the extent to which small group instruction was used in elementary school classrooms; (2) the academic conditions under which small group instruction was used; and (3) the effects of small group instruction on student attitudes, particularly those related to…

This minimal intervention experiment was carried out in the fourth-, fifth-, and sixth-grade classrooms of 32 volunteer teachers. Six training packets were mailed to teachers and minimal before and after training classroom observations were conducted. Analysis showed no significant changes in teaching practices or student achievement. (BS)

Validation of a classroom observation measure for use with English Learners (ELs) in Grade 1 is the focus of this study. Fourteen teachers were observed during reading and language arts instruction with an instrument used to generate overall ratings of instructional quality on a number of dimensions. In these classrooms, the reading performance of…

This Mentor Teacher Group Guide was created by the National Center for the Study of Adult Learning and Literacy (NCSALL) and the New Mexico Coalition for Literacy (NMCL) as part of the Connecting Practice, Policy, and Research Initiative (CPPR). It was piloted with five Mentor Teacher Groups throughout the state of New Mexico in the winter of…

Here is a roadmap to success affecting the growth and achievement of all students. This book integrates research about teaching and learning using a variety of sources, both popular and academic, to create a readable text. The author offers: (1) A description of current practices in schools that successfully promote positive relationships; (2)…

This book provides elementary teachers with ways to use focused observation to help plan thoughtful, effective instruction and curriculum for their students. The recommended strategies can be implemented in a variety of situations, grade levels, and teaching environments. Three chapters present stories related to: getting along in the classroom…