Background: Coaching, as related to improving others' sporting experience and/or performance, at any level is unquestionably a complex business. General agreement exists that the dynamic and intricate nature of the work in teaching, guiding and managing others in this regard precludes any paint-by-number plans that practitioners can easily follow.…

A rapid ethnograhic study of 10 itinerant teachers in two school districts and 21 other professionals working with the itinerants was conducted. Rapid ethnography starts with the same assumptions about culture as conventional ethnography. However, it is not constrained by the assumption of cultural ignorance on the investigator's part. Thus, it…

This qualitative case study reports on processes and outcomes of the National Science Foundation (NSF)-funded System-Wide Change for All Learners and Educators (SCALE) project at the California State University, Northridge (CSUN). It addresses a critical challenge in studying systemic reform in complex organizations: the lack of methodologies that…

The major literature review by Black and Wiliam (1998a) provided strong research evidence indicating that assessment for learning can produce significant gains in students' learning. The present study applied the main aspects of assessment for learning, as highlighted in the Black and Wiliam review, in a specific area of science education, that of…

The "Science: It's Elementary" (SIE) program is overseen by the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) and managed by ASSET Inc. SIE is an initiative aimed at improving elementary science instruction across the commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The program is focused on helping schools and districts implement an inquiry-based, hands-on…

Developmentally appropriate evaluation (DAE) and developmentally appropriate practice (DAP) are clearly allied. The concept of DAP has expanded to include cultural, economic, ethnic, religious, and familial appropriateness. These same concepts are equally applicable to appropriate evaluation. Factors to consider for appropriate evaluation include:…

Educators, particularly those in special education, are recognizing the importance of providing students with instruction in problem-reducing and problem-avoiding prosocial and affective skills. This book presents a prosocial skills approach designed for use with handicapped and non-handicapped elementary school students. The teaching of positive…

This practicum study devised and evaluated a program designed to reduce overt incidents of stereotyping among diverse fourth through sixth graders in a large urban K-8 school. The 8-month intervention was comprised of six elements: (1) establishing a safe secure classroom atmosphere governed by consistent authoritative discipline; (2) building…

This book describes the results of film study of every day events in day care. It focuses on teacher and child behavior as they interact at meals, naps, and play, and proposes that minute examination of what actually happens to children in specific situations is necessary to identify the kinds of positive behaviors caregivers want to build on, as…

This document reports the findings of a process evaluation of the Saginaw, Michigan Early Childhood Education Preschool program for 4-year-olds at risk of academic failure. As of December, 1992, a total of 279 pupils were attending the program at 8 sites. The goal of the program is to enable 4-year-olds to develop school readiness skills. Program…

The guide is designed as a reference to student evaluation for teachers of Alberta's new French second language curriculum. It provides a suggested philosophy of student evaluation and evaluation techniques consistent with the curriculum. It is presented in its entirety in both English and French. An initial discussion of the purpose of evaluation…

This paper focuses on a lesson plan in fractional number concepts that illustrates how research and practice have been brought together through the use of integrated media. A teacher applied the findings from her master's thesis by collaborating with an instructor of elementary mathematics methods courses and an experienced teacher on a lesson…

Early field experiences for preservice teachers can serve as a catalyst for the development of new insights and instructional techniques, particularly if they are in diverse settings. This study provided one preservice teacher with two 30-hour field experience components at two diverse sites. The project involved a comparative analysis of two…

This doctoral dissertation reports on a study that investigated the hypermedia learning environment from the perspective of high school students learning about U.S. culture. Qualitative methods were used to determine student perceptions about learning with hypermedia tools. Data were collected from daily observations, interviews, student products,…

This guide addresses problems in communication occurring between teachers in training and their observers/trainers, particularly after an observation session. It presents a series of activities intended for workshop use and designed to encourage communication that conveys intention and meaning more effectively. The activities include exercises in…