Path analysis, a technique related to multiple regression analysis is used for ascribing causal relationships among variables. Path analysis involves the construction of explicitly formulated causal models and makes the reasoning explicit in the form of path diagrams and structural equations. Regression analysis is then used to construct path coefficients or beta weights. Several assumptions are required by this model of path analysis. In the given example; teacher age, teacher sex, teacher training, and class size are assumed to influence democratic classroom control directly, and also through their influence on teacher orientation toward task accomplishment (which is assumed to influence democratic classroom control directly). There are a number of advantages of path analysis, as well as a number of technical and practical problems. Path analysis enables evaluators to conduct local decision-oriented studies and at the same time to investigate theoretical causal mechanisms. However, there are many difficult problems associated with the valid use of the technique, and care must be taken in its application. (Author/CTM)