Two competing paradigms seem to characterize all models of teaching behavior. The first may be labeled as behavior-analytic, detail specific, and structured in that the learner proceeds through prescribed steps toward each goal. The other may be described as inquiry-oriented and learner-centered in that the learner has greater choice of the means…

This study investigated the effect of various dimensions of classroom structure on children's reading skills. Two classrooms each from grades one to three were selected by district administrators as outstanding examples of different types of classroom structure. A sample of 16 children was drawn from each class. Each classroom was observed on the…

The author believes that when competent teachers are made aware of the individual differences that exist between children, they can, and will, individualize their approach to children. The intent of this book is to aid teachers in developing diagnostic-teaching skills in the service of this belief. Diagnostic teaching is seen as harmonizing the…

Teacher involvement in the development of instructional materials for Trainable Mentally Retarded (TMR) children and the criteria to be considered in developing these materials are discussed. Among the topics presented are (1) the TMR teacher's awareness of pupil needs, (2) the applicability of materials to teaching style and learning style, (3)…

This paper examines the process by which teachers adapt their teaching behavior to their students, including (1) how adaptation is manifested spontaneously through implicit matching of students and teaching styles, (2) how implicit matching can be analyzed, (3) how models for matching teachers' approaches to different students can be described,…

A study of the relationship between teacher knowledge and teaching style was made in an eastern metropolitan area, with 53 first-year intern teachers in secondary schools whose answers in the Common Examination of the National Teacher Examination were available for analysis. Each teacher was visited in the classroom on four occasions by two…

The Teacher Characteristics Project, one of the five undertaken as part of the design of an individualized instructional system for Dade County Schools, was set up to study the role of the teacher in the new system. A survey of literature, research, and projected strategies pointed up these trends and generalizations: (1) a shift in emphasis from…

This study assesses the influence of an elaborative vs. non-elaborative teaching style on children's nursery school behavior. (Elaborative teachers elicit more comments from the child, and offer more options for solving problems than non-elaborative teachers). Subjects, 24 white children of welfare mothers, were assigned to an elaborative…

The objective of this study was to assess changes in verbalized cognitive inquiry behaviors of teachers and students who participated in the McREL Instruction Staff Development Program in Inquiry. Twenty-four participating secondary teachers were videotaped before and after instruction. Teacher and student verbalized inquiry behaviors were coded…

In this study, the two modes were operationally distinguished by the degree of teacher control over the conduct of pupil investigations. In the unstructured mode the teacher identified the area of investigation and supplied appropriate apparatus. The structured mode was identifiable with the teaching strategy typical of a curriculum such as…

The objectives of this study are twofold: a) measuring students' expressive engagement levels while increasing the teachers' use of two teaching strategies, Personalizing the Task (PT) and Recognizing Individual Achievement (RIA); and b) testing the use of observation, feedback, and training as a practical model for changing teacher behavior.…

Two experiments were conducted to compare the effects of two different experimentally induced orientations toward lesson objectives on teachers' instructional behaviors and the consequent achievement of their pupils. In each experiment, 36 student teachers were randomly assigned to one of two treatments. Each treatment required the teachers to…

A partial transcript of a radio interview with Eda LeShan concerning her perceptions of the current state of children's education and how it might be improved. (BRT)

Summarizes the findings from a recent research study of the processes and products of science teaching in English schools. The study identified three main styles of science teaching; these are discussed in terms of their effectiveness and in relation to the implementation of modern school science curricula. (Author/GA)

In order to teach well, student teachers must learn to put theories and philosophies of education into practice, rather than learning to "go through the motions" of teaching. This is especially true in the Caribbean, where few student teachers understand the dynamics of learning or their own role in the learning process. (WI)