Research is reviewed on the use of direct observation methods to collect special education data focusing on seven major factors: reactivity; observer drift; the recording procedure; location of the observation; reliability; expectancy and feedback; and characteristics of subjects, observers, and settings. Recommendations are offered for increasing…

Participant observation of 118 teachers and interviews with 21 teachers examined teacher pupil control ideology in a residential school for the hearing impaired. Among three hypotheses supported was that deaf teachers held and were perceived by colleagues as holding more custodial views than their hearing colleagues. (Author/DB)

Established local norms for the frequency of disruptive and unproductive classroom behaviors using a sample of 81 referred and 81 nonreferred elementary school students in grades kindergarten through five. For assessment purposes, frequency of behaviors (off task, talked out, out of seat, other behavior) was categorized by grade level. (Author/ABL)

Students with mild to moderate hearing losses have different communication needs from their normal-hearing peers, but if those needs are met the children can thrive in a mainstream setting. A certified teacher of hearing impaired students can provide professional advice by observing the mainstream classroom and consulting with the teacher. (VW)

Examines teachers' beliefs and observed classroom behavior to discover if consistency exists between the two. Findings show that beliefs must be understood in terms of a clustering effect of beliefs in belief systems. Such findings can be used to understand teacher decision making processes and teaching strategies. (SA)

This article introduces H. F. Wolcott's 1982 taxonomy entitled "Styles of On-Site Research: A Guide for Students." It describes how the taxonomy may be used to improve the quality of on-site investigations in art education and includes an extensive bibliography on each of the approaches. (Author/JDH)

The Teaching Performance Observation Instrument enables evaluators to measure teachers' use of 25 specific teaching practices that research has identified as effective. These practices fall into five broad categories: (1) management of instructional time, (2) management of student behavior, (3) instructional presentation, (4) instructional…

An evaluation of the validity of direct observation measures of pupil classroom behaviors is presented. Three types of measures are discussed: molar, molecular, and molecular-composite. Consistent support for the validity of molar and molecular-composite types of measures is revealed. (Author/LMO)

This article explains why teachers must relinquish personal concerns to observe children more clearly. Careful observation makes it possible for teachers to learn students' needs and strengths and then develop strengths into positive ways of meeting needs. (DF)

Ethical issues relating to naturalistic evaluation are addressed, focusing on the role of the evaluator, problems of privacy and data gathering techniques, and issues relating to the use/abuse of findings. Benefits and costs of the naturalistic approach to program evaluation are also identified. (EGS)

School nurses need to be aware of how divorce affects children and to have the necessary skills to assess emotional problems. Student behaviors to watch for that may indicate emotional problems are listed. (Author/DF)

Relates some of the observations made of a kindergarten classroom over a two-year period in which teachers simulated as many conditions as possible with respect to a natural "learning-how-to-write" situation. (HOD)

Investigated interactive and noninteractive classroom behavior (as related to structural dimensions of the classroom) in order to observe student-student interaction in naturalistic classrooms, specifically in science subjects. Also investigated the empirical validity of a conceptual framework related to student classroom behavior. (JN)

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)