This classroom observation unit includes a set of activities that are sequenced to create a one-semester field study course. The activities are organized into the following five modules: (1) observing teachers' classroom management strategies; (2) observing teachers' questioning strategies; (3) observing classroom activities routines; (4)…

A system for effective collection of classroom observation data from teachers in schools was developed. Drawing on the Flanders Interaction Analysis System, a procedure for coding classroom interaction into 10 categories, a system was developed to collect direct observation data with microcomputers. Software was prepared for Tandy computers. Field…

To provide preservice teachers with exposure to a diverse set of observation experiences, a three-year Iowa State University project will beam live television broadcasts from school classrooms to the university. The process will allow small groups and whole classes of preservice teachers to unobtrusively observe and discuss classroom events as…

Part of an overall evaluation study of the WANDAH Project at Logan High School (Utah), this study compared the time on task of students in a computer-based English class in two conditions, the handwriting condition (any situation in which they were not involved with computers) and the computer condition. Observational techniques were used to code…

Using a case study approach, this report summarizes a teacher's observations of students working on a personal computer in both classroom and nonclassroom settings. The first section addresses teacher concerns about technology in education, such as fear of replacement by a computer and other symptoms of computer anxiety. Four phases of classroom…

Two student teacher evaluation methods used by the University of Toledo are the Classroom Observation Keyed for Effectiveness Research Instrument (COKER) and the Teacher Performance Assessment Instrument (TPAI). The COKER is an objectively administered low inference system for recording teacher and student interactions in the classroom. (The form…

Potential contributions of research on classroom contexts to preservice teacher education curriculum are outlined in this paper. A review of traditional teacher effectiveness research cites studies that either extrapolated from laboratory research to design a teaching model or used direct classroom observations to correlate behaviors to outcomes…

To determine what pedagogical uses the primary trait system might serve apart from providing a means to assess students' writing, data were collected from 11 elementary and junior high school teachers who had participated in an earlier week-long workshop on primary trait scoring. Participating teachers were asked to complete a log of their…

The elements of design (line, shape, color, value, and texture) are the artist's lexicon rather than words, and the meaning of these elements is carried in their expressive properties in picture books as well as in paintings. Line can convey repose when horizontal, stability if vertical, and action when diagonal or curving. The element of shape…

This paper represents an initial exploration of researcher-informant relationships which develop when naturalistic researchers spend long periods of time watching and recording the details of classroom activity for which a teacher has basic responsibility. The goals of this paper are to present a discussion of the significance of…

While manufacturers have produced a wide variety of software said to be easy for even the youngest child to use, there are conflicting perspectives on computer issues such as ease of use, influence on meeting educational objectives, effects on procedural learning, and rationale for use with young children. Addressing these concerns, this practicum…

Presented is a checklist developed by the Austin Early Childhood Special Education Program to help teachers evaluate children's classroom behavior and coping skills. It is explained that results of the checklist should provide information on such factors as possible underlying problems experienced by a student, situations in which a student…

This observation manual is meant to be used by English as a second language teacher-trainees observing classroom teachers at a college or university and by the teachers being observed. In the introductory material some of the literature on teaching effectiveness and coding procedures is discussed. It is noted that most educators who have been…

A system of identifying teacher and student interactions as they relate to discipline problems was developed and validated as a method of resolving disruptive classroom behavior. SOBAD (Systematic Observation of Behavior with a Focus on Academic Disruptions) involves the use of trained observers who code and record student and teacher interactions…

The Classroom Organization Study, conducted in Austin, Texas, was designed to answer some very specific questions about establishing and maintaining classroom organization in low socioeconomic status elementary schools that results in greater student time on task, exposure to content, and achievement. The ultimate purpose of the study was to…