In this article, we analyze theoretical as well as methodological challenges in measuring instructional quality in mathematics classrooms by examining standardized observational instruments. At the beginning, we describe the results of a systematic literature review for determining subject-specific aspects measured in recent lesson studies in…

Karey Lontz's article on learning how to "dominate by observation" (to master the practice of observation so as to use it most effectively for the benefit of the children) takes us from a general to specific understanding of observation. She begins with a look at the importance of observation in human history and in the history of…

Joosten begins his article by telling us that love and knowledge together are the foundation for our work with children. This combination is at the heart of our observation. With this as the foundation, he goes on to offer practical advice to aid our practice of observation. He offers a "List of Objects of Observation" to help guide our…

This lecture discusses how the careful preparation of the observer, control of conditions, and precise use of materials will allow the child to "be free to manifest the phenomena which we wish to observe." This lecture was delivered at the International Training Course, London, 1921. [Reprinted from "AMI Communications" (2008).]

This paper offers a model of supervisory collaboration that brings teacher and administrator programs together through a lens of formative evaluation. The roles of teacher and principal must be collaborative to sustain student success, yet the preparation models for those respective positions are often isolated from each other, as varying…

Recent systematic observations of UK classrooms are reviewed. Findings about how verbal teacher-feedback and students' on-task behaviour are associated are discussed. The method, utility and impact of this type of quantitative research are discussed using a large-scale (mass) secondary school study. Findings include: the use of positive feedback…

In the context of increasing global interest in teacher evaluation, this article describes the development of a self-assessment tool (SAT) for teachers of English and analyses responses to it by 1,716 teachers from around the world. One feature of respondents' self-assessments was that they were mostly positive, and this issue is discussed in…

Science education has an important role in children's understanding of the world, making the right decisions in accordance with their perceptions, using problem solving skills and scientific attitudes. In this study, the effects of activities prepared by considering the needs of visually impaired students on the development of scientific process…

Systematic observation in educational research highlights a wide diversity of aspects of classroom interactions, yet frequency of score cycles is crucial when analysing dimensions of classroom teaching. The aim of this study is to focus on differences in quality of teaching and loss of instructional time using Classroom Assessment Scoring…

Context: Improving teacher quality and granting every student equal access to high-quality instruction have been a shared goal of many parents, educators, and policy makers for decades. In practice, teacher qualification measures (e.g. teacher degree, years of experience etc.) are often used as proxies of teacher quality. However, Shulman (1986)…

There is growing interest in improving and assessing teachers' use of culturally responsive practices (CRP) in the classroom, yet relatively few research-based approaches exist to address these measurement gaps. This article presents findings on the psychometric properties of a newly developed classroom observation measure of CRP, called the CARES…

Purpose: This study explores physical education teaching quality and its effects on student psychomotor learning by bringing together generic and content-specific practices. Method: A sample of 51 elementary classroom teachers who taught physical education to third-, fourth-, or fifth-grade students (N = 944) was recruited. Student psychomotor…

This study aimed to identify the patterns of classroom dialogue used by science teachers in science classes at Omani schools with respect to their gender. The study sample consisted of science teachers: three males and three females. To achieve the aims of the study, mixed methods with three instruments were used. These are an observation card or…

This study utilized multiple data sources to examine the beliefs about learning and teaching physics and the instructional practices of five beginning teachers and seven experienced teachers from Singapore. Our study was implemented in the unique context of teachers teaching the topic of electricity to students grouped according to academic…

Research suggests that student development as writers requires a supportive environment in which they receive sustained opportunities to write. However, writing researchers in general know relatively little about the actual writing opportunities embedded in students' language arts lessons and how students' production of texts in class is framed.…