The purpose of this study was to collect normative data on the reinforcement repertoires of teachers while interacting with lower and middle class students. Previous research suggests that the closer the values and social goals of students and their teachers, the more likely that positive classroom interaction would occur. It was therefore…

The efficiency of the theoretical planning model FACT for modifying the teaching behavior of elementary school interns is evaluated. Results indicate that FACT may be useful in this regard, and thus may bridge the gap between the instruction received in teacher colleges and the teaching of the graduates. (MS)

Designed by the Ilinois Bilingual Evaluation Center as a pilot project, the purpose of this study was to explore the process or nature of events in a bilingual classroom and to investigate the feasibility of using observational techniques to examine this process in an evaluation context. The subjects for the study were three children of Spanish…

This document describes the development of an observation instrument which could provide an objective record of the content of the learning environment in the early childhood classroom. A team of early childhood specialists explored the critical dimensions of the preschool experience and developed a series of descriptive categories in terms of…

A study was conducted to ascertain which dimensions of children's classroom behavior are seen to be important by teachers and how accurate teachers' perceptions are of children's behavior in terms of such dimensions. Teachers in six suburban fourth-grade classrooms rated classroom behavior of each of their students (105 boys and 78 girls) using…

When the paraprofessional in bilingual education is used effectively, individual needs and individual differences of the students are met. An approach to the training of the paraprofessional has been developed at the Merrimack Education Center (MEC). The training program involves active participation of all paraprofessionals. Understanding and…

A method for integrating theory and practice in English as a second language teacher training is outlined. The model's steps include videotaping a teaching session; review and discussion of the videotape; evaluation of the lesson's most and least effective elements; and studying theoretical issues brought up through study of the tape. (CB)

In this completed qualitative dissertation research, the nature of the relationship between professional development programs (in-service training programs) and English language instructors was studied with a critical postmodern lense focusing on the narratives of nine English language instructors on their experiences in their professional…

This paper is a report of a middle-school teacher's study of classroom management. The teacher/researcher was interested in how some of the techniques in the Kovalik Integrated Thematic Instruction model of training would influence the teacher/researcher's classroom management; the effects of direct instruction within a community circle; the…

This study sought to demonstrate how an interactive model can be used as a "semiotic" tool to reconcile contrasting views of the role of the college professor. The study used concepts of group dynamics to study classroom leadership, climate, and expectations and a social-psychological perspective was used to analyze group interaction patterns as…

Early childhood educators are increasingly concerned about the trend toward national standards and national testing. This article addresses issues of assessment in the early years of schooling, prekindergarten through third grade--a period when active, engaged, hands-on learning is most appropriate. Documentation of a kindergarten project on a…

A project to develop an explicit model of sheltered instruction that teachers can use to improve the academic success of their limited-English-proficient (LEP) students is described, focusing on the development of an observation tool for use in the study. The Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol (SIOP) provides concrete examples of the…

This book extends ethnography beyond the work of university researchers to include classroom teachers, student teachers, and teacher educators. It provides ways for student teachers and others to develop lenses for seeing the patterns and practices of life within classrooms. The book describes how developing "ethnographic eyes" can help student…

The focus of this practitioner brief is: How do adult English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) students manage their learning? The adult ESL instructor found that his students wanted more opportunities to speak English in class, and to practice actual oral communication skills in English, but felt too much of their time and effort was directed into rote…

Twenty-five junior high school mathematics teachers and 25 English teachers who taught in both higher- and lower-ability class sections were observed during the school year in order to examine any differences in instructional behavior which might occur between the two classes. (Author/MP)