Discusses problem of relationship of theory to practice in teacher training. Examines drawbacks to present techniques including time factor in mastering the systems, the "given" nature of the categories and their information yield. Suggests heuristic and skill-based alternative approach. (BK)

This system for describing teaching events is intended to facilitate the analysis of classroom observations for purposes of comparing, documenting, or evaluating different instructional techniques. The typology is designed to describe a wide range of settings and teaching styles. The descriptors are organized into two groups that simultaneously…

An observation procedure that can be used to observe cooperative learning in French instruction is presented. The procedure consists of setting up the cooperative learning activity and observing whether the cooperative group displays the second-language discourse found to foster second-language learning. Forms for recording observations are…

The reflective experience of novice and experienced teachers involved in a Teaching English as a Second or Other Language (TESOL) practicum is described. Data gathered during the process illustrate the nature of each person's thoughts, judgments, and decisions while watching themselves teach. Ways for practicum supervisors to integrate this…

In China, classroom observation has acquired a bad reputation in the English-as-a-Second-Language profession. A project designed to change this negative image and promote observation as a powerful means of improving both teaching and teachers' self-development efforts is described. A British teacher and Chinese counterpart developed a partnership…

This article reports on a study that investigated the dual characteristics of willingness to communicate (WTC) in a second language (L2): trait-like WTC and situational WTC. By adopting methods of classroom observation, participant interviews and questionnaires, consistency between L2 learners' self-report WTC and their actual WTC behavior in an…

Four case studies in varying stages of completion are currently being conducted in the Department of Vocational and Technical Education at the University of Minnesota using live, two-way television to link multiple sites for interactive television classes. Two of the four classes, which are offered via closed-circuit television, are a vocational…

As part of a study of the language used to conduct daily business in typical West German classroom situations, 30 native English speakers observed selected classroom interactions and used questionnaires to classify them and paraphrase them in English. The observers were from a variety of English-speaking countries, and some had explicitly…

Multi-level foreign language classes are difficult to evaluate because of their complexity. Presents guidelines for administrators to follow when evaluating such classrooms. (MD)

Classroom research procedures to help teachers to investigate their own teaching behaviors are outlined, and the benefits of such research are discussed. For undertaking investigations of teaching behaviors and their consequences, teachers are first provided with background knowledge and experience in classroom observation. A variety of techniques…

The document describes the Changes Project, a participatory action research project conducted by adult learners at five adult literacy and education programs in Western Massachusetts. It is a 3-year project aimed at examining the impact of welfare reform, immigration reform, and the changing workplace on adult learners. The Changes Project is…

The guide is designed to assist second language teachers in developing and conducting reliable and valid assessments in their classrooms. A wide range of formal and informal evaluation techniques is discussed, including a number of alternative approaches. An introductory chapter gives an overview of the uses and aims of evaluation and previews the…

A classroom observation technique that describes classroom events at the level of activity and analyzes the communicative features of verbal exchanges between students and teachers within each activity is described. Activity characteristics indentified include type, participant organization, content, student modality or skills used, and materials;…

The guide is designed for teachers in adult basic education and General Educational Development classes, as an aid for identifying potential limited-English-proficient (LEP) students, assessing their English proficiency in all language skill areas, observing classroom behaviors that might impede comprehension, and planning appropriate instruction.…

Ways in which language teachers can formally investigate the teaching and learning processes occurring in their classrooms are discussed in four sections. The topics covered include: the concept of research , its variety of meanings, and the prestige associated with it; the classroom teacher's traditional role with regard to research and how that…