Research indicates that increasing teacher-directed opportunities to respond (TD-OTR) positively impacts student outcomes. Prior reviews of the empirical literature focused on outcomes for students with emotional behavioral disorders or on TD-OTRs as one of many classroom-management practices; however, prior reviews did not examine effects of…

Examines types and frequency of coaching of learning at the middle school level and its relation to students' strategic-learning. Results reveal that instances of teachers' coaching of learning occurred in only 9% of the instruction segments and that students' strategic-learning activity was significantly related to teachers' coaching of learning.…

The unintentional and unrecognized use of aversive stimuli that increase student escape and avoidance responses may contribute to educational problems of students with emotional and behavioral disorders. Sources of aversive stimuli present in many classrooms include interactions between students and teachers, academic activities offered, and…

Research shows that most students in the United States, at all grade levels, find social studies to be one of the least interesting, most irrelevant subjects in the school curriculum. Few studies have been done to explore the potential causes of these negative attitudes toward social studies. (RM)

Examines an approach used to promote multicultural self-development for preservice teachers. The authors describe the developmental process and the teaching and research settings and approaches. A brief summary and discussion of the implications for teacher education conclude the article. (GR)

Studies involving puzzle-solving in competitive, cooperative, and individual settings demonstrate that children's reactions to their own and other's success and failure are strongly influenced by the reward contingencies offered. Reward structures have different implications for children differing in self-concept level. Implications for the…

Reports on a study of 138 college sociology professors on their attitudes about and techniques for learning students' names. Finds that the number of tactics used for learning names declines as class size increases. Includes 18 techniques for name-learning. (CFR)

Although the physical environment of schools seems to affect the attitude and behavior of students and teachers, there is little scientific proof to support this belief. Two substantial studies have attempted to synthesize available research on the topic. First, an effort by Carol Weinstein has gathered significant data concerning spatial behavior…

Explores why few men registered for and consistently dropped out of a college women's studies course. Interviews with nine men and a review of another student's journal show an uneasiness with being the gender minority in the class, feelings of repression, discomfort at being left out, yet a better appreciation for the minority experience in…

Reviews research on students' concepts and theories of fair and effective educational practices. Asserts that students are insightful critics of schooling and hold different theories about how schools should be defined. Maintains that moral education programs could encourage students and teachers to negotiate fair classroom practices. (CFR)

This book examines the expectancy effect (or self-fulfilling prophecy) on student achievement. One of its main purposes is to take a broader look at for whom, where, when, and how expectancy effects take place and what consequences they have for children in school. Chapter 1 presents a case study of educational expectancy of a learning-disabled…

Theoretical traditions concerning school environments and student achievement are described, and their insights are linked with analyses of school and classroom interactions to develop a simple conceptual model of environmental influences on student achievement. The literature regarding environmental influences is then reviewed, and the last…

This monograph reports on the establishment of a videotape data bank designed to record activities in physical education classes for analyzing and describing teacher and student behaviors. The process of obtaining approximately 80 tapes of elementary and high schools classes and of developing procedures for efficiently describing what was…

Research literature on student perceptions of classroom environment is reviewed in this paper. The intent is to indicate the types of issues that have been addressed and to illustrate recent developments in the field of student perception. Seven categories of student perception are examined: (1) teachers and teacher behavior; (2) peers and peer…

This report, addressed to the broad audience of cognitive scientists, examines research on cognitive change. In the introduction, background considerations are made, previous research is reviewed, and the report itself is outlined. The first chapter, "Finding Goals Outside the Laboratory," discusses how laboratory tasks can obscure research goals…