Paul Witt challenges every reader to make a decision in response to the question: "Will the profession follow these recommendations presented in this forum?" Will "quick and dirty" survey methods be exchanged for more complex research designs?" He cautions readers to think first before replying, warning that this is a…

Responds to J. Sprague's 1992 criticisms of the program of research known as Power in the Classroom. Argues that both the covering law and the critical approach to studying power in the classroom are useful because they provide scholars and teachers with answers to distinct research questions. Identifies ways in which both epistemologies are…

Responds to an article in the same issue. Discusses four levels of scrutiny of the language of a research program: vocabulary choices; transformation of terms with the research process; style, syntax, tone, and organization of research reports; and translation of findings into recommendations and policy. Advocates productive dialogue in the…

Presents reasons why the development of a methodology for the description, analysis, and evaluation of second-language classroom interaction would be desirable. L2 classroom interaction is unique in that linguistic forms are the goal as well as the vehicle of instruction, and the linguistic patterns of interaction produced by learners are linked…

A study in which the ability of Peruvian teachers of English as a Second Language to simplify their own use of English appropriately for classroom use was examined, is discussed. It is noted that the study provides new data and has implications for future research on classroom language. It supports prior work on teacher talk and implies that…

Considers the applicability of ethnomethodology and conversation analysis (which focus on language and the social organization of linguistic interchange) to the study of education, children's techniques of communication, socialization processes, and classroom communication. (DMM)

Questions the results of an earlier study that found that accommodating instructional style to disadvantaged students' interaction patterns increases the students' achievement-related behavior. (AEA)

This paper discusses several interrelated features of microethnography that are relevant and useful for the study of bilingual schooling. It is argued that an interactional approach provides a powerful way to study systematically the organization of bilingual learning environment, identify areas of difficulty, and suggest concrete interventions…

This article presents the authors' comments concerning their paper (EC 602 059) that examined teachers' thought processes during instruction of at-risk students. The article comments on the authors' reasons for doing the study, their response to critics, and changes they would make if conducting the study again. (JDD)

Instructional communication research may be examined from the perspective of teacher effectiveness research, based on three dominant 20th-century philosophical traditions: logical empiricism, interpretive theories, and critical theory. Since at least 1896, scholars have used empirical research methodology (largely "logical empiricism," modeled…

Three chapters discuss language usage in the classroom: "Language in the Classroom" (Jack Thomson); "Directions for Research into Classroom Communication" (Douglas Barnes); and "Teachers' Attitudes to Usage" (Ken Watson). The first article discusses how students view their classroom, with actual examples from a newspaper survey. Various teaching…

Argues that classroom dialogic (structured, open-ended) inquiry, through problem-posing, is a tool for classroom research into second-language instruction, helping teachers develop better understanding of students' backgrounds, motivation, cultures, and strategies for learning English. Outlines steps in dialogic inquiry, and offers examples of its…

Considers: (1) research by George Hillocks using meta-analysis to examine four modes of composition instruction; (2) role playing in classroom to improve student writing of persuasive letters or opinion essays; (3) process approach to English instruction, which allows for complex nature of individual learning styles; and (4) resource for promising…