Nine eighth grade classes were examined to identify the nature, distribution and patterning of verbal discourse. Included are a description of the categories used (Smith and Meux), a description of the nature of the verbal interaction in science lessons, and a resulting comparison between Australian, American, and New Zealand teachers. (DS)

Fifteen Australian ninth-grade science classes used Australian Science Education Project (ASEP) curriculum materials with one of three levels of teacher structuring. Videotaped classes were analyzed for student and teacher behaviors. Concludes that more structuring results in more cognitive activity, more experimentation, and less task-irrelevant…

Activities in 31 Israeli high school biology and 4 college-level laboratories in first and second years of medical school were analyzed using the Classroom Observation Instruments. Percentages of time spent in pre-lab discussion (problem identification, instructions); lab-work (identifying investigation components, responding to students,…

Studied the relationship of teachers' I/D ratio to their students' achievement and retention of learning in senior high chemistry and junior high general science classes. Concluded that the student score on a standardized achievement test was dependent on the teacher I/D ratio as measured on Flanders scale. (CC)

Flander's interaction analysis techniques were used to identify direct" and indirect" junior high school teachers. Students of indirect teachers were superior on affective and cognitive measures. (AL)

Predictions from Anderson's theories of structured communication were tested in grade eitht biology classes. Students given verbal instruction with a high degree of structure performed better on acquisition tests than students receiving less structured lessons. (AL)

Reports on a study of the interactions of students in Australian high schools and was designed to focus on "target students" who monopolized whole class interactions. Students who were asked by teachers to be target students tended to have higher formal reasoning ability and achievement levels than the other students. (TW)