Describes some current techniques of classroom observation and evaluation, an area long neglected by sociologists. (AN)

Classroom research is caught between lack of rigor and lack of richness. When multiple classrooms are used, and when the performance of different groups or levels of students is regarded as "repeated measures" (or split plots) and analyzed accordingly, much of the descriptive richness of the interactions may be regained. (Author)

In this paper a broad perspective on the phenomenon of teaching and learning is presented. The complex dynamics of interaction between teacher, student, and educational researcher are explored. Conventional research in education is characterized as relying heavily on methods adopted from other types of research in such fields as agriculture and…

This paper presents a discussion of evaluation methods which can be used in preschool programs and emphasizes the importance of considering both outcome and process variables. Emphasizing the limitations of research which utilizes only outcome measures, the paper focuses on the benefits of an analysis of ongoing processes and interactions within…

Written to assist future researchers in conducting cross-national studies of classroom behaviors, this study indicates a number of factors which may reduce the validity of comparisons made. It is based on an investigation which explored the feasibility of using the Activities Categories Instrument and the Flanders Interaction Analysis Categories…

The intent of this brief paper is two-fold: (1) to review selected past studies and discuss what is believed to be misdirections in their focus and inadequate methodology and (2) to report a series of studies that attempt to counter these shortcomings. It is held that, by focusing on discrete components, such as curriculum, and using limiting…

A number of problems are identified and questions raised about the usefulness of conventional instruments of educational and psychological measurement in curriculum evaluation and research. Four purposes of curriculum evaluation data are identified: (1) advancement of science, (2) curriculum revision, (3) provision of data for the formulation of…

Pearson correlation coefficients between first and second year classroom process data from the Texas Teacher Effectiveness Project are presented. These data are from 19 second and third grade teachers whose classrooms were observed during two consecutive school years. The stability of classroom behaviors varied greatly across the two years.…