The purpose of this study was to observe and describe the teaching behavior and interaction patterns of four elementary school physical education teachers longitudinally. Each teacher was observed twice a day (AM and PM) for a period of 20 consecutive days, resulting in 40 observations per subject. The following conclusions were reached: (1)…

Presents the procedures, results, and conclusions of a study designed to determine whether constant patterns of teaching of various kinds over an extended period could affect concept formation, problem solving, and total achievement of slow learners in a high school biology course. (LC)

Teachers possess several strategies to fine-tune their purposive interactions to children's needs. Our study investigates which strategies teachers use in their goal oriented interactions with pupils, whether differentiation is perceptible in the way they interact with children whom they define as "children at risk" as compared to the…

Discusses techniques for the observation, coding, and analysis of classroom behaviors. Identifies three major approaches as belonging respectively to (1) the behaviorist, (2) social-emotional, and (3) cognitive activity categories. The science teacher is encouraged to look at his own teaching behaviors as data for empirical study. (LC)

Presents the procedures, results, and conclusions of a study designed to determine which of several varying patterns of teaching was best for the achievement of the slow learner in a high school biology course (LC)

This critique of James Gallagher's Topic Classification System (TCS), a tool of categorizing teacher-pupil classroom interaction, suggests revision of the system asking for more complete analysis of the data obtained with it, but recommends its use in future investigations especially in view of its organization and the "unique elements"…

A British observational study of science classroom interactions was replicated in Atlantic Canada with 33 teacher-class units. Comparison of results revealed a less practical approach to science teaching in the Canadian classrooms, with greater emphasis on the informational aspects of science and convergent, problem-solving activities. (Editor/SJL)

Studied the effectiveness of using checklist-structured observations as a self-improvement technique for modifying teachers' verbal behaviors in the classroom. Concluded that significant changes were found in analyzing pre- and post-treatment audiotape recordings of participating teachers' regular classes. (CC)

This study was designed to identify stable and meaningful aspects of teaching behavior pertaining to the individualization of instruction in special classes for the retarded. Ten predominantly urban classes for intermediate educable mentally retarded pupils were selected from the total of 32 such classes in a large city. These classes were…

The development of a new approach to the analysis of teacher behavior on the dominative-integrative dimension is proposed. The major characteristics of integrative behavior are flexibility of response and acceptance of individual differences, while dominative behavior is characterized by rigidity. The approach consists of a combination of direct…

Classroom behavior of elementary level teachers who display contrasting styles of socialization was analyzed. The Classroom Management Questionnaire, an instrument designed to measure socialization style as derived from Aronfreed's Induction-Sensitization Paradigm, was administered to a sample of elementary teachers. Those scoring one standard…

The Classroom Interaction Analysis Index (CIAI) is an instrument developed to categorize the actions of teachers and students as they interact in classroom situations. In the study described, a class of 30 social studies student teachers were divided into teams of five each. Each team taught the same preplanned lesson twice--by illustrated lecture…

This study investigates sociopsychological variables in an educational context. The question of interest concerns the relationship between the conceptual complexity of teachers and the type of teacher-student interaction in the classrooms. Specifically, this study asks if a teacher's belief system is related to a pattern of asymmetrically or…

This study was designed to determine whether regular Head Start teachers trained as "experimenters" could produce two different teaching modes (combinations of techniques) in two consecutive sessions, using the same lesson content. Each of six Head Start teachers was asked to teach a 10-minute classification lesson to four children,…

Ethnography as a classroom observation method addresses itself to the situations, events, patterns, and contexts that exist in a classroom at a given time. A priori categorical observation and evaluation systems measure what the system is designed to "see," and may fail to record anomolies and salient events that affect teaching and learning in…