Focuses on issues related to using recent findings from research as a knowledge base for making decisions about teacher mastery. Suggests that if the present body of knowledge about effective teaching is used to select master teachers, some excellent teachers will be overlooked and some ineffective teachers will be designated as masters. (RH)

Narrative descriptions of class sessions conducted by seven junior high school English teachers were used to map the way order was achieved under different circumstances. (RM)

Examines the nature of the change in teacher-researcher relationships, tracing the character of the shift in the study of teaching and teacher education and discussing issues related to the equalization of participants' roles in the research process and the control of how data are interpreted and used. (SM)

This article cites various research studies on matching learning and teaching styles and discusses possible problems of this approach. Several aspects of matching learning and teaching styles are offered for consideration: the effect of teaching on learning, classroom management, and how styles affect classrooms. (DF)

As part of a larger effort to understand how classrooms are managed, this study used narrative descriptions of class sessions conducted by seven junior high school English teachers to map the way order was achieved under different circumstances. The basic unit for analysis was the classroom activity, characterized by an identifiable focus or a…

This paper contains a description of the status of a project on student information processing responses that mediate teaching effects in classroom settings. The central activity of the project is the construction of a conceptual model that relates classroom task structures to student information processing and to subject-matter achievement. The…

To explore the structure of academic work in classrooms, a case analysis was conducted of the academic tasks accomplished in three English classes taught by the same teacher. The authors conclude that the study contributes to the development of a language with which to describe curriculum dimensions of the teaching process. (MJL)

Potential contributions of research on classroom contexts to preservice teacher education curriculum are outlined in this paper. A review of traditional teacher effectiveness research cites studies that either extrapolated from laboratory research to design a teaching model or used direct classroom observations to correlate behaviors to outcomes…

These two reaction papers provide a synthesis of the issues raised by the papers presented in this issue of the "Elementary School Journal." Each reaction paper approaches student variables from a different vantage point, and each brings a novel and imaginative perspective to the study of students in the classrooms. (MP)

Educational research has begun to focus more on subject matter, grade level, and student characteristics as factors which influence the effectiveness of teaching practices. Research into classroom contexts has been useful in understanding classroom management and on-task behavior. (JN)

A design for analyzing the narrative records obtained in four studies examined the character of classroom activities and how they are managed by teachers. Focus was on controlling classroom behaviors, classroom rules, handling of disruptive or inappropriate behavior, instructional leadership, classroom organization, and student engagement.…

Research on classroom teaching is discussed within the conceptual framework of the analysis of student classroom tasks. Three types of learning tasks are illustrated: understanding; memory; and routine problem-solving according to an algorithm. It is contended that most classroom research projects study teachers' and students' actions, rather than…

This report describes the conceptual background, design, and methodology for a study of management of academic tasks in junior high school. Previous research suggests that tasks students accomplish in classrooms determine what they actually learn, and acquisition of higher cognitive skills related to interpretation and planning is essential for…

This report includes an overview of the design and procedures used in the junior high school phase of a study of managing academic tasks (MAT) conducted by the Research on Classroom Learning and Teaching Program at the University of Texas at Austin. A description of the current status of data analysis, a summary of preliminary findings, and…

This paper describes some practical lessons derived from the Managing Academic Tasks studies conducted at the Research and Development Center for Teacher Education at the University of Texas at Austin. The research included case studies of academic work conducted in 10 junior and senior high school science, mathematics, social studies, and English…