Asking surface-level questions is a common practice among educators. Delva Daines's (1986) pilot study indicated that 93 percent of the questions asked during lessons were at the literal level of comprehension and that it was very common for the teachers to restate, rephrase, or answer their own questions before the student had an opportunity to…

Recognizing that empirical research into classroom dialogue has been conducted for about 40?years, a review is reported of 225 studies published between 1972 and 2011. The studies were identified through systematic search of electronic databases and scrutiny of publication reference lists. They focus on classroom dialogue in primary and secondary…

Survey responses from teachers of hearing-impaired children indicated that, although 39 percent of all respondents and 59.1 percent of signing respondents reported that they used an artificial sign system in the classroom, only 8.1 percent of all respondents and 12.3 percent of signing respondents may actually be using one. (Author/CB)

Provides ideas for sharpening the focus of teacher-moderated discussions in history classes. Asserts that students must be presented with a question that elicits solution of a problem ("Why did Lincoln wait so long before issuing the Emancipation Proclamation?") rather than factual recall ("What is the Emancipation Proclamation?"). Includes model…

Reviews the literature for empirical support of the use of humor in classroom teaching. Concludes that the judicious use of humor by a teacher can facilitate student learning, and offers guidelines for its use. (FMW)

Revolving around the theme of questioning in the classroom, the three articles in this newsletter are based on talks and workshop material drawn from the 1986 Summer Institute of the College Board's Educational EQuality Project. In the first article, "The Art of Questioning," Dennie Palmer Wolf points out that although most teachers feel…

The communicative approach to teaching language requires that the teacher be more interactive with students. The teacher's own verbal and nonverbal behavior becomes more important. An analysis of these implications and a specific approach to teacher training are discussed. (DF)

Four instructional styles characterized by dominative behaviors (control over students and direct influence by the teacher) and integrative behaviors (student freedom and indirect teacher influence) are described. How the four styles are dependent upon the needs of naive and sophisticated art students is examined. (RM)

Metaphors and metaphor usage infuse everyday classroom life, and student learning becomes affected and structured by the metaphoric constructs that teachers wittingly or unwittingly employ. This study is an initial inquiry into the nature of teacher use of metaphors in the classroom. The study attempts to identify some specific teaching/learning…

Suggestions are offered for formulating a classroom management system where students develop social and psychological strengths, responsibilities, and independence in a positive classroom atmosphere. In this classroom, the teacher stresses the positive and is consistent without always being concerned with being "in control." (DF)

Study found differential effects for five types of teacher directions (verbal instruction, nonverbal instruction, verbal instruction with physical assistance, nonverbal instruction with physical assistance, and physical assistance) with 24 severely behaviorally disordered students, aged 9-16. Nonverbal commands resulted in the most appropriate…

Argues that the term "Native learning styles" is ambiguous, and that several studies in the literature go beyond cognitive and interactional categories, further confusing the issue. Lists 42 suggestions that focus on teacher adaptations to specific situations, rather than on generalizations about Native student characteristics. Contains 24…

Research on the communicative competency of faculty indicates that students can be motivated to learn by competent communicators. In general, communication experts have better competency skills, (i.e., they use more effective verbal and nonverbal immediacy behaviors) than do faculty as a whole. An area much in need of development for most faculty…

To produce a curriculum guide that is practical calls for an awareness of the working context of the practitioner and an ability to translate that intuitive awareness into an explicit description which captures the essence of what teaching is. Health education project materials are used to illustrate the translating demands. (RM)

Studies the relationships between teacher and students, and discusses the characteristics of effective teaching in this context. Presents an approach to teaching which combines curriculum, intellectual operations (memory, and convergent, divergent, and evaluative thinking), and feelings. (MM)