The purposes of the research were to (1) examine the relationships between faculty behaviors that promote critical thinking and the resulting critical thinking within peer interaction and (2) identify specific faculty behaviors that result in the highest levels of critical thinking within peer interactions. Using a concurrent embedded mixed…

This article introduces secondary and college economics teachers to the technique known as interaction analysis. The Flanders system of analyzing language in the classroom and techniques for applying interaction analysis in economics courses are discussed. For journal availability see SO 504 499. (Author/RM)

The use of discourse analysis in examining the classroom language interactions between English teachers and their students builds on the basic concepts of language function and language sequence. The four language functions are eliciting, informing, directing, and boundary marking (marking the divisions of discourse units). The three language…

Teachers of different languages diconnect themselves from one another, which fragments the profession. Secondly, the choice and use of language often has a disconnecting force. Theses of a book by Neil Postman are considered concerning ineffective communication and communication that has unreasonable or trivial purposes. (SW)

A study was conducted to analyze the role that nonverbal communication plays in classroom climate. A 40-item classroom communication climate questionnaire was developed, and administered to 76 students and 8 teachers to determine its reliability and validity. After several changes and deletions, the final version of the questionnaire was…

The Classroom Interaction Analysis Index (CIAI) was developed to categorize the actions of teachers and students as they interact in classroom situations. The CIAI rating system is easy to learn and easy to use. Experience has shown that the average teacher or supervisor can use it effectively after three or four one-hour sessions. The purpose of…

Investigated was the kind of communication that takes place in oral teaching. Analysis of tape-recorded transcripts of fifteen half-hour biology lessons delivered to high school and college students revealed a high degree of teacher-dominance and infrequency of discussion involving several pupils. (CS)

Six measurement strategies are suggested for assessing different kinds or aspects of competencies: (1) teaching tests; (2) behavior samples; (3) teaching exercises; (4) classroom interaction simulations; (5) projected problem exercises; and (6) paper-and-pencil exercises. (MJB)

This study describes the interactive styles of two university professors and their students in traditional and reflective seminar contexts. As both professors taught the same group of undergraduates in an inquiry oriented experimental teacher education program and also taught groups of graduate students in traditional seminars, it was possible to…

Naturalistic ethnographic research methods useful for the study of the dynamics of effective college teaching are discussed based on the findings of an ethnographic study. Naturalistic research methods were used in the study to understand better the task and social dimensions of a college classroom. Lessons were studied in the classroom as they…

This paper discusses the perceptions of student teachers, cooperating teachers and pupils in two social studies lessons. Videotapes of two student teachers in action in the classroom were used for stimulated recall interviews in which they discussed their perceptions and feelings about their own performance, their cooperating teacher's reactions,…

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 protocol materials unit, based on the interaction component of instruction, is designed to help prospective teachers better understand verbal behaviors as related to fair (positive feedback) and unfair (negative feedback) responses. Fair verbal behavior is defined as following a standard of equal treatment toward all students and as free from…

Identifies and explains five widespread myths related to the what and how of evaluation in English student teachers. Describes a multiphased cycle or process aimed at helping teachers identify teaching problems, receive data from supervisors, and develop solutions that produce self-directed teachers. (FL)

Use of the Teaching Strategies Observation Differential (TSOD), a 10-category system for observing and classifying teacher classroom behavior, is discussed as it relates to training preservice elementary school science teachers. Contends that skill in the use of TSOD helps preservice teachers become more effective in bringing about desired pupil…