This present study closely examines a particular type of institutionalized interactions for second language (L2) learning, namely one-on-one instructional sessions between instructors and learners of Japanese at an intensive summer study abroad program in Japan. During these sessions, both instructors and learners employ various form-focused…

Most of the research on argumentation in science education has documented the myriad flaws in students' argumentation, and the difficulties teachers have organising productive arguments in the classroom. We apply a sociocultural framework to argue that productive argumentation emerges from a classroom culture in which its practice meaningfully…

Introduction: The aim of this study was to analyze how oral argumentative strategies, argumentative sequences and interaction patterns relate to argumentative content and the required learning objectives. Method: Two different kinds of debates were analyzed. In the first, the participants defended one point of view, while in the second the…

This paper aims to show how the Goffman frame perspective can be used in an analysis of school and education and how it can be combined, in such analysis, with the frame factor perspective. The latter emphasizes factors that are determined outside the teaching process, while the former stresses how actors organize their experiences and define…

A risk associated with the use of games in training and education is that players "game the game," instead of focusing on their learning goals. The term "gamer mode" is proposed to describe this attitude. A player with a gamer-mode attitude strives to achieve goals that are optimal for winning the game, but suboptimal with…

Author provided an essay on the use of the Flanders Interaction Analysis in clinical supervision; in it, he stressed that interaction analysis is not an end but simply a tool to be utilized by supervisors for assisting in the instructional improvement process. (Author/RK)

The facilitator's guide is for an inservice training module (5 or 6 hours) on strategies for interaction with severely handicapped students for regular and special education teachers. Suggested activities include a discussion on professional resources, brainstorming on types of interactions possible with the severely handicapped, identification of…

Some suggestions for improving the selection of prospective teachers of young children based on the identification of specific observational characteristics of effective teachers. (CS)

A preschool program, concerned with the affective component of the educational process for infants and toddlers, has adopted specific educational objectives as well as guides for interactions. Examples of preschool situations illustrate implementation of program. (CS)

This paper offers a concept for overcoming some problems in classroom observation research stated in the following three propositions: (1) there is a logical gap between available means for describing teacher behavior using observation schemes and the larger purposes of education; (2) classroom observation instruments have neglected descriptions…

Presented in this paper is a brief overview of alternative approaches to evaluating teacher performance that includes appraisal based on mutually derived objectives, appraisal based on student learnings, and appraisal based on teacher behavior. Subsequent to this overview is a more indepth review of an approach which integrates the above-mentioned…

The aim of this paper is to delineate some of the central issues confronting psychologists and educators in the application of psychological theory and research to early childhood education. Three approaches to early childhood programming are presented: the behavioristic-learning theory perspective, the Piagetian cognitive-developmental, and the…

Presents a microanalysis of a segment of an adult English as a Second Language class in order to illustrate classroom interaction that combines the goals of negotiation among participants and explicit instruction on the formal features of language. The article urges teachers to microanalyze their classroom discourse in order to improve teaching…

Recommends and explains why case studies are a good way of evaluating curriculum and giving direction and a rationale to policy decisions about curriculum development in schools. Describes and analyzes various descriptive, analytical, and deliberative case studies. (CK)

Questions the universal relevance of the communicative approach to language teaching in view of the cultural conflicts arising from the introduction of a predominantly Western language teaching approach to Far Eastern cultures. The article suggests that "mediating" can serve as a useful tool for filtering the material to make it…