The author concludes that Flanders' System of Interaction Analysis can be a valuable device for training teachers, particularly if carefully used in conjunction with other instruments; as a research device, problems of sampling rate and category definitions limit its usefulness. (Author)

This ethnographic study of a self-contained classroom of eight-, nine-, and ten-year-olds examined sexual differences in peer interactions. Within the observed classroom, males and females established separate social systems which had only limited contact with each other. Males were found to interact with significantly more classmates than…

Reports on a study designed to determine the proportion of the communication research studies published in seven journals in the 1970s that obtained their data from, and based their conclusions upon, student populations in general and undergraduate college student populations in particular. (GW)

The expanding complexities of American society and the demands placed upon educating American youth are causing the trainers of teachers to give increasing attention to developing innovative methods for improving teacher education. Since there is a lack of information concerning cognitive processes in the classroom and the effects of cognitive…

An increasing amount of research attention is being directed toward the educational experiences of students with profound and multiple disabilities. One technique that has allowed a better understanding of alertness and involvement in members of this population is behavior state assessment. In this study, eight matched pairs of school-aged…

This paper abstracts more than thirty sources selected for their usefulness in providing contexts and specific illustrations for understanding observation and analysis. Some Reasons for Classroom Observation and Analysis, includes seven selections that deal with factors related to the rationale for observing and analyzing classroom behavior.…

An attempt to record what pupils think and feel during the instructional process is the basis of this investigation of pupils' goal-related behavior. Two experiments are described that analyze what fourth grade pupils can tell about their activities during the instructional period when they are aided by an immediate videotape replay. These…

This report describes initial steps taken in a research project aimed at gaining insight into the nature of effective foreign language teaching. Two systems for observing and describing classroom behavior of teachers and students were developed in this experiment. These systems were used to observe university-level French classes. Data collected…

This paper discusses the use of process-oriented research in early childhood programs. Process analysis is contrasted with outcome-oriented evaluation, the latter seen as prevalent in current research practice. Four functions of process analysis are: to describe current teaching practices, to train teachers, to monitor instructional programs, and…

Though the need for a language or languages to describe teacher behavior has been recognized for some time, few systems of analysis exist. A conceptual framework and a set of terms have been developed to describe the messages students and teachers send and receive in second language classrooms. This system is called FOCUS (an acronym for Foci for…

Videotaped group work lessons of an elementary school third grade class provide material for study of the non-verbal aspect of group behavior. A system of activity categories is developed and a typology of pupils' working methods in group study distinguishes types and characteristic forms of activity. The following activity categories are used in…

The need for more precise analysis of the complex educational and psychological processes which exist in special classes for the emotionally handicapped, is emphasized. A psycho-educational model, involving teacher-pupil interaction, is developed, and a procedure (the Interaction Analysis System) is formulated for observing and recording behavior.…