There is considerable agreement about the fact that the presence of researchers in the classroom mediates teaching and learning. Why "should" two very different forms of human activity, one designed to study the other, interact and mediate each other? In this article, we propose cultural-historical activity theory as a framework for understanding…

Given the vital importance of using a scientific approach for curriculum development, the authors employed a design experiment methodology (Brown, 1992; Shavelson et al., 2003) to develop and evaluate, FUSION, a first grade mathematics intervention intended for students with or at-risk for mathematics disabilities. FUSION, funded through IES…

Mathematical norms are important cultural knowledge of mathematical activities. This paper reports an analysis of mathematical norms in ten consecutive lessons taught by an eighth-grade Japanese teacher. The lessons were located in the unit of simultaneous linear equations. The videotapes of the lessons, their transcripts, and the interview data…

One of the main advantages of the naturalistic approach to classroom research is that the observations are of natural phenomena, occuring in circumstances which the researcher ultimately hopes to generalize. Some problem areas are associated with this approach, however. Observers must obtain complete and accurate records of classroom activities…

A sample research observation measure and its preparation into a written observer training package for use in evaluating children within or across classrooms is described. The Planned Activity Check (PLA-Check) measure, a time-sample observation of children's participation is planned activities; was used. A training manual based upon the PLA-Check…

This study examines teachers' classroom practices in response to the support for teacher thinking in the materials and designs a systematic research method for observing classroom teaching consistent with reform recommendations and adaptable for use on a large scale. The development of a method to evaluate complex classroom observations that…

Teacher-dominated classrooms with some student-centered elements are a perplexing phenomenon of Chinese mathematics classrooms. In-depth exploration of this phenomenon is helpful for understanding the features of mathematics teaching in China. This paper demonstrates how the teacher can encourage students to actively generate knowledge under the…

This study examined impact of a staff development program on increasing the accuracy of teachers' self-evaluation of classroom performance. Teachers were provided with specific formal feedback through a program called The Effective Use of Time Program (EUOT). The program had four components: (1) observation in the classroom and feedback about…

This six-section manual provides information for preparing appropriate classroom narratives and their accompanying student engagement ratings. The manual's introduction emphasizes the importance of an accurate classroom narrative, which is a detailed record of events, time use, and behavior in the classroom. Also discussed is the recording of…

Designed to assist the observer in the understanding of the Group Reading Interaction Pattern Observation Instrument (GRIP) training manual, this programmed review contains a series of coding activities provided for the purpose of determining if each observer can differentiate between the categories and subcategories of the instrument as well as…

Designed to be used primarily for research purposes, this Group Reading Interaction Pattern Observation Instrument (GRIP) training manual specifies process behaviors used by the teacher during classroom instruction regardless of the subject matter. The instrument is comprised of three sections: (1) the Identifying Information Sheet, to provide…

The rationale of the Observation Schedule and Record (OScAR) is described, and research is reported to show the extent to which the form fulfills its purposes. In order to provide objective, reliable, and valid information about the teaching process, this classroom observation schedule is used to record the frequency of occurrence of 42 teacher…

Vocational, academic, and special education teachers who had received inservice education in the individualization of instruction were observed to determine the effect of the education on their teaching. Data collection and conversion instruments were developed. Six trained observers performed 364 classroom observations in 10 Texas districts with…

Observations by trained observers using the Descriptive Observation Record of Individualized Instruction were compiled on 335 teachers, who also completed a self-report of the Individualization of Instruction Inventory. Both inventory results were then examined with the purpose of determining the relationship between self-reports of the teachers…