Policy efforts in mathematics have focused on increasing teachers' mathematics content knowledge (MCK), with the goal of increasing teacher quality and in turn increasing student mathematics learning. An alternative approach to increasing student mathematics achievement is to investigate curricula that can be effectively used by teachers with a…

This study aimed to examine verbal behaviors within communicative interactions at the teacher/classroom level among second-grade classrooms that differ in socioeconomic status (SES) backgrounds. Investigators recorded and examined language use across instructional periods for 38 second-grade classrooms. Teachers' communication behaviors were…

We reviewed the literature on function-based interventions (FBIs) implemented by school personnel in K-8 general education settings with a focus on intervention implementation. We identified 34 studies (70 students and FBIs) that met criteria for this review. For more than half of studies and participants, FBIs were implemented by general…

Educators, researchers, and policy makers increasingly recognize that participation in classroom mathematics discussions, especially engaging with others' ideas, can promote students' mathematics understanding. How teachers can promote students' high-level engagement with others' ideas, and the challenges teachers face when trying to do so, have…

Validating frameworks for understanding classroom processes that contribute to student learning and development is important to advance the scientific study of teaching. This article presents one such framework, Teaching through Interactions, which posits that teacher-student interactions are a central driver for student learning and organizes…

We investigate the classwide efficacy of INSIGHTS, a universal social-emotional learning intervention for early elementary grades, on observed teacher practices and student behaviors. Twenty-two elementary schools (87% free/reduced lunch) were randomly assigned to INSIGHTS or an attention-control condition. Kindergarten and first-grade classrooms…

The quality of classroom interactions has typically been studied using aggregates of ratings over time. However, within-day ratings may contain important variability. This study investigated within-day variability using the NICHD Study of Early Childcare and Youth Development's observational data during grades 3 and 5. The first question examined…

Observations of instructional practices, teacher interviews, and classroom artifacts were collected in 9 sixth-grade classrooms in 2 middle schools to determine teaching practices associated with student engagement (i.e., being on task, doing thoughtful assignments). The teachers used a variety of instructional practices, with some teachers…

Describes dependent behaviors that can influence children's progress in learning to read, and discusses the issue of independence in the context of current theory and research. (RH)

Discusses institutional regularities of elementary and secondary schools, the nature of teaching, and the teacher as semi-professional in regard to two basic kinds of master teacher plans: one suggesting that master teachers are "better than" and another suggesting that they do "more than" their peers. (RH)

In this study we examined the relation between children's social competence and their first-grade classroom environment. Drawing from data from the NICHD Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development, we used cluster analysis to identify 4 types of typical classrooms based on observed classroom emotional and instructional supports. The 4 types…

An open classroom advocate who believes that the virtues of a classroom rely on the presence of the teacher urges teachers to think creatively about themselves and the world they live in, rather than embrace unquestioningly another educational formula. (Author/CS)

Discusses the educational importance of the kinds of questions asked by teachers and reports a study indicating that teacher training procedures can improve the quality of teachers' questions so that they require cognitive functioning beyond factual recall. (DP)

Explores implications of the "master teacher" concept and speculates on some of the contributions professional educators might make to the public dialogue. Discusses changes that might occur in teacher education programs if the master teacher idea becomes a widespread reality and offers a definition of the master teacher that is based on…