Generalizability theory, which subsumes classical measurement theory as a special case, provides a general model for estimating the reliability of observational rating data by estimating the variance components of the measurement design. Research data from the "Heart Smart" health intervention program were analyzed as a heuristic tool.…

Early childhood teachers generally have not recognized that assessment is a necessary adjunct to effective teaching, but instead have concluded that it is the concern of special educators or program evaluators. In fact, assessment can play a most important role in planning for and instructing all children. Assessment can be defined as a conscious,…

This study examined the relationship of teaching style orientation, expressed perceptions of the teaching-learning process, actual classroom behavior, and learning styles of six full-time faculty in a dental auxiliary program at a large teaching institution. Data collection instruments used to assess this relationship included the Teaching Style…

The techniques and accompanying problems of collecting data on interventions are explored. As a result of the analyses of two previous studies (Colorado and Kentucky Ethnographic Studies, 1979; and Texas, 1981) a hybrid-method of documenting interventions was developed for use in the Principal-Teacher Interaction Study (PTI). This paper traces the…

The Koppitz Minibattery, that is, the Bender Gestalt Test, the Visual Aural Digit Span Test (VADS), and the Human Figure Drawing (HFD), was adopted and extended for use with middle school pupils (aged 11 to 14). Similarities and differences for older and younger children are described in behavior observation, objective scores and the qualitative…

This report summarizes a five-volume research report on the classroom use and impact of ThinkAbout, an instructional television series designed to strengthen the reasoning skills of fifth and sixth graders and to review and reinforce language arts, mathematics, and study skills. It describes results of a 1979-80 research study which used three…

This report presents the methodology and findings of a national survey of the performance of approximately 9,000 11-year-old children in science. Performance was assessed in six categories: (1) symbolic representation (reading information from graphs, tables, and charts); (2) use of apparatus and measuring instruments; (3) observation; (4)…

This paper examines the barriers to cooperation among a group of librarians and trustees in the Bergen County Cooperative Library System (BCCLS) in New Jersey as the group explored the potential advantages of a cooperative automated circulation system. This network of public libraries shares reciprocal borrowing, direct access to borrowing, and…

This article offers a description of an innovative youth program that embeds learning in a practical setting: a gardening program in which youth plant, harvest, and market their own produce. As an outgrowth of the gardening project, participants also interviewed scientists about their jobs in a way that underscored the practical use of science…

Investigated was the retention of the skills of observation and comparison in junior high school students in a rural junior high school and an urban setting. Data obtained showed a consistently high degree of retention for both skills (although degree of retention was higher for observation than for comparison skills) regardless of treatment…

To examine how skilled and experienced teachers interact with pupils of varying abilities, an observational coding system was developed that focused on reading-oriented and classroom-behavior-oriented interactions. The teacher/child interactions of two experienced teachers who were acknowledged for their success in teaching reading were studied…

A process is outlined for developing an evaluation form that meets the following criteria: is relevant at local, state, and federal levels; short; objective; usable; statistically manageable; analytic; and fiscal. With standards in mind, the next step is to specify the kinds of information needed to meet state and federal requirements. Once the…

The vast bulk of psychosocial research data about the family are derived from two basic sources: self-report, retrospective data obtained by questionnaires or interviews; and direct observations of behavior occurring in a laboratory or treatment setting. Despite an emerging enthusiasm for the notion of studying behavior in its natural environment…

This article consists of general and specific descriptions of seven Computer Assisted Instruction programs currently used by students. The programs are intended primarily for prospective teachers, but students in other areas such as business and the social sciences have also found them to be useful. Two of the programs deal with the structure of…

This paper describes a project to develop an alternate approach to the certification of teachers other than the approval of transcripts submitted by individual candidates or of the programs offered by institutions engaged in teacher preparation. The purpose of the project was to identify a set of "generic competencies" and to validate them in…