Are you curious about the Reggio Emilia approach but not quite sure where to begin? "Working in the Reggio Way" helps early childhood teachers bring the reflective, high-quality practices of Reggio Emilia to American programs. Based on an American teacher's experience observing and working in the schools of Reggio Emilia, Italy, this…

Investigated effects of limited oral/physical teacher intervention on object manipulation by preschool/early elementary children (N=70). Experimental students had magnets placed in their hands and were orally invited to explore. Results indicated differences between experimental/control groups in time spent with objects, number of activities…

This study examined the reliability and stability of teacher behavior scores as measured by the Spaulding Teacher Activity Recording Schedule (STARS). Data were gathered on a student teacher at work in a campus laboratory setting and in a primary ungraded classroom. The student teacher demonstrated a stable teaching style in four of the five…

A play practicum involving kindergarten children was provided to 24 student teachers who completed a communication skills course. Comparisons were made among participants, students having only the course, and a control group. The play practicum proved more effective in assisting students to learn and to apply communication skills. (Author/BH)

Assesses the use of clinical experience to improve the classroom performance of teachers and discusses in detail a research project at the University of Alberta that sought to identify effective teaching skills and to measure behavior changes of student teachers during their practicum experiences. (Author/WD)

The literature on alternatives to student ratings as means of evaluating college teaching is reviewed. Conclusions focus on the validity and reliability of such alternatives as peer evaluation, administrative ratings, self-evaluation, direct measurement of student achievement, and systematic observation of teacher behavior. (Author/MLW)

Observers coded student-teacher classroom discussions and laboratory conversations which could be described as advisement, interpretation, confirmation, or reflection. All four verbal response modes imply presumption of knowledge of the person addressed. As hypothesized, teachers were more presumptuous than students, suggesting a link to social…

Assessment of social skills is not viewed as an encapsulated diagnostic process but as one with ongoing impact on intervention programs. Assessment procedures which have developed from behavioral and social learning approaches to treatment appear to be reliable and useful. (Author/CP)

Classroom observations, interviews, and survey techniques were used to identify the attitudes and behaviors of teachers in integrated classrooms. Subjects were 10 women teachers, five Black and five White, of second- grade students. (MP)

Presented is a study of the methods which 21 science teachers were using in mixed ability classes of some secondary schools in the United Kingdom, and their opinions of the benefits and problems of mixed ability teaching. (HM)

Discusses ways in which parents can foster children's curiosity by engaging in activities with them and asking probing questions to help children find answers on their own. Activities described include mixing different substances with water to note changes, identifying trees by leaf shape and bark texture, observing squirrel behavior, and making…

Describes a technology-mediated field experience for preservice teachers built on an emerging Professional Development School network and a two-way television system. Surveys of participants in both televised and in-person observations indicated students preferred in-person observations, though very few said they observed educationally sound…

Describes study that examined the mobilization and implementation stages of introducing microcomputers into the elementary and middle schools of a school district. The use of interviews, naturalistic observations, and computer usage statistics is discussed, institutional and innovation characteristics are described, and the influence of teachers'…

Discussion of training needs of business and industry highlights a study that was conducted to compare the effects of a detailed instruction guide versus an outline format on instructor preparation, presentation, and participant reactions. Instructional effectiveness and instructional design are discussed, cost factors are examined, and further…

Describes how an elementary classroom teacher discovers and explores the power of aesthetic experience in an educational context. Discusses how the artwork of Vincent Van Gogh helps an exceptionally difficult class of 11-year-old female students in suburban Dublin, Ireland, become interested in their education. (KM)