To help teachers develop an awareness of how they structure a discussion, an instrument was constructed called the Assessment of Classroom Interaction Dynamics (ACID). Two expert judges and 26 trainees then participated in a study (1) to estimate interrater reliability between expert judges in the use of the ACID, (2) to assess the validity of the…

This study combines quantitative and ethnographic methods to analyze middle-school students' uses and understandings of microcomputers and videotex. As an experiment in teaching library research skills, 27 eighth graders were assigned to search an online encyclopedia in preparation for writing a science theme. The students' operational practices…

The contributions of peer interaction to the development of social competence in kindergarten children are discussed in terms of research findings and implications for teachers. Using naturalistic methodology, social behavior was studied by observing interactions among children in classroom settings without direct adult supervision. In peer…

The teaching behaviors used by successful teachers, often presumed to be measured by student achievement on standardized tests, remain largely unexamined. Baseline data on normative teacher competency is not readily available. A two-year study was undertaken to begin identification of specific teaching competencies as demonstrated by teachers…

An overview is presented of classroom observation instruments which have been created and refined since 1962. The components of teacher-pupil transactions measured by different observation methods are listed, and the complexities and difficulties encountered when using the instruments are discussed. A description is given of the Coping Analysis…

Based on observations of three first grade classrooms in Milan, Italy, this paper provides information about beginning writing instruction in Italy and offers suggestions for adapting some of the more successful techniques found there into writing programs in the United States. The various sections of the paper contain the following: (1)…

Students of the Austin (Texas) Independent School procedures, and results District who had been in first through sixth grade during 1982-83 and were recommended for retention at the end of the year were eligible to attend the 1983 summer school for retainees. The program was designed to provide additional basic skills instruction so that retainees…

This project paper reports the interobserver agreements and reliabilities for the observation procedures used in the Descriptive Study of Phase IV of the Individually Guided Education Evaluation Project. Only data from four observers--at the two Developing Mathematical Processes Schools and the two Wisconsin Design for Reading Skills Development…

This observational study examined student and teacher verbal and nonverbal behaviors in microcomputer classrooms in a high school where most of the students are Black, Hispanic, or Asian, and almost half of them are classified as economically disadvantaged. A total of 125 students in grades 9 to 12 were observed, with 47 students in marketing, 18…

The case study reported in this thesis describes the first year of a new Extension agent's employment, as reported by the author-employee. The study includes a review of literature relating to induction training programs and to experiential learning. The case study is presented as a means of incorporating the experiences of a new Extension…

The pre-kindergarten program in the San Antonio Independent School District was evaluated during the 1984-85 school year. The children's progress was measured informally by observation and was maintained individually on a checklist of skills. Interviews with principals and teachers revealed positive reactions to the program. Correlation existed…

The 11 journal articles reviewed in this annotated bibliography focus on ways teachers and principals can improve the quality of teaching. Among the four articles directed toward principals are two that relate to the culture of the school; another presents a model to principals for achieving quality instruction; and the fourth proposes six…

Research on teacher thinking generally has failed to take into account teacher beliefs and understandings in both research methodology and in interpretation of data. Two models prevail in research on teacher thinking. The decision making model, which has undergone several modifications, tends to focus on explaining and understanding deliberate…

The second volume of this final report of a large study which detailed the day-to-day working of, and student response to, two philosophically different approaches to reading readiness as they were used in six Philadelphia kindergartens reports on the "traditional" approach. The background section distinguishes the traditional approach by its use…

The study, involving 100 children (11 and 12 years old), was designed to generate descriptive data regarding the behavioral and psychometric characteristics of exceptional children in the public schools. A review of the literature revealed that it is difficult to make a differential diagnosis among educable mentally retarded (EMR), emotionally…