A long-term Leverhulme Research Project was established at Stirling University in 1970 to investigate the potential of microteaching as a major ingredient in the preparation of graduate high school teachers in Scotland. Members of the research team developed systematic observation schedules for each of the skills, in order to sharpen the focus of…

A group of 34 schools considered innovative in their compensatory reading programs were selected for teacher and pupil observation. The purpose of observation was to describe the classroom activities of the teachers and students in a large variety of types of reading classes so that the relationship between what teachers and students do during…

Participant observation is a research and evaluation strategy in dealing with complex educational settings, organizations, and curricula is explored. Three alternative models are presented. The first is a general structural model involving three research strategies: an experimental design with pretests and posttests; a social survey with…

Numerous methods of evaluating language teaching and learning are in common use, including direct classroom observation. A time-interval recording system is offered as a practical and reliable technique. It includes describing behavior to be observed, recording occurrences in a time interval, charting progress and interpreting findings. (CHK)

An observational system is described that collects precise data on the performance of teachers involved in task analytic instruction with severely handicapped students. Discussed are the observation process, provision of feedback to the teacher, teacher self-monitoring of instruction, and field test data for the observation system. (JDD)

Reports on observations of how a small group of foreign language teachers sought to teach their students the skill of "free expression," that is, the ability to use sentences learned integrally from texts and exericises in new and different situations. Compares these techniques and interprets these comparisons. (SED)

Discusses how key ideas from ethnography can be translated into principles that can guide assessment and evaluation in early-childhood-education settings. Notes that when ethnographic principles are used in education settings, assessment and evaluation are integrated with teaching and learning, are interrelated, reciprocal processes, and are used…

This study compared experienced physical educators' observation skills in teaching situations to those of first- and final-year student teachers. Participants viewed slides from gymnastic lessons and reported what they saw. There were significant differences between groups in several areas. Final- year and experienced teachers were similar in…

Study investigated the development of elementary teachers' professional knowledge while involved in a qualitative research process. Teachers took the graduate course "Trends and Issues in Education" which involved them as researchers. They kept journals and recorded class sessions and individual conferences, discovering that as…

Describes effort to restructure instructional design for a kindergarten class to reflect principles of Reggio Emilia approach by listening to children and following their expressed interest to launch class project. Discusses capturing activities and student thinking using photography and tape recording. Notes the value of documentation to parents,…

Examined, through naturalistic observation, the multiple pathways taken by immigrant learners in joining a cross-cultural classroom community. Found that social acceptance by peer culture influenced children's creation of their identities; that images and ideals of the mainstream culture fueled children's dreams and desires; and that sharing…

A teacher educator took over a high school physics teachers' class for a semester in exchange for the physics teacher taking over his university physics methods classes. The paper presents the perceptions of people involved in the experience. Students at both schools accepted the situation well. University students, invited to observe their…

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…

The study investigated the impact of mastery of the Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) to Phase III, on the communications of children with autism. Children aged between 3 and 7 years, formed a PECS intervention group and a non-intervention control group. The intervention group received 15 h of PECS teaching over 5 weeks. Three 2-h…

The present study examined whether young children's behaviors in the Dimensional Change Card Sorting task can be influenced by their observation of another person performing the task. Experiment 1 showed that after children watched an adult sorting cards according to one rule, although the children were instructed to sort the cards according to a…