Examines the relationship between cognitive functioning (as measured by the Bayley Scales of Infant Development) and the symbolic play levels of Down's syndrome children. Symbolic play level was more highly correlated with mental age than with chronological age. Performance on the Infant Behavior Record was also highly correlated with symbolic…

Explores the roles that interpretation plays in qualitative research and theory building and considers three types of interpretation: patterning, social meanings, and external considerations. Also explores criteria for judging interpretations, and the issues of objectivity/subjectivity and universality/generalizability of interpretive science.…

Reports about on-site observations of student-teacher interaction for 50 college classes. Points to a need for testing a variety of variables in addition to sex before conclusions are drawn about sex-related behavior. (Author/DA)

Observation indicated that children most frequently represent objects by performing actions appropriate to the represented objects. With increasing age, children represent objects without using functional actions and with objects bearing little physical similarity to the represented objects. (Author/DB)

Illustrates the uses of multiple assessment techniques for severely retarded adults and reviews current instrumentation issues relevant to program evaluation. (PHR)

Examines peer influences on the sex-role development of preschoolers. The occurrence of sex-stereotyped activities and peer responses to them were observed in a naturalistic setting. (CM)

The quality of play that 26 toddlers engaged in was examined in four successive social settings: (1) mother-child; (2) child alone; (3) mother, child, peer; (4) child-peer. Results are discussed in terms of how the social setting and the sex of the child influence play behavior. (Author/DB)

Women pregnant with their first child were observed interacting with an infant labeled as either a boy or a girl. Toy use and other maternal behaviors were examined as a function of gender label, women's attitudes regarding gender differences, and infant behavior. (Author/DB)

The Coping Inventory, an observation instrument designed to assess the behavior and skills of handicapped children, is described. The 48-item inventory is divided into two categories--self and environment; each category is subdivided into three dimensions--productive, active, and flexible. (PHR)

Investigates differences between the behaviors of children entering stable preschool groups (six males, six females) and those of their host classmates, and traces the process by which new children come to approximate host frequencies of interaction and social participation. A sequential time-sampling procedure was employed. (Author/SS)

The reasoning practices employed by students in the classroom are examined to display how they "know" something. Focus is placed on the interactional practices by which learning tasks are accomplished during classroom lessons. (JMF)

The results of an ethnographic study of adolescent interethnic relations among Chinese-Canadians, Italian-Canadians, and Anglo-Canadians are reported in this article. Ethnic density proved a better predictor of the number of close out-group friendships than did a child's particular ethnic group membership. (Author/DB)

Reliability estimates were developed for an instrument used to assess teacher behavior using observational techniques. Data from the study highlight the variability of a teacher's performance from one class to another and show the problems of judging a teacher on the basis of one classroom observation. (SK)

Focusing on parental involvement in Title 1 programs for disadvantaged children, this article reviews the types of parent activities conducted, the amount of parental involvement, and the effects of such involvement. (LRA)

The type of evaluation form provided here supplies the principal with a guide to what to look for in a special education classroom, whatever the level of his or her expertise in the area. (Author/IRT)