The Communicative Orientation of Language Teaching (COLT), a recently-developed observational scheme, is used to describe instructional practices in eight grade 11 core French classes. Classroom events and activities are discussed, and communicative features of verbal exchanges between teachers and students (or among students) as they occur within…

Inquiry is seen as a tension among three modes of imagination. These modes are labeled creation, self-criticism, and observation. Most people do not want to inquire. They tend to cling to their beliefs about the world. Freud's theories are used in a class designed to dramatize inquiry. (MLW)

Discusses benefits, costs, locales, class recruitment, field supplies, timing, and testing methods. Provides a listing of Caribbean marine field stations routinely available to college classes. (MVL)

Examines the problem definition behavior of 48 White families (two natural parents and adolescent child) discussing simulated problematic situations. Analyzes the effects of family background, interpersonal relations, and discussion process variables. Interprets the importance of interpersonal ties in terms of family interaction issues. Contains…

Describes exercises designed to give students experience in using methods of naturalistic observation to quantify behavior. Students construct a coding system of the behaviors observed in a small mouse colony, gather data by instantaneous and focal animal sampling, and use the data to calculate interrater reliability and sequence analysis. (GEA)

An experimental teacher-effectiveness intervention, a six-week training program for regular education middle school social studies teachers with mainstreamed/regular classes, produced important changes in teacher and student behavior. Forty volunteer teachers served as subjects in this one-year study. The specially designed observation code for…

Examines the cross-dimensional and cross-situational consistency of the aggressive, assertive, and submissive behavior of male adolescents observed in a variety of naturally occurring school activities. Behavior was found to vary as a function of sex role orientation and the class of behavior investigated. (LS)

Reviews a doctoral dissertation that attempts to identify and analyze the behavior of successful middle school music teachers. Describes the instrument developed to measure these behavioral characteristics. Suggests that the videotapes of class sessions may be the most useful portion of the study. (LS)

Investigated was the intellectual behavior of 66 student teachers of science. Suggests that the degree of integration of teaching practice with theoretical studies may be a more important factor than length of teaching practice. (YP)

Describes the process through which four high-achieving second graders constructed their knowledge and misconceptions of rounding concepts gained from using computer-based practice sessions which provided full solutions to examples but without verbal explanations. (31 references) (MKR)

An ethnographic study of spontaneous conversations of elementary children and their accompanying adults during a zoo field trip was conducted. (LZ)

Analyzed the relationship between general coding orientation and specific characteristics associated with the family (social class, race, gender) and the school (pedagogic practice and science achievement) of (n=80) socially differentiated elementary school children. Found that there is a mutual influence of family and school factors on students'…

Reports on a study of student perceptions of learning via audioconferencing using two distinct instructional designs in university-level courses delivered at a distance. The use of field observations, interviews, focus groups, and mail surveys is discussed; pertinent literature is reviewed; and the importance of human interaction in distance…

Discusses the concept of "Velcro time": a period in infants' lives when they show an increased interest in books and in their primary caregiver, and particularly, in his or her use of speech. (BB)

Explains a set of processes that teachers might use to structure their evaluation of students' learning and understanding. Illustrates the processes of setting goals, deciding what to assess, gathering information, and using the results through a measurement task requiring students to estimate the number of popcorn kernels in a container. (MDH)