This book presents the results of research on sociopsychological factors that affect the schooling process and academic achievement among young children. The first chapter of the report provides a background on schooling, and reviews what is known and what remains to be discovered about academic achievement. Chapters 2 and 3 review research on…

An ethnographic study was made of the portion of pre-lesson transition activity, the call to lesson time (CTL), devoted to "setting up" lessons in elementary classrooms. Participants were two teachers and 62 elementary school students in two classrooms: a grade 1-3 open classroom and a traditional third grade classroom. Videotapes of 7.5…

To facilitate cost effective bus schedules, middle school classes begin one hour later than high school classes in the Fort Worth Independent School District, Texas. This study investigated whether middle school students were adversely affected, in terms of grades and classroom performance, by having the class day extended to 4 p.m. High schools…

This longitudinal study measured the impact of pubertal development, sex, race, and school type on the self-esteem of 12- and 13-year-old children. One of the questions being investigated was whether the move from a protected elementary school into a larger, more impersonal junior high affected children's self-image more negatively than did a move…

One of the major concerns in educating children with exceptional needs in the public school is the extent to which these children are socially accepted by teachers and peers. It has been suggested that the teacher may influence students' perceptions of handicapped children and that attempts to improve the social position of these children depend…

Recorded observations, camera work, conversations with 19 children in grades K-4 in a Nebraska 2-room school house, and interviews with the teacher were techniques used to assess the advantages and disadvantages of the small rural school environment and its impact on children. Five attributes were found to be significant and unique small school…

The role of research in school psychology is discussed. An intervention perspective is developed, and its uses and limitations are analyzed. The author discusses the characteristics of different research strategies and gives examples that illustrate the nature of interaction research and its educational implications. Criteria for evaluating…

DUNN'S PHYSICAL ANALOG THEORY OF COGNITIVE STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION WAS EXTENDED TO THE ANALYSIS OF CONCEPTUAL FUNCTIONING ASSOCIATED WITH EMOTIONAL DISTURBANCE AND MENTAL RETARDATION IN CHILDREN. THE THEORY, WHICH DESCRIBES THE INTERNAL REPRESENTATION OF INFORMATION IN THE FORM OF A COGNITIVE MATRIX OF ASSOCIATED DIMENSIONAL CONCEPTS, HAS BEEN…

This report provides a brief review of Beginning Teacher Evaluation Study (BTES) documents from Phase II and Phase III-A, including responses from researchers suggesting variables for future BTES research. Seven basic observable classroom variable domains have been found to receive support from several of the BTES sources reviewed. These seven…

Six contrived situational measures of altruism--prosocial behavior intended to benefit other persons--were developed and administered to 52 fourth- through sixth-grade boys and girls of Caucasian, Japanese, Chinese, Filipino, and Hawaiian heritage. A peer nomination device and a teacher rating form dealing with altruistic behavior were developed…

Although classrooms vary in design and populations, there are certain features that are common to virtually all classrooms. These include the crowding of pupils, the compulsion of school attendance, and the expectation that teachers will foster literacy. The manner in which these features are dealt with in a classroom constitutes the core problem…

AN ELECTRONIC SYSTEM OF SMALL TRANSCEIVER UNITS, PACKAGED IN A BELT WORN BY STUDENTS IN CLASS, WAS DESIGNED TO TRANSMIT LIGHT SIGNALS AND VIBRA-TACTILE CODED MESSAGES BETWEEN STUDENTS AND A COUNSELOR AT A CLINIC SCHOOL. FOUR MALE ADOLESCENTS SELECTED FOR LOW MOTIVATION, AGGRESSIVE CLASSROOM BEHAVIOR, AND HIGH PEER-GROUP RATING REPORTED THEIR TIME…

Instructional Systems in Teacher Education (Insite), a 5-year study for the improvement of teacher education, has kept pace with the first 4 years of its schedule for innovation, experimentation, and research. Many phases of the study are related to the program that permits students to obtain a master's degree in 4 full years of study, including…

Rating scales of the "scaled behavioral expectation" type were developed to measure the constructs of independence and initiative, conscientiousness, enthusiasm, critical facility, teaching skills, research and experimentation, communication, and persistence. The scales were used by faculty in three psychology departments, two chemistry…

Using "A Model of the Functions of Master Instructor" (HumRRO-TR-73-23) as a guide, procedures and materials for training Army instructors to improve their classroom effectiveness were developed. In constructing the model, various materials on instructor characteristics and responsibilities in four main areas (training programs,…