Discusses the observation and assessment of literacy development of young children in child care settings, and describes literacy goals and performance indicators for three- to five-year-old children. Introduces the "literacy album" as a means of gathering, observing, and interpreting information about children's literacy behaviors; and…

Discusses the philosophy of science and education, based on interviews with instructors at Wrigley Corners Outdoor Education Centre (Ontario). Uses hand feeding of chickadees as functional and metaphorical gateway for exploring importance of human contact with nature. Discusses how the personal transformative aspect of outdoor education challenges…

Discusses one approach to addressing lack of exposure to science for African American students, the Saturday Academy of Clark Atlanta University. Areas of interest are laboratory activities, hands-on science, and social engagement. Presents a review of related literature and a study of the program. Contains 16 references. (LZ)

This guide to authentic assessment strategies for teachers of students with and without disabilities explains how to incorporate authentic assessments into everyday practice, including observation techniques, anecdotal records, error analysis, miscue analysis, "think-alouds," self-evaluation questionnaires and interviews, journals and learning…

A study of 33-month-old children, their mothers, and their older siblings concentrated on arguments used when 2 family members were in conflict with a third. There were some direct relationships between partners' arguments. Arguments children used with their mothers differed from those they used with their siblings. (BG)

Defines images that teachers have of themselves within their teaching context. Employs a grounded theory approach and interviews to study how these images contribute to curricular decision making in six secondary school teachers. Analyzes the effectiveness of teacher images as tools for connecting teachers' past experiences to current curriculum…

Two studies are reported in which supervisor observations of teachers' performance rate and accuracy were found to result in positive changes in teacher performance and the behaviors of their severely handicapped students (ages 6-21), when compared with baseline supervisor observations that did not specify rate and accuracy feedback. (Author/JDD)

Reviews 40 learning-to-teach naturalistic and qualitative studies between 1987 and 1991. Preservice and first-year teaching constitutes one developmental stage during which novices acquire student knowledge, modify/reconstruct their personal self-images as teachers, and develop standard procedural routines that integrate classroom management and…

The impact of a modified wilderness program on the cooperative and aggressive behaviors of seriously emotionally disturbed adolescents was evaluated in the context of self-efficacy theory. Results indicated that participating adolescents showed a significant increase in cooperative behaviors and that direct observation procedures were more…

Synthesizes research on teaching expertise from physical education and other fields, offering two examples of expertise-related topics in physical education (the importance of personal performance skills and observational skills). The paper discusses cognitive, behavioral, and mixed indicators of expertise. Methodological problems in undertaking…

Four expert high school special education resource teachers were observed providing classroom instruction. Content analysis of postobservation interview transcripts was used to identify the presence of 124 reflective practice indicators in the subjects' instructional decisions: 49 for personal responsibility, 39 for testing, and 36 for problem…

Natural statistical models based on renewal processes for individuals' Behavior Stream are developed. For continuous observation, statistical and psychometric properties are obtained for empirical: (1) rates of behavior; (2) proportions of behavior type; (3) prevalence; and (4) event duration. Results provide a guide for design and analysis. (SLD)

Discusses a new observational measure for classroom practices, the Classroom Practices Inventory, which is based on the Guidelines for Developmentally Appropriate Practices of the National Association for the Education of Young Children. This scale demonstrated internal consistency in tapping the curricular emphasis of emotional climate of…

Examines the oral language and related literacy performances of four four-year olds to determine the role and functions of oral language in prekindergarten classroom exchanges, writing episodes, and print-awareness tasks. Children who are adept in oral use of Halliday's seven functions have a developed sense of their culture's literacy and perform…

A microanalytic description of teachers' interactions with children suggests that the sociomoral atmospheres of three types of classrooms differ considerably. Children in the direct-instruction classroom experience an almost totally unilateral relationship with the teacher; in the constructivist classroom, there is more reciprocity and intimacy;…