Establishing caring relationships with students challenges all teachers. The article examines one student teacher's intentions to care and control, noting teacher educators and novices must understand the tensions and connections of caring and controlling. Constraints on student teachers' powers to care and establishment of legitimate authority…

An Australian survey found that early childhood teachers were very supportive of early identification of gifted and talented children, though many had only a fuzzy definition of giftedness and suggested teacher observation as the best identification technique. Teachers who had been involved in gifted education recommended more specific…

Examined behaviors of second and sixth graders during (1) unsupervised free time; (2) unsupervised desk work; (3) supervised free time; and (4) a class lesson. Second graders worked on their assignments whether or not the teacher was present. In the class lesson context, children in both grades exhibited work behaviors and few peer interactions.…

Examined the "learning-to-teach" process in Portland State University's alternative teacher education program by observing and interviewing six student teachers who identified the source of influence for each recorded teaching behavior. Results indicated a strong relationship between teacher education program design and influences on…

Reports the results of an observational study concerning mathematical word problems to provide direction for others contemplating analyses of student difficulties from a theory base. Finds that most students experience difficulties in applying past experience, knowledge, and the language of mathematics to form internal world models. (PRA)

Reports 126 interns' ratings of 31 existing and ideal clinical supervision behaviors before and after 4-month internship, to determine satisfaction with cooperating teacher supervision. Training and frequent practice in clinical supervision rated most ideal supervisory behaviors. Audio, video recording rated lowest. Recommends observational method…

Discusses cooperative learning, asserting that students must be individually accountable and credited for their efforts to help teammates attain goals. Describes the Peer and Self-Evaluation System (PSES), a new and reliable procedure in which students identify and record team skills and receive confidential feedback regarding personal strengths…

Investigated what physical education (PE) student teachers observed and responded to during secondary PE instruction. Videotapes of eight PE student teachers in the classroom and audiotapes of discussions with their university supervisors about teaching events indicated that they had developed observational and analysis skills in three areas:…

Notes that as more young children with disabilities are included in classrooms for children who are developing typically, practitioners must continue to identify and refine strategies for making inclusion successful. Discusses a successful inclusion program that is observation based and child initiated. Discusses a procedure that facilitates the…

Discusses criteria for evaluating school library information services. Highlights include types of services; physical facilities; library usage; circulation statistics; changes due to technology; fill rate, or the percentage of successful searches for library materials; OPAC (online public access catalog) reports; observation; and examining…

This study compared impact of traditional and experiential approaches to early childhood education on gender related patterns in activity choices. Findings confirmed gender related activity patterns previously reported. Compared to traditional settings, boys in experiential settings engaged more in doll play and expressed feelings of distress…

A model designed to more accurately describe instructional processes in transitional bilingual classrooms had four dimensions: language content, language of instruction, communication mode, and activity structures. Testing of the observational tool in four fifth-grade transitional bilingual classrooms found high interrater reliability, a need for…

Asserts that assessment requires measuring of results, evaluation of the processes that lead to results, and a commitment to promote change for the better. Describes several formative tools that have been used in both laboratory and lecture geology classes, shows how they complement the fairly universal summative evaluation, and demonstrates how…

Using a systematic storytelling procedure termed critical incident recording, a teacher-as-researcher model was implemented with staff in early childhood centers that include children with disabilities. The approach encourages teachers to conduct a critical analysis of children's performance and of environmental variables that contribute to…

Participant observers conducting research among other cultures must use what is learned without betraying the confidence of those with whom they interact. Two Native American examples illustrate how current protocols are insufficient in cross-cultural situations. Recommendations include negotiating responsibilities before seeking consent,…