Although the social-emotional development of students is an important goal of schools, and foreign language education is generally intended to be a humanistic pursuit valuing the appreciation of others' cultures and the similarities and differences among people, these objectives are not always translated into classroom practice. The link between…

A review of research on time on task and length of school day or year reveals that time is not the only variable significantly related to student achievement. Research indicates that increasing time in school will not automatically increase student achievement or raise standardized test scores. Other variables such as corrective and immediate…

A teacher training program located in the Department of Communication at the University of Montana systematically attempts to modify teachers' communication behavior within the classroom. In step 1, baseline behavioral data are collected from each teacher by videotaping within the classroom. Step 2 involves coding the videotapes, using a "simple"…

A study examined the attitudes and learning strategies, and their relationships to achievement, of university students enrolled in elementary Spanish (n=88) and elementary Japanese (n=121) for one academic year. For both groups of students, the classroom was seen as the most relevant context for language learning. Specific classroom behaviors…

This document reports on a study to develop an empirical method for analyzing and reporting classroom interaction data. Data were collected according to a classroom observation scheme involving the frequency of various interactions (question, answer, or management), the cognitive level of the interaction, the role of the actor, the level of…

The time spent in the regular English-language classroom is critical for the limited-English-proficient (LEP) student in eventual mainstreaming. The classroom teacher can work productively with LEP students in the classroom to maximize their exposure to authentic language during the school day. Classroom communication should be simple and clear,…

Two studies were conducted to determine the degree to which various types of power were employed in the classroom and the effects of each type on both cognitive and affective learning. The primary focus of the first study was to determine the degree to which teachers and students shared perceptions of the use of power in the classroom. Power was…

Intended to help upper elementary and secondary school teachers increase their students' critical thinking, this booklet discusses the theory and techniques behind the use of questioning to evoke prior knowledge and further inquiry. The first portion of the booklet discusses the theory and research that underlie the use of questioning, examining…

To provide classroom teachers with an understanding of some of the properties of language and of their effects on classroom interaction, this booklet reviews research in the area and offers teaching suggestions based upon that research. The first section of the booklet presents an overview of the American idea of language "correctness" and its…

The results of a series of three studies of classroom factors influencing English oral language development in Spanish speaking bilingual elementary students are reported. Teacher control of oral language practice, extra practice in oral language encoding for bilingual students, and similarities between the English proficiency scores of children…

Emphasizing language as both medium and object of instruction, the articles in this focused journal issue promote the interaction of students' language and teachers' language as a means to increased student awareness of, and facility with, language. The first three articles provide a context, methodology, and evaluation framework for language…

Theorists and researchers have indicated that the Group Oral Review (GOR) provides valuable classroom interaction. Some objectives of the GOR approach to reading (for developmental studies reading students) are as follows: to reinforce the process used in a reading assignment, to aid development of metacognitive awareness, to emphasize the idea…

A study explored the processes and attitudes that occur when assigning students a final course grade. The final grades for 1,578 students in a basic communication course were used in discriminant analyses. The level (the mean of all grades given) and the spread (standard deviation of all grades given) were estimated for each of 17 instructors. The…

The application of computer technology in education is a relatively new approach that is trying to justify inclusion in the Kenyan school curriculum. Being abstract, with a dynamic nature that does not manifest itself visibly, the process of cell division has posed difficulties for teachers. Consequently, a computer simulation program, using…

Focusing particularly on messages transmitted by socializing agents in preschool settings, this exploratory study investigates (1) the incidence of communication events in which standards for achievement are expressed, (2) the nature of the standards, and (3) variations across settings in the nature of standard-setting events. The relationship of…