The editors of "Practical Application of Research (PAR)," a newsletter of Phi Delta Kappa's Center on Evaluation, Development, and Research, reviewed all of the research done since 1971 on the subject of instructional clarity. Instructional clarity was defined as the interaction between what a teacher does or says and the student's…

How the social organization of the classroom, including teacher and student roles, patterns of interaction, and norms extended or constrained students' learning opportunities was examined. A total of 6 English, science, and social studies classes in grades 6 and 7 were observed for the first month of the school year; activities in the school were…

One of a series of six portraits of high school literature classrooms, this paper gives a detailed, evocative characterization of how one "master teacher" introduced, undertook, and guided the study of literature, focusing in particular on how the teacher interacted with students in the context of discussion of a literary work in class.…

Drawing on current research into the learning environment as well as into the reading process and the acquisition of literacy, this book is designed to help elementary and early childhood teachers arrange classroom time environments that encourage children's growth in literacy. Following a brief statement of purpose, the book is divided into the…

Responding to student writing is challenging for teachers, because it is difficult to write helpful, perceptive comments on student papers. Recent theory and research suggest that teachers can learn much about response, and that there are options available to writing teachers searching for better ways to respond to student papers. An important…

A study of the child's experience in learning a second language as it is embedded in his experience of kindergarten looks at two classes of unilingual (English-speaking) Canadian children in a half-day French immersion program. The immersion experience for the children is described in these terms: what "French" means to them; what and how they…

Current literature on writing instruction focuses on the writing conference, which accompanies a shift in emphasis from product to process and potentially transforms the teacher's role from task master and evaluator to respondent, opening the door to greater peer interaction in literacy learning. However desirable this ideal may be, extant…

The effects of faculty training in sex equitable and effective interaction skills were assessed. Twenty-three professors participated in a two and one-half day training workshop that focused on (1) the elimination of sex-biased teacher-student interactions in the classroom; and (2) the distribution, precision, and quality of teacher responses to…

This paper attempts to show that the relationship between current theoretical understanding of the origin and acquisition of language and the process of second language classroom instruction requires a basis in empirical research. Areas in which this research is needed include the importance of the teacher, especially in relation to "teacher…

There is more to teaching than the teacher possessing a body of information and using group dynamics in passing the information to the students. Teachers must be enthusiastic in order to motivate their students to progress through the levels and stages of learning. One-to-one teaching can be better achieved and more successful through the study of…

Research on second language learning suggests that age or age-related factors are a major variable in the acquisition of a second language for school. In the early stages of acquisition, older students are faster and more efficient learners, with the advantage of more advanced cognitive development in the first language. This early advantage…

Examining how students respond to gender-related issues, a study observed six classroom discussions of Fundamentals of Interpersonal Communication, an introductory level college course which integrated gender issues. Four different classes, each consisting of 25-30 male and female students averaging 18-20 years of age, participated in the study.…

Based on the premise that effective teaching depends on successful communication, this booklet discusses the nonverbal dimension of communication. The booklet contends that humans use nonverbal communications for the following reasons: (1) words have limitations; (2) nonverbal signals are powerful; (3) nonverbal messages are likely to be more…

Aspects of the perception that assessment is a large-scale testing program conducted at institutional or state levels to determine what students have learned from college is questioned. Small-scale assessments conducted continuously in college classrooms by discipline-based teachers to determine what students are learning in what class are also…

A study examined the effects of teachers' use of explicit explanation on students' levels of metacognitive awareness of the reading process and on their reading achievement as measured by a standardized test. Subjects, 22 fifth grade teachers from 13 different elementary schools, were observed by researchers who had been trained in using a…