This paper examined a problem-solving partnership where both partners actively participated and where there were conflicting points of view. After several weeks of observation of an entire fifth grade class working in small groups, a dyad of two boys was selected for closer examination. Nonroutine mathematics problems were used as tasks. A…

The text of three papers are presented. The first, by Alma Ada Flor, focuses on the question "What is participatory research?" It is suggested that participatory research enriches the knowledge of participants and opens up new topics to them. The nature and theory fundmental to participatory research and the relation of participatory research to…

A protocol for analyzing the activity structure of a classroom lesson was developed and field tested. The protocol can be completed on site by a person serving as both observer and analyst. Validity of the protocol was established by reference to the large body of qualitative research on activity structure and the analysis of teaching. The…

This paper discusses the nature of research and identifies some of the questions which it is important to address at the planning stage and to return to throughout the life of any research study. In a discussion of the nature of research, it is noted that research findings must be potentially generalizable. The criteria for identifying research…

The first phase of a monitoring project to evaluate the implementation of the Chicago Reform Act, with a focus on the process of securing school participation in the study, is described in this report. Twelve schools out of a random stratified sample of 16 schools agreed to participate in the study, which was to consist of interviews and classroom…

The study compared maternal and trained observer evaluations of infant temperamental characteristics, to determine how closely the ratings correspond, and to analyze the impact of maternal drug abuse habits on maternal ratings of infant temperament. In relating observer to maternal ratings of infant temperament, seven dimensions were compared:…

The purpose of this study was to better understand teachers' perceptions of collaborative learning and to explicate how they use computer activities to promote cooperative learning experiences. Based on questionnaire responses and group meetings, the Office of Research, Evaluation, and Assessment (OREA) identified seven New York City teachers of…

This study examined how first-year law students developed a civil rights case using an open-ended interactive videodisk ("Litigation Strategies"), which uses a visual and textual database to complement the traditional curriculum by simulating the experience of a junior partner in a law firm. An implementation and formative evaluation…

In socio-cultural field studies the professional investigator encounters problems which raise questions about the researcher's role and influence in the field. A study investigating how a lower and lower-middle class suburban socio-cultural society and an art teacher influence high school students' assumptions about art, also examines the…

Girls tend, far less than boys, to opt for science or technical subjects in upper secondary school and higher education. A plan to study females' experiences, ideas, and attitudes to science and technology is reviewed in this report. The study's intent is to follow two groups of Swedish students from the beginning of grade 7 to their choice of…

Following a brief overview of literature on excellence in the classroom, the shortcomings of objective tests as means for evaluating classroom excellence are discussed as well as the need for evaluation alternatives. Descriptions are given of evaluation alternatives, some of which focus upon reading and writing achievement: (1) observation of…

The Eco-Behavioral System for the Complex Assessment of Preschool Environments (ESCAPE) has been developed for the evaluation of preschool environments by way of the interactions of students with such aspects of the classroom ecology as activities, materials, and grouping configurations, as well as teacher behaviors. The system follows a momentary…

The major underlying assumptions of the Peer-Centered Coaching Model are that teachers are experts with respect to instruction and, because they believe that they can help each other with classroom problems better than help can be given from other sources, they trust each others' advice. The fundamental element of this coaching model is the use of…

This paper proposes a new way of thinking about teacher supervision that takes into account the everyday experience of the teacher in the classroom. The paper suggests eliminating old habits of thought by using new language with new connotations--instead of "supervision," the new approach is called "professional development." Professional…

The maternal affective environment to which children are exposed, conceptualized by (1) percentage of total emotional displays (happy, sad, angry, tense, or tender) and (2) global indices of current maternal psychosocial functioning, is likely to be related to children's expression of emotions and overall social-emotional competence. Thus,…