Reading and writing assessment which focuses on fragmented, isolated skills provides little information about how children actually read and write. An holistic alternative, the systematic observation of children's reading and writing behavior as they occur in natural settings, is discussed. (Author/CB)

Examines measurement and method designs for improving the research on teaching. Outlines four variables for assessing teacher research: presage; context; process; and product. Recommends research that moves beyond the traditional emphasis on teacher behavior to an emphasis on the product of teaching, student outcomes. (KH)

Examines the effect of an unfamiliar peer in a situation requiring a subject's separation from mother in order to play with attractive toys. Observation of 20 children 18 months old and 20 children 30 months old revealed that peer presence facilitated initial separation for both ages, but that age differences in subsequent behaviors existed. (CB)

Using 77 junior high school students in two mathematics classes, this study investigated sex differences in interaction patterns and achievement in small cooperative learning groups. Results related to the male-female ratio in a group. Explanations for these results and consequences for group composition in the classroom are discussed. (BS)

Reports results of an experiment using peer observation of teachers as part of the evaluation process. The study indicates that a large number of evaluators will produce fair and just evaluations of their peers, with any kind of bias leveling out. Thus, by implication, a small evaluation team could be dangerous. Discusses the improbability of…

Seventy fifth-grade students in Australia were observed as each solved a jigsaw puzzle. Boys obtained higher scores on a measure of cognitive style and took less time to complete the jigsaw task; the two measures were significantly correlated. Uses of tangrams are also discussed. (MNS)

Describes two experiments on computer-assisted instruction (CAI) interaction in which interactional analysis is utilized to provide information on the interaction of students with microcomputers. It is suggested that interactional analysis is the key to improving the design and application of CAI materials. (MBR)

Borrowed from the world of business, "management by wandering around" at least one hour per week should help superintendents make better decisions as well as improve relations with staff. (KS)

Ethnography provides a means to carry out interpretive science; it offers an alternative research perspective for vocational education and can be used to address questions concerning larger issues in the field. Interpretive science provides the appropriate research paradigm for those research questions studied by an ethnographer. (Author)

Teachers of 35 boys in the Lehigh University-based laboratory school for emotionally and behaviorally disturbed children completed rating scales assessing aggressive behavior in students. Children completed similar self-report instruments. Frequency counts of aggressive outbursts and outburst durations were recorded. Results found significant…

Describes a survey of how Italian is taught in South Australian primary classrooms. Teachers in six classrooms were observed and recorded to measure the language used, the amount of time spent speaking Italian and English, the language used by children, and the content of pupils' and teachers' spoken Italian. (SED)

A responsive illuminative approach was used to evaluate a program for training motorcycle riders. This approach provided interaction between evaluators and participants, and attempted to provide a detailed report reflecting stakeholders' views. The design, implementation, and reporting of the evaluation are described, as are implications for…

Techniques of classroom observation were used to increase teachers' awareness of the variable participation of boys and girls in science and craft lessons. The work indicates that considerable efforts may be needed to achieve the balanced participation of girls. (JOW)

The author explains a school-specific lesson observation format that meets the specific needs of teachers and evaluators. The lesson observation components of teacher evaluation become a positive experience for both teachers and evaluators using this system. (MD)

Presents a series of discussions on the general elements of experimental design and the scientific process and relates these elements to the field of communication. (MH)