Describes a study conducted in the Netherlands to provide an understanding of how secondary school teachers actually use computers in the classroom. The use of classroom observations, interviews, and teachers' diaries to determine factors affecting the extent and type of use of computers is explained, and a model of factors is presented. (Contains…

Schedules of classroom activities and direct observation of actual activities were collected in 24 early childhood special education classrooms. Significant differences were found between the amount of time that teachers allotted for activities (such as play, self-care, transition, and story time) and the amount of observed time that children…

An ethnographic study of two secondary schools in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, is reported that examined the functions of English-Kiswahili code-switching among students. It argues that code-switching is used strategically by both teachers and pupils for meaningful classroom interaction and also reinforces the view that English is more appropriate for…

Physical educators can enhance students' motivation to learn by collecting portfolios of items that reflect students' skills, understandings, social behaviors, and values. The article explains characteristics of portfolio assessment, discussing how to develop and evaluate portfolios. Brief descriptions of methods and portfolio items, illustrated…

Examines the basic tenets of qualitative, or naturalistic, research methods in terms of their grounding in social science and their value to library and information science research. Topics discussed include the research problems; data collection, including interviews; data analysis, including content analysis; theory development; and ensuring…

Critiques standardized, static literacy assessment practice. Proposes an interactive, curriculum-embedded, multidimensional approach to assessment based on observations and records of student literacy made on a variety of occasions over time and in a variety of authentic learning contexts. Demonstrates how a teacher and a student interacted to…

Examined differences in observers' influence on parents during naturalistic home observations of families. Parents' oldest child was 6-7 years old. Results suggested that observers influenced fathers more than mothers. Apparent differences in influence were related to the child's sex. (LB)

Data from 3 observations of 32 primary and 38 secondary teachers showed no differences in primary teachers' responses to boys and girls but significant differences in secondary teachers' responses--boys received more responses overall, female teachers responded more negatively to boys' social behavior, male teachers more positively to boys'…

Methods such as phonics or whole language can never ensure that children learn to read. Children must learn from people--from teachers initiating them into the readers' club and from authors' writings. Children's relationships with teachers, each other, and the learning task itself are supremely important. Observation, not testing, gauges student…

Twelve trained observers were randomly assigned to one of two methods of data collection in scoring teacher-student interactions. Results indicated no overall difference in observer accuracy between momentary time sampling and continuous data collection when scoring behaviors that differed along the dimensions of frequency and predictability.…

Observation in 281 elementary and junior secondary classrooms and interview with teachers found large variation in communication behaviors of Botswana teachers, related to subject matter, presence of a textbook, and school size. Much class time was spent on choral recitation, which was positively related to expatriate staff and pupil persistence.…

An art program at an alternative elementary school in Acton, Massachusetts, revolves around the belief that every person has an inner sense of self that should provide the direction for learning. The educational environment is designed to stimulate individuals to find their own personal direction. (SK)

Analyses of home movies taken by 12 parents before recognition of their children's autistic disorders confirmed that anomalies could be noted as early as the first few months of life, such as anomalies of eye contact, deficient variability of emotional expression, deficit of attention, and initiation of communication, and motor abnormalities.…

Evaluators in six objective structured clinical examinations were encouraged to add written comments to the traditional checklist rating forms. The 1,283 comments were categorized as trainee performance (technique, content, summary) and organizational comments. Analysis found that the comments were relevant and useful, and provided substantial…

Describes research and writing activities introduced to a third grade class in Edgecombe (Maine). Students learned to take brief notes without copying, locate information in the library beyond encyclopedias, make logs of observations, interview experts, and present information in several formats, including acrostics, timelines, and dioramas. (DM)