Questionnaires, observation, and taped interviews of 36 graduate students were used to compare and evaluate the use of a continuous zooming graphical interface and a typical jump-based hypertext interface, with a focus on minimizing user disorientation when reading documents. Learning time, performance and user satisfaction were evaluated. (AEF)

The Child Development Review (CDR) combines parents' and pediatricians' observations to monitor the development and adjustment of infants and young children. The method includes a questionnaire completed by parents, systematic professional observation, and pediatrician-parent discussion. Research on the CDR in well-child care, a preschool…

Argues that the ethnographic interview gives teachers an insider's understanding of an aspect of a foreign culture and endows them with the insight to interpret the insider account from an observer's perspective. The article describes materials developed for inservice training and a pilot course that tested them with Irish teachers preparing to…

Presents a retrospective view of the infusion of computer technology at a large, predominantly ethnic/racial minority, inner-city high school serving at-risk students. Discusses results of in-depth case studies of students, teachers, and administrators; classroom observations; and a student self-esteem index. (Author/LRW)

Pre- and postvoyage interviews with seven participants on a 10-day adventure trip aboard the sail training ship Leeuwin revealed that the experience met the expectations of most participants and that participants experienced increases in self-confidence, self-esteem, motivation, and tolerance. Suggests that prevoyage briefing, postvoyage…

Investigated the relationship between psychological understanding and positive social behavior in preschool children. Found that both mental state understanding and emotion understanding were positively related to teacher ratings of social skills, behavioral observers' global ratings of social skills, and peer popularity. When language ability was…

Examines teachers' use of and students' reactions to cooperative learning, and the quality of the group cooperation from a sample of Dutch primary schools. Reports that students' social skills, on-task behavior, and self-esteem improved, while students reported a positive attitude toward cooperative learning. Includes references. (CMK)

Studied the process of implementing a cooperative games program in kindergarten settings. Children's responsiveness was dependent on the enthusiasm of the teachers who implemented the program. (BG)

Training in Teaching for Higher Order Thinking (THOT), a 12-week training program, resulted in substantial increases in THOT performance by middle school teachers (N=4), but it did not affect performance levels on essential skills (performance related to student achievement and conduct). Implications for teacher training and teacher evaluation are…

A longitudinal study investigated whether or not discussion in the mathematical classroom was an aid to understanding. This preliminary analysis showed that evidence to support the hypothesis has been limited. A method of classification of mathematical talk is described. (Author/YP)

Conducted two studies with Nigerian and Canadian undergraduates participating as observers of videotaped Hausa and Ibo actors, cast in their ethnic schema-consistent and schema-inconsistent roles. Nigerian group modestly supported hypothesis that the phenomenon of ingroup favoritism/outgroup discrimination should be limited to schema-consistent…

Reports the findings of a naturalistic study of stigmatization processes in the peer interactions of a kindergarten class. Discusses the social construction of deviance, and the implications of labeling. (FMW)

Advocates a quantitative sociological approach to measuring curriculum differentiation and its effects. Research should combine survey with observational methods to examine measures of track organization and instructional activities that are sensitive to organizational and instructional conditions that differ across schools. (Author/BJV)

Describes procedures used to measure aspects of a classroom environment in which the development of prosocial characteristics is emphasized. Explains observation procedures, a teacher questionnaire, a child interview, and a child questionnaire. Finds observation to be the most useful means of assessment, with the other three procedures…

Naturalistic observation was used to investigate the occurrence of behaviors reflecting social competence and information processing in problem solving within educational computing environments. Forty-eight first and third graders were observed working in pairs on the computer. Findings indicate that a LOGO programing environment is superior to…