The results of an in-depth analysis of the lab activities found in two popular high school biology textbooks are presented. Activities were rated against 24 task categories that parallel skills or behaviors which reflect scientific inquiry, problem-solving skills, manipulative skills, and observational skills. (25 references) (KR)

The incorrect Humean notion of causation in the standard view of science has had devastating effects on social science research. Alternatively, scientific realism, as illustrated in R. Bhaskar's work, provides a scientific framework for research, incorporates the perceptions and intentions of participants, and advances critical values (i.e.,…

A learning cycle activity which allows students to practice process skills by sieving different size fractions of sediments is described. Science topics include weathering, erosion, streams, sedimentation, sedimentary rocks, soils, beaches, dunes, or glacial deposits. Mathematics topics include number lines, ordinal numbers, greater than/less…

Discusses research on teacher thinking, noting the types of information available from a simple procedure for collecting pupil responses to lessons taught by student teachers. Pupil response patterns shift as student and cooperating teachers alternate instructional processes. Pupil responses to lessons allow prospective teachers to learn to think…

Hands-on activities that use water, candles, powders found in the kitchen, and bubbles to provide a lesson on chemical change are presented. Directions for conducting the activities and a list of needed supplies are provided. (KR)

This study focused on French and U.S. mother-infant dyads interacting in their homes. Infants' visual attention, tactual exploration, vocalization and mothers' mediated and unmediated stimulation and speech to infants were observed. Mothers and infants in the two cultures showed some similarities and some different emphases in their activities,…

Reports an ethnographic research project involving fourth graders and the use of computers. Examines the social context of computer use; the way students relate to computers; and what students learn by interacting with computers. Finds that students can experience powerful emotional reactions to events resulting from their interactions with…

Compares activities and interactions of Japanese and American mothers and their five-month-old infants in their natural home settings from a macroanalytic viewpoint in terms of mothers' verbal and visual stimulation of infants and infants' visual and tactual exploration and vocalization. (Author/BB)

Systematic observation of 60 general education teachers found that teacher behaviors toward mainstreamed students with or without learning disabilities did not differ significantly. However, significant differences in student behaviors were found, with students with learning disabilities interacting with the teacher, other students, and classroom…

Examines whether male students dominated classroom interactions in home economic lessons and whether other classroom processes sustained gender divisions in this subject. Results from 4 classes involving 34 boys and 31 girls include the observation that boys receive more discipline and praise in reaching the same standards as that expected of…

Considers an action-based approach to the development of teaching skills in higher education through peer observation and collaborative reflection. The central features of a three-phase process model are described and explored, and the preliminary results of a pilot scheme at the University of Bradford (United Kingdom) are reported. (Author/LRW)

Examines some popular models of peer observation and their potential drawbacks and discusses the implementation of a more active and reflective model, where the focus is less on the observed and more on the active self-development of the observer. Relevance to staff development is also considered. (LRW)

To improve student performance on standardized tests, principals must evaluate the school's most recent scores, compile a simple statistical comparison of potential and actual performance on evaluated skills, and discuss results and improvement strategies with groups of teachers. Classroom observations, cooperative planning, and curriculum mapping…

In the context of a project implementing Belgian observation and assessment scales in German kindergartens, a study examined German practitioners' attitudes toward systematic observation of children. The most significant overall finding was the low priority attributed to systematic observation in teacher training and practice. These findings are…

Observed engagement of children in 17 child care environments as a way to assess program quality. Found that children in centers that met only minimal licensing requirements had lower levels of engagement than other children, and that center quality was related to quality of experience. (LBT)