Stressing that teachers must consider not only the quality and amount of content in their questions, but must also consider the levels and types of questions being asked, as well as design appropriate modeling, cueing, and responding strategies, this document outlines current research on questioning techniques for classroom use. The role of…

A study examined the effects of controlling situational factors (i.e., instructional interventions) on reducing state anxiety level of low and high public speaking apprehensives. Subjects were 306 undergraduates enrolled in the basic public speaking course at a midwestern university during the 1988-1989 academic year. Situational factors tested…

The power of inquiry teaching is demonstrated as a way in which learning can be transformed from a passive process to a dynamic, enjoyable adventure. Using anecdotes, conversations, and letters, the book describes the application of the inquiry methodology. In addition, guidelines for selecting topics for discussion are included, as well as hints…

With more and more cultural backgrounds represented in the American classroom, it is important that faculty consider the cultural variables that are introduced in such a situation. Cross-cultural awareness in the multi-cultural classroom has become an important issue in recent years for two main reasons: a continued increase of international…

The report documents a study conducted in 1979 by the University of Alaska's Cross-Cultural Education Development Program (X-CED) to use video tape to study the interaction of teachers and students and to look specifically at the teaching styles of the three Athabaskan teachers at an Interior Alaska Athabaskan community school. The study would…

Traditionally, classroom instruction has been viewed as a structured, deliberately sequenced process leading to predetermined goals within given time limits. However, classroom second language instruction appears to be less efficient than non-classroom language acquisition. The reason may lie in the distinction between linguistic input (all…

This study examined the language of teachers and children during small group instruction in two cognitively oriented preschools. A total of 22 small group instruction sessions were videofilmed in each preschool. Lesson relevant utterances from the 44 videotapes were coded for grammatical and cognitive variables. In an examination of five specific…

A discussion of ethnographic research methods in language learning research focuses on what is involved in good descriptive and analytic ethnographic research and the value of the approach in the study of English as a second language (ESL). A basic definition of ethnography is offered, some key research principles are identified, and the…

As part of a larger effort to understand how classrooms are managed, this study used narrative descriptions of class sessions conducted by seven junior high school English teachers to map the way order was achieved under different circumstances. The basic unit for analysis was the classroom activity, characterized by an identifiable focus or a…

Although psychological studies of the mass media have been dominated by cognitivist and psychodynamic concepts, a study of the mass media using a behavior analysis method may be used to analyze the content of the mass media. By applying that analysis to fictional teacher-learner interactions an interpretation of those relationships can be made and…

This study examined the congruence of teaching method and observed teacher behavior. Its purpose was to find out the actual behaviors in which teachers engaged when using a specific teaching method and whether or not these behaviors were congruent with those dictated by a theoretically based teaching model. The specific objectives of the study…

In order to prescribe instructional strategies that match individual learning styles, a study examined the relationships among students' gender, communication avoidance behavior, and classroom achievement. Additionally, the study investigated the relationship of the instructor's gender to the student's perception of instructor immediacy and the…

The purpose of this study was to explore how the needs, actions, and beliefs of teacher and students interact with the constraints of the classroom and the curriculum to establish an atmosphere conducive to effective learning of physics in grade 11. An interpretive research methodology was used to investigate the students' and teachers' needs,…

A guide to second language teaching methods is designed for language teachers giving French instruction to Peace Corps volunteers. It consists of an introductory section on the aims and organization of a related series of instructional guides and an extensive section on 32 specific classroom techniques and activities for use with that series. Each…

This paper focuses on an important aspect of second language acquisition, namely, the complex set of modifications in the rules governing the forms and functions of the new language that are required by specific sociocultural contexts. These adjustments in language, or shifts in register, play a crucial role in interpreting utterances for social…