Studies the transcripts of classroom discussions taking place in a college English class. Reveals the similarities and differences in the perceptions of the students and teachers of what actually took place. Gives insight into the nature of classroom talk. Analyzes student comments produced in a student-centered discussion approach to literature…

Describes how a teacher in a program for mildly learning-disabled special education students in a large high school has incorporated into classroom discourse difficult and controversial issues surrounding gender and power. Describes the use of journal writing to improve gender-based interaction, writing focused on male-female relationships, and…

Examines the writings of Burbules and Young, two major educational theorists committed to promoting and understanding the practice of dialogue in educational contexts, focusing on Jurgen Habermas's theory of communicative action. Their works have shown the necessity for researchers to move across disciplinary boundaries and developing theories of…

Reports on data concerning language environments in classes with children who had been in the Home-School Study of Language and Literacy Development project when they were three and four years old. Activities and types of talk used in preschool classrooms changed as children grew older. (BB)

Presents seven scenes showing everyday classroom situations that give students the options of applying their own problem-solving strategies to solve everyday problems of life and enable them to experience mathematical power coming from self-initiated insights into mathematical concepts. (MDH)

Explores possible outcomes of using the "Professional Teaching Standards" as a set of tools to construct productive conversations about teaching. Presents a discussion taking place in the author's third grade classroom illustrating discourse in the classroom, accompanied by the author's commentary on the lesson. (MDH)

Interactive dialogues between teacher and student or between student and student were used to teach revision skills to 18 adolescents with learning disabilities or English as a Second language. Both intervention conditions were equally effective in promoting clarity and thematic salience in trainees' reportive essays. (Author/JDD)

New law faculty are advised about how to be a humane and accessible teacher while preserving some time for other responsibilities. Topics addressed include classroom communication, empathy, mutual respect, office hours and other contact outside class, students under stress, testing, students and employment, and students unsure about being a…

Describes interactions among children in four preschool kindergarten art classes. Examines the nature of the talk surrounding children's mutual participation in voluntary art activities. Concludes that classroom social life demonstrated children's capacity to collaborate in meaningful ways and to benefit from the sharing of perspectives. (KM)

A study of ethnic variation supports the hypothesis that rules/norms governing second-language classroom interactional patterns are affected by the teacher's pedagogical orientation and turn allocation management, learner disposition/motivation toward participation, and interactional opportunities. It cautions against hasty linkages between…

Describes some linguistic and cultural characteristics of American Indians not fully assimilated into the majority culture. Discusses the extended family, discipline and attitudes toward children, importance of the group, communication, and temporal orientation. Notes implications for the classroom. Contains 46 references. (SV)

Examines (1) the correlations between teacher clarity and teacher verbal and nonverbal immediacy for ethnically diverse students; and (2) the correlations of clarity and verbal and nonverbal immediacy with four instructional outcomes for ethnically diverse students. Finds cultural differences in these relationships. Finds significant correlations…

Using sound field amplification which increased the intensity of the teacher's voice by 10 decibels, 9 primary-level children with developmental disabilities made fewer errors on a word identification task, were more relaxed, and responded more quickly than without amplification. (Author/JDD)

Four naturalistic methods for assessing college student learning styles are discussed: direct observation of student behavior, in-depth interviews with students, analysis of self-directed learning projects, and analysis of the guiding metaphors used by students in describing the teaching-learning process. Each suggests ways teachers can adapt to…

Discusses the description of English discourse for teaching purposes, drawing on new information from analysis of CANCODE (Cambridge/Nottingham Corpus of Discourse in English). Concludes that language teaching should be based on regularities and patterns, not rules, and that exposure to real, informal language of native speakers, with its…