This pamphlet maintains that genuine discussions require a different agenda and teacher approach from other types of classroom sessions, and uses actual classroom transcripts as evidence and illustration. The first section, "Discussion as a Special Event," analyzes the patterns of common classroom interactions, finding a formal and…

To gain insights into what makes student/teacher conversations about writing more and less successful, a sample of freshman composition teachers was asked to tape record all of their writing conferences. In addition, student writing samples were collected. In all, the tape recordings of 48 writing conferences were transcribed and prepared for…

Communication prostheses are critical components of the nonvocal child's communication process, but are only one component. This article focuses on the steps involved in communicative interaction processes and the potential barriers to the development of effective interaction and analysis of nonvocal communicative interactions. A discussion of the…

Children from different backgrounds come to school speaking a wide variety of dialects. Questions concerning the use of dialects in schools have become increasingly complex and controversial in recent years. A central issue is the requirement of a standard dialect in school. Some find it discriminatory, others find it necessary to broaden student…

If what is known about selective processes of perception is coupled with awareness of the extremely rapid pace of classroom interaction, the classroom setting becomes one in which differential teacher expectations are likely to be formed and maintained. In fact, research findings reveal the power of teacher expectations: high teacher expectations…

Part of a series of instructor training modules on related subjects instruction for apprentices, this booklet deals with presenting information to apprentices. The first chapter consists of an outline of the nature and scope of the instructor training modules as well as a self-assessment pretest. Covered in the module are planning to present…

Elaborates on Mauritz Johnson's definition of curriculum as "a structured series of intended learning outcomes" and relates this to teaching science in a permissive classroom climate. (PEB)

Presents a number of typical incidents selected from the publication "Interactive Incidents from Classroom, School, and Community" which was recently released by the National Science Teachers Association and the Association for the Education of Teachers in Science. (JR)

This paper examines research on the kinds of classroom questioning skills where the type and sequence of questions teachers ask has a significant impact on student response and on the language used in responding. Some of the studies considered indicate that teachers frequently ask low-level questions with no logical sequence; that the majority of…

This paper explores the college classroom as a cybernetic system and the implications of such a conceptualization for college teaching. (MK)

Flanders' interaction analysis method is discussed with relation to teacher training. A modification of the analysis is outlined with reference to the coding procedure developed by Urbach. The original category system is modified to include relevant aspects of classroom interaction. (Text is in German.) (AM)

Third of five articles in a series, titled "The Elementary School: Focus on the Culturally Different.