Evaluation is viewed as essential to decision making and social policy development. Since conventional methods have been disappointing or inadequate, naturalistic inquiry (N/I) differs from conventional science in minimizing constraints on antecedent conditions (controls) and on output (dependent variables). N/I is phenomenological rather than…

An instrument is presented for recording and analyzing student and teacher behavior in laboratory or activity-centered vocational education classrooms. The instrument uses categories of behavior, such as: (1) asks extended thought questions, (2) shows or illustrates, and (3) management of lesson, for teachers; and categories such as: (1) asks…

The possibility that "coder drift" may be a source of bias in classroom observation systems was investigated in two parallel experiments using the Flanders System of Interaction Analysis. Coder drift may be described as the differences in coding which result when observers create their own idiosyncratic systems of classifying teacher…

The results of two experiments support the hypothesis of "coder drift" which is defined as change that takes place while trained coders are using a system for a number of classroom observation sessions. The coding system used was a modification of the low-inference Flanders System of Interaction Analysis which calls for assigning…

This report compares the first and second years of a 4-year study on changes in patterns of social behavior and conceptions of 8-12 year-old children following the introduction of television in their community. Three towns of similar composition were selected for their naturally occuring differences in quantity and duration of experience with…

An approach for systematically observing and recording behavioral difference in the classroom is described, and its use with 11 behavior problem elementary students is discussed. The author points out the importance of peer sampling and the use of multiple observations to avoid erroneous conclusions. A case study of a second grade child…

The plans included in this manual were developed for use in training data collectors to administer the Teacher Performance Assessment Instruments (TPAI). They were designed by classroom teachers and present data collectors with types of plans which might be encountered while assessing teachers in the field. Each set of plans was developed to serve…

The purpose of this study was to examine the accuracy of teachers' abilities to identify problem children. Ninety-five third grade children served as subjects. Teachers designated each child as a conduct problem, withdrawal problem, or normal, resulting in 16, 14, and 65 children being assigned to the three groups. Behavioral observations, peer…

WHEN THEY INDIVIDUALIZE READING INSTRUCTION, TEACHERS SHOULD REALIZE THAT CHILDREN ARE VERY DIFFERENT AND THAT CONTINUOUS APPRAISAL OF EACH CHILD'S ATTRIBUTES AND NEEDS IS IMPERATIVE. TEACHERS SHOULD UTILIZE INFORMAL EVALUATIVE TECHNIQUES FOR APPRAISING GROWTH IN READING SKILLS. READINESS FOR BEGINNING READING IS DETERMINED BY OBSERVING PERSONAL…

A CATEGORY SYSTEM FOR SYSTEMATIC OBSERVATION OF HIGH SCHOOL BIOLOGY LABORATORY AND LECTURE-DISCUSSION-RECITATION CLASSES WAS DEVELOPED AND USED TO QUANTIFY, ANALYZE, AND DESCRIBE OBSERVED CLASSROOM BEHAVIOR. THE CATEGORY SYSTEM WAS DEVELOPED BY OBSERVING EIGHT HIGH SCHOOL BIOLOGY TEACHERS ONCE EACH MONTH FOR FOUR SUCCESSIVE MONTHS. THE OBSERVER…

THIS DOCUMENT REPORTS DATA COLLECTED OVER THREE SEMESTERS ON THE USE AND IMPACT OF A "LEARNING CENTER"--INDIVIDUAL CARRELS THAT INCLUDE AUDIO TAPE EQUIPMENT IN THE LIBRARY FOR EACH OF THE COLLEGE'S 700 STUDENTS. DETAILED TABLES REPORT RESULTS OF STUDENT AND FACULTY ATTITUDE QUESTIONNAIRES INCLUDING SEMANTIC SCALES, OFFICIAL RECORDS OF LIBRARY AND…

AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY WAS DESIGNED TO MEASURE THE EXTENT TO WHICH CLOSED CIRCUIT TELEVISION OBSERVATIONS AND DIRECT OBSERVATIONS OF CHILDREN'S ART CLASSES CONTRIBUTE SIGNIFICANTLY TO THE ABILITY OF ELEMENTARY EDUCATION MAJORS TO DISCRIMINATE BETWEEN DESIRABLE AND UNDESIRABLE SOLUTIONS TYPICALLY OCCURRING IN TEACHING ART TO ELEMENTARY SCHOOL…

NONVERBAL BEHAVIOR CONSISTS MAINLY OF FACIAL EXPRESSIONS, GESTURES AND BODY MOVEMENTS, AND VOCAL INTONATIONS AND INFLECTIONS. IN ORDER TO PROVIDE A MODEL FOR OBSERVING TEACHER NONVERBAL CLASSROOM ACTIVITY, 12 CATEGORIES WERE DEVELOPED THROUGH THE USE OF TWO DIMENSIONS--ENCOURAGING TO INHIBITING AND TEACHER INITIATED TO TEACHER RESPONSE. THREE…

Qualitative and quantitative methodology in classroom observation were combined in this study that examined nine second grade reading classes. Each classroom was observed by an ethnographer and a classroom coder ten times throughout the year, and each observation lasted 90 minutes. For each classroom, four of the ten observations were also…

This training guide describes a 40-hour course for family day care providers. The course is designed to be given in 14 sessions to approximately 15 persons who voluntarily meet twice a week for 2 1/2 hours. A child care program for children aged 0 to 5 years located at the training site meets the need of working providers for alternate care while…