Reports on a pilot study that attempted to uncover, through classroom observations, how experienced social studies teachers explore and reinforce student understanding of concepts that comprise the adopted curriculum. Particular attention is paid to the use of metaphors, analogies, and similes as examples or reinforcements of verbal or written…

Discusses a case study of how experienced social studies teachers convey the concepts that comprise the curriculum. Reports that researchers observed 3 teachers for 20 hours each. Describes a preference among the teachers for anthropomorphic, familial, and popular culture references. Explains that visual representations were used only as passing…

Introduces a system for recording and using classroom observation (consisting of cycles of teacher entries based on classroom observation, related hypotheses about students' strengths and needs, and regular checking and revision of the hypotheses) that was developed for elementary and middle school students who have difficulties reading. (SR)

This paper reviews, first, experimental studies of perceptual-cognitive development and related work directed to the assessment of infant intelligence and, second, naturalistic observation of the exploratory patterns of infants during free play. Techniques used, such as the Fagan Test of Infant Intelligence, offer the potential to identify…

Evaluated the effectiveness in a community college of the Professional Development Program, in which (n=80) mostly minority precalculus students attend workshops utilizing small study groups, faculty leadership, challenging mathematical materials, and peer support networks. No overall effect on student performance was found. Includes postinterview…

This commentary focuses on the application of D. Rogosa and G. Ghandour's work to observational research on classroom processes. Rogosa and Ghandour have shown that the short length of an observation is typically the dominant source of error. Investigators should conduct observations for as long as possible. (SLD)

The forms, functions, and targets of the spontaneous communication of 30 children (age 4-13) with autism were observed during school activities. Communication patterns varied by cognitive level and autism severity, but the prototypical communicative event involved a child directing a motoric form of communication toward the teacher to request…

Eighteen science activities that help children learn to use their senses are described. Multisensory activities and single-sensory activities are provided. Each activity includes a list of materials, the procedure, information for the teacher, questions, and a vocabulary list of words often used by children to describe what is taking place. (KR)

Advocates the Redfern Model of teacher evaluation, which involves the teacher in the evaluation process through goal setting and self-evaluation in cooperation with the evaluator. The Redfern Model can be combined with the Classroom Observations Keyed for Effectiveness Research (COKER) as an objective measurement of classroom performance. (KS)

A creative solution is offered for the problem of finding good quality recordings of classroom events for a master's TESOL (teaching English to speakers of other languages) course on classroom observation: short excerpts from television programs and films where classroom scenes take place. Three instruments are applied to the excerpts. (21…

This study examined whether teacher-implemented classroom measurement procedures of short duration are as reliable as methods used in research studies to determine behavior state (e.g., awake active, awake inactive, asleep, drowsed) of six students with profound mental disabilities. Results indicated that more frequent but briefer measurements…

A five-month ethnographic study of friendship development identified major issues in first graders' disputes with friends. Examined consequences of the disputes for children's relationships. Stressed the importance of detailed, historical investigations of specific interactive events for an accurate understanding of human development and…

Based on experiences in working with school district staff, suggestions for enhancing evaluation use through stakeholder involvement are discussed in terms of who should be involved, when involvement should occur, and how stakeholders should be involved via a dialogue-dependent process. (SLD)

Alternative methods of data collection among homeless people are compared to traditional shelter and street surveys. The alternatives allow for more people to be reached, achieve greater depth, put researcher and subject on a more equal footing, and appear to produce a more accurate picture of homeless people in their diversity. (CJS)

Describes a method of teaching fieldwork in cultural anthropology classes by having students do an ethnosemantic exercise on a card game of their choice. Through this experience, students learn how to do simple forms of fieldwork, the emic perspective, and componential analysis. (Author)