This paper analyzes both Flanders' and the Foreign Language Interaction (FLint) methods of classroom observation and concludes that both systems are deficient in accuracy, reliability and practicality. Observing, recording and decision-making difficulties are inherent, and system complexities and teacher biases add to the problems. (CHK)

The Arizona Lesson Observation and Evaluation (ALOE) system of evaluating teaching is presented. ALOE was developed from Arizona adaptations of the Georgia Teacher Performance Assessment Instruments and, with G. Taylor's "Functional Elements Analysis of Teaching Skills" (FEATS), forms an integrated observation package which allows…

Written from the perspective of the classroom teacher as novice supervisor, this paper describes two cycles of clinical supervision involving teaching peers in an elementary public school. A discussion is presented on the quality of the efforts and accuracy of the perceptions of the beginning supervisor. Some constants that may be thought of as…

The Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised (WISC-R), one of the most commonly used tests of cognitive ability, is difficult to administer accurately. The purpose of this study was primarily to assess interrater agreement on the WISC-R Administration Observational Checklist (WAOC), a new observational instrument that can be used by an…

Classroom researchers are frequently urged to provide evidence of the reliability of their data. In the case of observational data, three approaches to this have emerged: observer agreement, generalizability theory, and measurement error. Generalizability theory provides the most powerful approach given an adequate data collection design, but…

This study examined the objectivity, trainability, and reliability of the SRI observational system (developed at the Stanford Research Institute) as it was modified for use in the "A Study of Schooling" research project. Four instruments in the observation system were tested. The physical environment inventory recorded the architectural…

Two participant observers evaluated the week-long camp experience of adult women in order to assess the appropriateness of participant observation research methods in the camp setting, to identify strengths and weaknesses of this method, and to develop guidelines for its use. The study was part of a larger evaluation of the 9th annual Women's Week…

Screening and assessment procedures are described for Head Start personnel. An initial chapter focuses on the importance of teacher observation and discusses the uses of behavior checklists. Part II presents an annotated list of 18 screening instruments with information on the developer or distributor, the age range of children to be screened,…

This module is designed to acquaint Child Development Associate (CDA) interns with several techniques used in making observations of children. It is expected that the intern will use the practice exercises in the module not as an end in themselves, but as a springboard for developing regular habits of skillful observation. Objectives are…

This study provides a systematic observation and assessment of pupil-teacher behaviors in a mathematics laboratory for underachieving innercity junior high school students. Using the Observational System for Instructional Analysis (OSIA), the author recorded and analyzed 125 mathematics laboratory activity sessions. Five students, selected from a…

This study investigated the relationship between cognitive style and the use of play areas in the nursery school. The participants were 28 preschool children (13 girls and 15 boys) attending the Laboratory Nursery School at the University of California at Davis. Each child was observed for 12 one-hour sessions over a 10-week period. A time…

In this paper on research into teacher behavior, the author considers first the current status of such research and the fact that the problem is so complex that no one knows or agrees what a competent teacher is. The difficulties of identifying and measuring teacher behaviors are discussed. The four broad areas of measurement (observation, student…

This is a preliminary report of two years participant observation in four elementary schools. The study began with the objective of trying to discern the characteristics differentiating the atmonspheres of elementary schools in the metropolis. Case studies are presented in order to arrive at hypotheses concerning what gives different schools their…

Although the role of the supervisor in education is seriously being challenged by complicated social forces, and the traditional method of simply observing or inspecting classroom performance has lacked guiding conceptual frameworks, the solution does not lie in the election of supervisory representatives or committees, but rather in an intensive…

In this paper a rationale for the use of non-participant observation in curriculum development is presented. An assessment of the University of Georgia Anthropology Curriculum Project's Race, Caste, and Prejudice (RCP) provides a case example of the use of this qualitative model in educational research. The researcher's assessment of RCP focuses…