Comparisons of a child's behavior in a variety of situations and under different sets of expectations provide a basis for identifying learning problems and for differentiating them from individual variations in learning styles. (MB)

Believes that classroom observation is, and will continue to be, the cornerstone of teacher evaluation. Offers nine suggestions intended to help administrators ensure that their observations are fair and representative. (Editor/RK)

Presents four articles exploring children's play: (1) "Play, Policy, and Practice: The Essential Connections" (Edgar Klugman, Sandra Waite-Stupiansky); (2) "What's New in Play Research?" (Doris Pronin Fromberg), including play processes and implications for practitioners; (3) "Observing Children's Play" (Margaret Cooney), describing benefits of…

Describes the development of a staff evaluation method for a West African diesel power plant extension, focusing on project constraints, individual job performance, maintenance staff group performance, unscheduled emergency exercises, unplanned shutdowns and other critical incidents, and observation of staff behavior during shifts. Outlines staff…

Describes a study of 2 secondary students working problems over a 10-week period. Information on metacognitive awareness, confidence, and ability were collected through two videotaped sessions and questionnaires. Results suggest impulsiveness and perceived order of merit inhibit effective problem solving. (MTE)

Presents a lesson that uses the learning cycle to introduce the concept of classification and the use of dichotomous keys to identify plants and animals. Encourages students to become better observers and helps them gain confidence and experience in using simple classification keys. (JRH)

Describes one teacher's experiences using "kid-watching" with four challenging middle school students, noting how such observation provides valuable insights into how some individuals learn. (SR)

Reviews the literature on the use of process observation as an effective method for training group workers. Describes the development and implementation of a process observation system as a training tool. (Author/KW)

The article describes a participant observation study with two kindergarten classes which focused on explaining child behavior in terms of its context. Case studies of three children illustrate alternative interpretations of behavior problems when seen from the point of view of the child or a nonauthoritarian adult "child's aide." (DB)

Compared observations of family interactions among anorexic, bulimic-anorexic, bulimic, and normal families (N=74 families) consisting of father, mother, and teenage daughter. Benjamin's structural analysis of social behavior methodology differentiated clinical from normal families. Found unique patterns among subtypes of eating disorders which…

Describes one high school teacher's frustration with her principal's well-intentioned observations about her teaching. The realities of classroom life and the rigors of the principal's job, coupled with training differences, cause each participant to view the same events differently. (MLH)

Examines how a recently developed peer observation program for principals (Peer-Assisted Leadership) is being adapted for preservice and inservice training programs across the country. Training adaptations used in preparation programs include coaching and follow-through, mentoring, and peer support, while inservice programs feature mentoring and…

Identifies and analyzes 16 factors that influenced a largely unsuccessful collaborative writing process. Uses the language theory of Mikhail Bakhtin to explain how the factors operated together as forces impelled by the social context of the process. (RS)

Investigators were surveyed on the topic of side effects coincident with baseline naturalistic observations of children. Reported side-effects usually involved exacerbation of problems already occurring. Children in clinical samples were more likely than those in naturalistic samples to display side-effects. (Author/BB)