The article provides a staff observation form for providing feedback to increase staff's differential reinforcement of incompatible behaviors in the training of appropriate leisure activities in persons with severe and profound handicaps. (DB)

Examined the stability and circumstances of helping behaviors of 51 children of 41-69 months in a preschool classroom. Frequency of helping behaviors was not correlated with age or sex and was not stable over four 10-minute observation periods. Most helping acts were performed during nonimaginary play. (RJC)

A number of scales used for classroom observation of student teachers of French are synthesized and comments made by their users are discussed. Two observation scales are proposed. (Author/MSE)

Problems associated with peer observation and evaluation of teaching are examined, and practical ways to compensate for and overcome them in order to achieve the benefits of this form of evaluation are discussed. (Author/MSE)

The Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule, a standardized protocol for observation of social and communicative behavior associated with autism, is described. Data on interrater reliability as well as test-retest reliability and discriminant validity are provided. (Author/DB)

This study observed naturalistic humor in six young children with autism and six matched children with Down's syndrome, as they interacted with their mothers. Autistic children produced and appreciated humor to a limited extent, but they produced less humor overall and less humor involving nonverbal incongruity compared to matched controls.…

This study, involving five college students observing behavior of individuals with mental retardation, found that interobserver agreement was better in the presence of certain stimuli (such as when the subject's peers were present versus when they were not). Of 10 additional variables thought to potentially affect agreement scores, 1 (can't see,…

John Burroughs was a poet-naturalist who spent most of his life during the late 1800s and early 1900s living in a rustic cabin that he built almost entirely from native materials. Burroughs suggested that becoming a good observer of nature was a function of the whole person and the power of concentrated attention, and not of the eyes alone. (LP)

Observation of 740 classes examined the experiences that students in vocational, nonvocational, and business classes are having to determine if change is desirable. Findings revealed a typical business class environment, emphasis on technical skills, and limited opportunity for interaction or focus on work-related skills. (JOW)

Using conceptual change as theoretical lens, describes the structure of (n=4) learners' conceptual ecology within biological evolution and illustrates how this ecology influences the process of conceptual change. Prior conceptions relate to evolutionary theory, scientific and religious orientations, view of biological world, and acceptance of…

Four British teachers were observed for one year teaching classes with and without an enterprise approach. They did not teach in a predominantly student-centered way in enterprise lessons, though they were less directive. Tasks in enterprise classes had minimal intellectual challenge and did not emphasize open-ended inquiry. (SK)

The growing dissatisfaction with current methods for rating affective symptoms in child and adolescent psychiatry necessitates the development of additional reliable methods of evaluating mood disorders. Reviews the limitations of self-report and interview assessment techniques as contrasted with observationally-based rating scales. (JPS)

Observers and mothers rated infant behavior in the home on dimensions of temperament once a week for eight weeks. Although week-to-week correlations were modest, aggregates of the eight observations had high reliability for both observers and mothers. When direct observations were compared with mother reports, little evidence of mother-observer…

Responses from 367 small businesses were used to formulate a four-step process audit: (1) business owner questionnaire; (2) interviews with owners and key personnel; (3) intensive observation; and (4) presentation of a detailed report. The process identifies areas of effectiveness/success and areas needing immediate or long-term action. (SK)

Observations of classroom practices of 2 teachers teaching the concept of square root in classrooms of 14- to 15-year olds found that the work that really took place in the classroom was often concentrated on different knowledge than that which the teacher wished to convey. (22 references) (MKR)