This paper points out the value of methods that are qualitative in nature in order to collect data regarding the essence of a formalized relationship between a mentor teacher and an intern teacher. Of several cases examined during the second year (1987-88) of the New York State Mentor Teacher-Internship Program, one case is presented as an…

Ways to promote the evaluation of teaching performance by peers are considered. It is suggested that the evaluator's task be extended to include counseling and coaching the instructor being evaluated in order to help him/her overcome deficiencies in classroom performance. The counselor/evaluator should start by scheduling a short meeting with the…

Supervisors who evaluate staff members' performances often do not have first hand information concerning those performances. Consequently, the staff member is sometimes not aware of what caused a person's success or failure. In order to give constructive feedback to an employee, a supervisor or another colleague could observe the staff member at…

Surveys of teachers' use of writing in the classroom indicate that many teachers continue to use writing in a limited capacity, primarily for drill, notetaking, and evaluation. However, while these studies suggest attitudes teachers might hold, they say little about the beliefs that might underlie those attitudes. For example, the observation of…

This report explains the development of an experimental project that is one of five such projects making up the Dakota State Teacher's Assistant Series (Dakota State College, Madison, South Dakota). The projects use interactive computer-controlled video programs and involve the social sciences. The project highlighted here involves educational…

Naturalistic inquiry (based on the ethnographic research paradigm) has the potential to supplement, or possibly to replace, quantitative experimental research in education. For years most reading researchers have used the experimental research design. This design fails to tap self-concept, value systems, purpose of and attitude toward reading,…

Intended for early childhood teachers and supervisors, this booklet describes and illustrates a comprehensive recordkeeping system that is based on written observations. The full recordkeeping system includes daily classroom observational notes, monthly cumulative summaries, checklists, monthly plans, and bi-yearly progress reports. Daily notes…

This booklet focuses upon ways in which a teacher can increase the amount of time students apply themselves to learning. Methods are presented for observing how much time students actually spend learning, for identifying which students are off-task, and for selecting teaching methods to increase students' learning time. Contents include…

A report is presented of the changes and developments in the relationship between an experienced elementary school teacher and the university supervisor assigned to observe and critique his classroom performance over a period of 15 weeks. Each kept a weekly journal of private thoughts and reactions during the course of the supervision. These…

Many clinical observations of child witnesses of violence have been made, yet there has been little systematic research on the relationship between observing violence and perceived self-competence. Possible correlates of observing wife battering in the self-perceptions of young children were examined by administering the Pictorial Scale of…

Investigated sex differences in the behavior patterns of toddlers and subsequent parental reactions. Data was obtained from observations in the homes of subjects, and compared to parents' answers on a child rearing questionnaire. (DP)

This study examined program emphasis, organizational groupings of children, and roles of caregivers in 96 Get Set Day Care Centers in Philadelphia. Each of the approximately 286 classrooms participating in the study was observed for 45 minutes in the morning hours, yielding more than 3500 observations of the total program. Results showed the…

An observational instrument for physics instruction was developed and used in 126 class periods in courses taught by the lecture method and by an audio-tutorial method. Results indicate higher examination performance correlated positively with time spent stating and rephrasing problems, drawing diagrams on blackboards, and questioning or…

Children (N=408) from three experimental infant schools in Israel were observed during their free play for three consecutive weeks, using observational categories based on Parten's (1932) work. Findings based on 2,157 observations provide norms of social behavior and organization for ages five to seven, an age group which was not studied…

The author focuses on various types of nonverbal communication, reactions of both students and teachers to nonverbal communication, and techniques of developing improved communication to support openness in the classroom. An extensive literature review is presented to support the thesis that the essence of communication is nonverbal; if someone…