The purpose of this study was to better understand teachers' perceptions of collaborative learning and to explicate how they use computer activities to promote cooperative learning experiences. Based on questionnaire responses and group meetings, the Office of Research, Evaluation, and Assessment (OREA) identified seven New York City teachers of…

This study examined how first-year law students developed a civil rights case using an open-ended interactive videodisk ("Litigation Strategies"), which uses a visual and textual database to complement the traditional curriculum by simulating the experience of a junior partner in a law firm. An implementation and formative evaluation…

In socio-cultural field studies the professional investigator encounters problems which raise questions about the researcher's role and influence in the field. A study investigating how a lower and lower-middle class suburban socio-cultural society and an art teacher influence high school students' assumptions about art, also examines the…

Girls tend, far less than boys, to opt for science or technical subjects in upper secondary school and higher education. A plan to study females' experiences, ideas, and attitudes to science and technology is reviewed in this report. The study's intent is to follow two groups of Swedish students from the beginning of grade 7 to their choice of…

Following a brief overview of literature on excellence in the classroom, the shortcomings of objective tests as means for evaluating classroom excellence are discussed as well as the need for evaluation alternatives. Descriptions are given of evaluation alternatives, some of which focus upon reading and writing achievement: (1) observation of…

The Eco-Behavioral System for the Complex Assessment of Preschool Environments (ESCAPE) has been developed for the evaluation of preschool environments by way of the interactions of students with such aspects of the classroom ecology as activities, materials, and grouping configurations, as well as teacher behaviors. The system follows a momentary…

The major underlying assumptions of the Peer-Centered Coaching Model are that teachers are experts with respect to instruction and, because they believe that they can help each other with classroom problems better than help can be given from other sources, they trust each others' advice. The fundamental element of this coaching model is the use of…

This paper proposes a new way of thinking about teacher supervision that takes into account the everyday experience of the teacher in the classroom. The paper suggests eliminating old habits of thought by using new language with new connotations--instead of "supervision," the new approach is called "professional development." Professional…

The maternal affective environment to which children are exposed, conceptualized by (1) percentage of total emotional displays (happy, sad, angry, tense, or tender) and (2) global indices of current maternal psychosocial functioning, is likely to be related to children's expression of emotions and overall social-emotional competence. Thus,…

Forms used for evaluating teachers from every geographic area to the United States were examined to determine common characteristics. Thirty of 75 forms received from school districts (local educational agencies) were analyzed. A synthesis of evaluation schemes across the country includes certain characteristics: (1) each teacher must have a…

This pamphlet maintains that genuine discussions require a different agenda and teacher approach from other types of classroom sessions, and uses actual classroom transcripts as evidence and illustration. The first section, "Discussion as a Special Event," analyzes the patterns of common classroom interactions, finding a formal and…

Research studies on group versus individual bystander responses either have involved nonviolent emergencies or laboratory simulations. To investigate group versus individual bystander response to a violent assualt in a natural setting, 80 male college students (from an original pool of 393 white, male students) were observed either individually or…

This paper outlines considerations exploring the potential contribution of philosophic positions to the study of educational administration under three broad areas. The first is the ideas and methods of educational administration. Arguing that a variety of perspectives and approaches is needed, the paper discusses general philosophic theories and…

A comparison is made between the tools of observation and research used by journalists to study society and the media, and the qualitative and clinical research tools used in the social and psychological sciences. The first part of the paper, a journalistic approach to sociology, traces the notion of the sociologist as a super-reporter using…

Performance assessment (observational assessment) can be an effective alternative to traditional paper and pencil tests when measuring academic achievement. Benefits of performance tests include: (1) testing knowledge synthesis rather than just knowlege acquisition; (2) allowing for diagnosis of individual needs and an immediate adjustment of…