This paper argues that the teacher should be understood as a gatekeeper for curriculum and instruction in social studies, and that gatekeeping is a product of the frame of reference the teacher brings to it. The teacher plays the primary structuring role in the social studies classroom and, regardless of the official curriculum, constructs the…

This report introduces a yearlong teacher research project, planned and implemented by a group of high school English teachers from districts in and around Albany, New York, which resulted in six reports that serve as "portraits" of high school literature classrooms. The question directing the research was: how do the "best"…

Research findings on effective teaching are being used to identify potential "master teachers." This paper discusses six problem areas with respect to using research results in this manner. The first problem area is the question of whether the concept of "master" is necessarily implied by the concept of "effectiveness." In effect, does knowledge…

The role of personality make-up of those involved in problem solving, conflict resolution, classroom management, and school discipline is discussed. Three studies are presented which demonstrated personal characteristics which may appear to invite, or provide opportunity for, antisocial behavior. In the first study, psychological profiles were…

This review of the literature on anxiety, stress, and their relationship to the concept of burnout among classroom teachers considers six major areas: (1) definitions of anxiety, stress, and burnout; (2) the major findings of research which demonstrate the prevalence of anxiety, stress, and burnout in classroom teachers; (3) the major findings of…

Since 1981 the Teacher Explanation Project has conducted a series of studies to determine whether teachers who provide explicit explanations about how to use reading skills as strategies to low-group readers will be more effective in developing student awareness of how to be strategic and in improving student reading achievement. Because all the…

Based on the belief that positive physical teacher/learner interaction in the form of touch or closeness is a natural expression of humanness and an appropriate demonstration of a teacher's acceptance, caring, and concern for the wellness of students, this essay seeks to provide a clear theoretical framework from which to view the importance of…

Listening has been shown to be critical to educational, social, and professional success and teaching is a profession requiring mastery level skill. This can be aided by teacher educational curriculum which includes communication studies in general and listening in particular, and by using communication specialists as consultants and inservice…

This paper presents a conceptual model for guiding research on homework. Based on elements derived from a review of 26 recent U.S. and international empirical studies of homework, the model emphasizes the need to consider many variables in order to reach an understanding of the design and conduct of homework assignments, homework completion, and…

The relationship between expert teachers' classroom behavior and their subject matter knowledge is an area of research that has not been examined extensively. To begin that study, one topic, fraction knowledge, was explored in depth as it occurred in natural teaching settings. Fractions are one of the more difficult topics in elementary…

A model of in-class and out-of-class learning in higher education is discussed, and the literature related to out-of-class factors and time factors in teaching-learning is reviewed. Three related models of school learning are briefly reviewed. John Carroll's model (1963) proposes that the degree of student learning is determined by the time needed…

This paper explores some of the work that has been occasioned by the writings of D.A. Schon on the development of professional knowledge by teachers. The paper has four sections. The first is a sketch of one interpretation of Schon's theoretical approach. The second examines selected appraisals of the more general features of Schon's work. The…

The Teaching Behaviors Questionnaire (TBQ) was developed to inventory attitudes regarding research-based effective teaching behaviors. A ranking format was pilot tested before the final version, a Likert-type scale, was adopted. The final version of the instrument was pilot tested and used in two studies. A sample (N=500) containing teachers,…

The purpose of this study was to develop scoring categories to assess differences in how teachers describe their communication patterns with students, focusing on teachers' understandings rather than on their behavior. Case study data was used to look at differences in teachers' responsiveness to students in their classrooms. Data came from three…