Observes and interviews a drama specialist over eight weeks with students first through fifth grades in different schools. Notes how constraints of curriculum, time, and space seem to influence how she controls activities and students. Suggests that these control issues may provide guidance for the non-drama specialist in utilizing drama as a…

Observation in 281 elementary and junior secondary classrooms and interview with teachers found large variation in communication behaviors of Botswana teachers, related to subject matter, presence of a textbook, and school size. Much class time was spent on choral recitation, which was positively related to expatriate staff and pupil persistence.…

Interviews Dr. Thomas Good, Professor of Curriculum and Instruction and Research Associate, at the Center for Research in Social Behavior at University of Missouri-Columbia, concerning his interests in the study of teacher and student classroom behavior. (MG)

Differences between male and female coaches of female high school basketball teams in five areas of coaching philosophy were examined. The coaches shared a similar philosophy on most issues, regardless of gender. Female coaches were somewhat more conventional than male coaches of female teams. (JD)

Comparative research on teachers' perspectives and classroom behavior must focus both on external systematic and institutional influences and on individual differences in teacher personality and background. One such systematic study of French and English elementary school teachers identified "meta-national" similarities and international, local,…

Examines high schools teachers' humor in the classroom. Finds that high school teachers generally use less humor than college teachers, perceive college-teacher humor as more appropriate, and use it as a learning facilitator rather than a learning strategy. Presents a 20-item classification scheme of teacher humor. (SR)

Shares the author's transition from traditional reading instruction to a whole-language approach. Discusses journal writing and dramatization as two effective teaching strategies. (MG)

Ethical issues related to computer use on college campuses are of increasing concern, and some are studying them for possible solutions. Issues include copyright of instructional and other computer materials, rude and threatening messages on computer communication networks, and teacher behavior as a model for students. (MSE)

Reports a study that identified the dimensional structure of mentoring and other support behaviors that occur among adults in elementary schools. A questionnaire about support relationships completed by 488 elementary teachers found 6 factors that were dimensions of support: mentoring, supporting, collaborating, career strategizing, supervising,…

When a school-university collaboration gave them the opportunity for school-based restructuring, inner-city elementary teachers pursued new teaching practices; assumed responsibility for professional development; examined their practice and supported it with documentation; developed direction and commitment to mutually determined school goals; and…

Observes three classrooms to describe several useful instructional practices for effective reading instruction for students of English as a Second Language. (SR)

Examines teacher-child interactions in a Reading Recovery program. Finds that teachers with higher student outcomes provided a consistent balance between attention to text-level strategies and letter- or word-level strategies; helped students analyze words using larger chunks of information; and were more specific, more attentive to…

Describes an English-teacher educator's teaching/learning process that honors the voices of the students and builds on their needs and questions. Describes how she combines reflection on her teaching with "refraction": finding a new view on teaching using the oblique light from students' responses from their various dialogs. Includes responses…

Finds that a high humor orientation (HO) was associated with increased undergraduate student perceptions of learning; and that high HO students reported learning more with a high HO teacher. Examines perceived teacher humor orientation in relation to nonverbal immediacy and socio-communicative style. (SR)

Inquires into the pre-trip preparation and interaction between elementary teachers and students during a field trip to a discovery center of natural history. Reports that teachers did not specifically prepare students for their visit to the center and many teachers exhibited formal school behaviors in this informal environment. (Author/CCM)