Reported are results of a study designed to determine the experimental effect of three low-inference teacher clarity variables on student achievement in science. College students (N=41) were randomly assigned to one of two groups defined by the teacher's clarity in the lesson, i.e., high clarity versus low clarity. After a lesson in basic genetics…

This paper examines the nature and degree of participation by sociologists associated with smaller colleges in the United States in professional sociology organizations. The objective is to encourage these sociologists to become more active in their professional organizations. Professional participation is interpreted to include research…

A review of current educational literature identifies three different approaches to defining, describing, and applying the term "teacher development." One application of the term deals with the commonly experienced changes most teachers undergo. Teachers develop through the stages of survival, consolidation, renewal, and maturity. The second…

A list of 28 general teaching skills was given to 74 elementary teachers, who were asked to select what they considered the ten most important skills for teaching elementary reading. Based on the frequency of responses, tbe most important teaching skills, in rank order, were the following: (1) using informal observations of student work for…

RESEARCH STUDIES CONCERNED WITH THE APPROPRIATENESS AND EFFECTIVE UTILIZATION OF BIOLOGICAL SCIENCE CURRICULUM STUDY (BSCS) MATERIALS ARE DESCRIBED IN THIS NEWSLETTER. BSCS TESTS WERE ANALYZED AND RELATED TO OTHER TESTING INSTRUMENTS USED IN CONNECTION WITH THE BSCS PROGRAMS. DATA COLLECTED FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF TEST NORMS WERE ALSO USED IN A…

THIS DOCUMENT IS INTENDED PRIMARILY FOR TEACHERS OF PSYCHOLOGY AND EDUCATION IN TEACHER TRAINING CENTERS, RESEARCHERS, AND EDUCATORS INTERESTED IN THE EFFECTIVE USE OF AUDIOVISUAL AIDS. NEW TYPES OF PUPIL AND TEACHER BEHAVIOR IN RESPONSE TO NEW AUDIOVISUAL TECHNIQUES ARE EXAMINED. ONLY TECHNIQUES CONSTANTLY AT THE DISPOSAL OF THE CLASSROOM TEACHER…

This paper examines the effect of a teacher's management and turn-allocation acts on student performance during reading group lessons in a first grade classroom. The class was observed and videotaped for a year, and interviews were conducted with both teacher and students. The study focuses specifically on cases where management, turn-allocation,…

From 1976 through 1979, Shelby County, Tennessee, schools participated in a Right to Read Special Emphasis project. An experimental and a control school were used, in which more than 50% of the pupils read one or more grades below level. The project included the use of reading specialists, a structured reading system (DISTAR), a summer reading…

Through oral languaging children learn to share ideas, to shape ideas, to structure thought, and to develop thinking skills. In order to plan appropriate and effective oral communication environments, teachers need to be aware of the factors that shape and influence communication environments or situations. There are three scales or continua of…

This paper describes writing as an exploration through unknown terrain by which student writers find out what they are really thinking. It offers teachers the following ground rules to help the difficult process whenever their students are writing in any subject: (1) do not ask students to regurgitate what they already know; (2) give students time…

This paper reports on more than five years of research on teachers who were engaged in or associated with the process of working on educational change. During this period many variables that may influence individual teacher decisions regarding change were studied. This paper reports findings regarding the apparent influence of these variables on…

Previous research has shown that teachers' sense of efficacy is an important presage variable associated with student achievement. Stereotypes evolving from this research include both positive and negative correlations between teacher perception of effectiveness and teaching experience. This research examines the relationship between years of…

A description is given of three studies on the effects of teacher clarity upon student achievement. Three low inference variables of teacher clarity--vagueness terms, mazes, and additional unexplained content--were selected for study. Vagueness terms are words or phrases indicating approximation, unclarity, or lack of assurance. A maze is defined…

Data is reported on observations made in high and low socioeconomic status (SES) classrooms of second- and third-grade teachers' feedback to students on their replies to questions posed by the teacher. Teachers in the study were chosen due to consistent effectiveness in producing student achievement gains. Interactions (teacher's question, pupil's…

Classroom process data indicate that teacher praise cannot be equated with reinforcement. Often it is not even intended as reinforcement, and when it is, it frequently has some other function. The meanings and functions of behaviors typically included under the category of teacher praise are determined by the degree of congruence between verbal…