Examined management behaviors of junior high science teachers (N=16) and the relationship to task involvement of students operating in small group laboratory settings. Results of 91 observations indicate that teacher behavior was directed in three ways: whole class, small groups, and nonclass related. Implications for science instruction are…

Discusses a study of the characteristics and behaviors of exceptionally effective urban community college teachers which used in-depth interviews with 28 college faculty identified as exemplary teachers. Shows that respondents shared many common teaching characteristics and instructional practices, but few common personal characteristics. (AYC)

Twelve points are given for teachers to consider as they strive for continued professional development. (MNS)

Research in two low-inference teacher clarity variables, vagueness terms and mazes, and their relation to effectiveness in teaching college students is reviewed. Vagueness terms and mazes appear to be generalizable to most classrooms and to be important factors that affect student performance. (MLW)

Discussing research on the effects of developmental differences, task characteristics, teacher feedback, and classroom management and organization on children's perceptions of their abilities, this article speculates on whether and how these perceptions influence children's behavior. (Implications of this research for classroom practice are also…

Examines elementary-school students' perceptions of teacher praise in relation to their classroom's social and academic status, participation in class discussions, and ethnicity. (MP)

The Beginning Teacher Evaluation Study, using a behavioral approach, sought to identify classroom conditions and activities that foster student learning. A study that focuses on both affective and cognitive variables of the teaching-learning process is also needed. (CJ)

A review of recent curricular research presents studies in the areas of: (1) psychological and epistemological foundations; (2) new developments (content of instruction, cognitive processing, and methodological re-direction); and (3) exemplary research programs on teacher behavior, pupils' prior conceptions in learning, and probelm solving. (CJ)

Science achievement was found to be significantly related to teacher variables and pupil engagement when teacher waiting time (TWT) and question quality were manipulated. Pupil attending and generalizing were enhanced by a mean TWT of 3 seconds when questions were relevant, clear, and at varied cognitive levels. (Author/CM)

This article examines ways in which attempts to establish objective standards in teacher education can prohibit the development of open-mindedness, a quality that enables teachers to be creative, spontaneous, and flexible enough to respond to needed changes. Possibilities for reconciling the need for standards with open-mindedness are explored.…

Curriculum guides can effectively guide practice if the guide writer pays attention to the context in which teachers work and to the language that teachers use in that context. Problems encountered by a curriculum project illustrate what happens in practice when guide writers fail to appreciate teachers' objectives. (RM)

The relationship between sociopsychological climate structures and teacher-bias expectancy for groups of students differentiated on the basis of race and ability was assessed by The Classroom Environment Scale. Results indicated an overall pattern that teachers expect different students to need different sociopsychological climates. (PN)

Retreating is a behavior which occurs when a teacher issues a directive intended to influence student behavior, and the students ignore the teacher in such a way as to let it be known that she/he has not influenced their behavior. Discusses this behavior and offers six rules useful in avoiding retreating. (Author/JN)