In order to describe the process by which teachers who are learning to use writing conferences move toward a more constructivist view of teaching and learning (emphasizing interaction between teacher and student, the negotiation of meaning, and the role of language in learning), a study presents three case studies. Subjects were three New York…

Numerous studies suggest that field experiences focus student attention on short-term survival strategies; they do not provide a systematic investigation of alternative theories of learning and instruction. Students attend to management techniques but do not develop a more reflective approach to instruction. If this is so, students at different…

As teacher educators have worked to encourage teachers to become more reflective, they have noted the important role school context plays in supporting or constraining reflection in action. This study describes one kindergarten teacher's experiences in two contrasting school contexts. The study documents the characteristics of leadership style and…

Classroom observation of four student teachers during the first, seventh, and fourteenth weeks of their teaching semester focused on their management of transition periods between lesson segments. Videotapes and stimulated recall analysis of the differences revealed that: (1) the most effective student teachers averaged fewer transitions per…

In response to a frequently articulated call for "ecological" validity from instructional communication investigations, this paper reports on methodological issues which evolved during the development and application of a coding scheme for content analyzing teacher compliance-gaining messages. Starting with a consideration of the…

A total of 41 preschool children, either 2 or 3 years of age, and their mothers were randomly assigned to two treatment groups: a microworld computer experience designed to teach the concept of inside/outside and an alphabet computer experience designed to drill ABC's. Videotapes of mother/child dyads were coded and scored using a revision of the…

The manual details an observational code designed to track a child during an entire day in a preschool setting. The Eco-Behavioral System for Complex Assessments of Preschool Environments (ESCAPE) encompasses assessment of the following three major categories of variables with their respective subcategories: (1) ecological variables (designated…

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect Teachers Teaching Teachers, a staff development project incorporating peer coaching methods, had on public school educators' attitudes and beliefs toward various personal and professional components. Forty-four teachers, administrators, and other school personnel participated in the Teachers…

Six high school student teachers were video-taped during the first, seventh and fourteenth weeks of their teaching semester. Pupils in these classes evaluated the personal characteristics and instructional behaviors of their student teachers. The Classroom Teacher Inventory was used to solicit pupil ratings of 15 teacher presage characteristics…

A report is given of a program that was developed to train student teachers in how to make effective decisions while they are engaged in the act of teaching. This type of thinking has been labeled "interactive decisionmaking" (IDM). As a result of the training, the beginning teachers were expected to make improvements in their classroom…

A survey of 65 principals in the Newark (New Jersey) school system elicited their perceptions of the effectiveness of the Newark Teacher Center, in terms of its value to the principals themselves as well as to the teachers. The principals were asked to indicate the degree of agreement or disagreement on 22 items. The highest agreement was with the…

To avoid "burn out" from the general tensions of the times and from the severe demands of the teaching profession, English teachers need to exploit the means of renewal. Having literature at their command, English teachers can reconstruct themselves again and again through the dynamic interplay of human imagination and language artistically…

This report describes the results of a theoretical analysis of the ideal role functions of the Computer Managed Instruction (CMI) instructor. Concepts relevant to instructor behavior are synthesized from both cognitive and operant learning theory perspectives, and the roles allocated to instructors by seven large-scale operational CMI systems are…

Consisting of references to books, chapters of books, articles, pamphlets, booklets and posters, films and filmstrips, records, audiotapes, and multi-media packages, this annotated bibliography provides access to resources for parents and Basic Educational Skills (BES) program staff in Head Start centers and elementary schools. Entries, most of…

This investigation focused on the question of the sex of the teacher and perceptions of primary school students toward school, their teachers, and programs. A review is presented of recent studies on the need and availability of male sex role symbols for boys, the effect of teachers (male or female) on students of both sexes, and the effect of…