This paper reports the preliminary findings of a study of the perspectives of four student teachers toward social studies teaching in the elementary classroom. Perspectives are defined and profiles of the student teacher observed. The study focuses on three questions: What conceptions of social studies did these student teachers hold at the start…

The research on teacher effectiveness that is reviewed in this paper focuses on teaching as behaving--the observable aspects of teaching--and teaching as thinking--the inner aspects of teaching. The section on teaching as behaving emphasizes the encouraging results of direct instruction (academically focused, teacher-directed classrooms using…

In fiscal 1973, Ohio elected to concentrate training for staff in adult basic education (ABE) in eight cities. A review of records indicated that 143 ABE teachers in 5 of those cities attended 1 to 4 workshops that year. This study sought to answer three questions about these teachers: their long-term (7 years or more) retention in adult…

This is a report of a case study, in the anthropological tradition, of an elementary school with a bilingual-bicultural program. The research was carried out in 1978. The school is in a community of 45,000 located close to the California-Mexican border. Eighty-seven percent of the pupil population are of Hispanic background, 10 percent are Anglo,…

The Classroom Interaction Analysis Index (CIAI) was developed to categorize the actions of teachers and students as they interact in classroom situations. The CIAI rating system is easy to learn and easy to use. Experience has shown that the average teacher or supervisor can use it effectively after three or four one-hour sessions. The purpose of…

An exploratory study was conducted to identify the characteristics and behaviors related to effective instruction in an urban community college. The 30 instructors selected for the study taught introductory courses in biology, English, mathematics, or social sciences at the City Colleges of Chicago. All had exceptionally high levels of student…

The physical and emotional manifestations of burnout are described. A five-phase model is outlined for preventing extensive stress leading to teacher burnout. Phase One is predicated upon the notion that a professional cannot manage stress without the ability to identify it. Descriptions are given of the signs of physiological, psychological, and…

Nine primary teachers were interviewed to determine whether their reading beliefs for their classrooms differed from beliefs they might have had if they were teaching either an upper elementary grade or a classroom of students from a socioeconomic (SES) background different from their present classrooms. The teachers stated their beliefs for five…

This series, designed for use in inservice teacher workshops, addresses the question, "How do children and teachers use language to get things done?" The transcribed classroom discourse presented and discussed in each volume illustrates functional language in a real context based on the videotaping of undoctored classroom events from…

A study was designed to evaluate whether congruency or incongruency between a teacher's intended discovery/inquiry laboratory instructional strategy and his/her actual behaviors used to implement that strategy had an effect on higher level learning by students. Also assessed was whether student performance on science projects can be an effective…

This paper reports on approaches shown to be successful in preventing and dealing with disruptive behavior in the classroom. The studies on preventing classroom disruptions state that the best prevention is effective instruction, achieved through lending increased importance to teacher preparation programs that emphasize teaching content,…

Teacher effectiveness research has used changing criteria over the years in assessing and evaluating teacher performance and its effect on student achievement. Early researchers accepted the idea that there should be a relationship between the personality or traits of the teacher and student outcomes. Lists of characteristics of superior teachers…

This kit has been designed by teachers at the Atlanta Area Center for Teachers (Georgia) to offer beginning teachers support and suggestions as they begin the challenge of their first year of teaching. Because most new teachers in Georgia must participate in Competency Based Teacher Performance Certification, this package has been sequenced…

An experienced second grade teacher participated in three two-hour planning sessions in which she planned for the course of instruction for the school year in mathematics, science, and writing. The teacher "thought aloud" as she planned, and two researchers present took written notes. In general, her yearly planning was aimed at setting…