A study of teachers in rural eastern Kentucky compared the attitudes of smokers and nonsmokers toward: (1) the impact of smoking on health; (2) adequacy of smoking education and school regulations; and (3) usefulness of sources of information about the risks of smoking. Teachers who smoked viewed smoking as less hazardous than did nonsmokers. (PP)

Investigates relationship between degree of dogmatism of 200 students from 4 Israeli teacher training programs and their behavior in educational situations and simulated situations involving discipline, program planning, and educational goals. Discusses differential perception and implementation of teaching programs by teachers of differing…

The author argues that, in many ways, the student teaching experience may not adequately prepare novice music teachers for their first professional assignments. He suggests changes in student teacher placement procedures, advocates formal assistance for first-year teachers, and lists seven tips for beginning teachers. (SJL)

Discusses some of the better known interaction analyses for analyzing teacher behavior generally and the teaching of small groups. One particular category system is advocated and problems in using it are noted, as well as its strengths for general, nonspecialist use. Seven references are listed. (Author/CHC)

The major criticism of all research into teacher effectiveness is that results are too generalized and simplistic. The research is frequently based on perceptions of effective teaching rather than on demonstrated causes of student learning. Alternative research topics and methods are discussed. (JN)

Subjects (N=41) were randomly assigned to one of two groups defined by the teacher's clarity in a genetics lesson: low-clarity versus high-clarity. Subjects rated lesson presentation and completed a test on content. The high-clarity group perceived lessons as significantly clearer and achieved more than the low-clarity group. (DS)

This study examined differential expectancy effects as a function of teachers' susceptibility to biasing information and distinctions between positive ("Galatea effects") and negative ("Golem effects") outcomes of teacher expectancies. Patterns of differential, negative expectancy effects were evident not only in teachers'…

Writing instruction must provide structured experiences that expose students to every step in the composition process and use insights gained from current research. Teachers must themselves become writers, and concentrate on encouraging fluency rather than grammatical correctness. Strategies for training teachers are suggested, and those used in…

Numerous criticisms have been directed at the effectiveness of the American public school system. Recent research on teaching effectiveness shows that teacher behavior and teaching style make an important difference to student learning. Proponents of educational reform should use research as a base for change. (JN)

Based on research done in the past decade, the authors formulated a "schema" of teachers' judgments, planning and interactive decisions. Recommendations for future research included development of a taxonomy of critical teaching decisions, intervention, and alteration of teachers' plans and decisions to improve teaching, and implementation of…

This research was aimed at adapting the Utah State University Classroom Management Program for use in elementary mainstreaming classrooms and evaluating the program's effectiveness in changing teacher and pupil behavior. The program appears to be powerful in changing teacher behavior and an effective classroom management training tool. (Author/AL)

The developmental principles as they apply to teachers focus on variations among teachers according to developmental criteria. Orientations to teacher supervision are viewed, and clusters of supervisory behaviors are matched with stages of teacher development. (JN)

Discusses a model for analyzing whether and how a particular school policy will be implemented. The model is based on Schultze's theories concerning policy implementation in decentralized organizations, and incorporates Lortie's and Cusick's ideas concerning student and teacher rewards. (Author/JM)

This study began as an examination of the amount and scope of economics information taught in three high school history classes. Results revealed that the teachers' inflexible control of information caused students to become alienated from the classroom activities and cynical about the validity of any information conveyed there. (AM)

College students were randomly assigned to eight groups defined by the possible combinations of teacher-vagueness conditions, teacher-mazes conditions, and additional-unexplained-content conditions. The groups whose lessons contained no teacher mazes performed better on the test than the groups whose lessons contained teacher mazes. (Author/MK)