Achieving national standards for science education for all students requires that the research agenda for inquiry-oriented instruction be well informed by current knowledge of successful and unsuccessful teaching practices in typical classrooms. Given the persistent lack of data about the nature of teacher behavior in inquiry-oriented teaching and…

This study examined the evolution of the accuracy and thoroughness of novice through expert teachers' recall of their own and their students' specific classroom behaviors. Elementary school teachers were observed teaching in a natural setting. Their classes were audiotaped, and detailed notes of the teachers' and students' specific classroom…

Teacher immediacy has been a widely studied construct with the overall finding that being immediate is good. Verbal and nonverbal immediacy has been associated with increased motivation to study and learning. The most common methodology used to measure teacher immediacy has been student reports. An underlying assumption of this methodology is that…

Through observation of teacher language responses, this study examined interaction practices that inhibited, ended, or sustained children's classroom participation. Thirty early childhood educators were observed during 105 30-minute language art classes; 998 female and 1,188 male K-4th grade students were observed. Interactions were coded into one…

A study examined when, how, and with whom literacy acquisition occurs in the school setting. The study developed an observation technique, focused on how it evolved, how it could be applied to the classroom setting, and how data from classroom observations over time can be interpreted. Subjects were 243 children deemed to be at risk of future…

A study addressed the problem of making accurate descriptions of how teachers in first-grade classrooms help their students learn to read and write. It also related the approaches to reading instruction that teachers use to their students' views of reading and their achievement at the end of first grade. For the study, information was gathered…

This leader's manual on interpersonal communications consists of materials for a workshop, including instructions for leaders and hand-outs for participants. The purpose of the workshop is to give teachers knowledge and skills of behavior applicable to: (1) face-to-face communication; (2) individual styles of communicating; (3) group and…

The English Department at Portland State University (Oregon) sponsored a roundtable discussion (revolving around classroom practice, perspectives, pedagogies, and methodologies) of public school, community college, and university English teachers in the winter of 1991 and expanded the dialogue into a focus group during the summer. A survey…

Declining school quality is one of the most serious problems facing Third World countries--particularly in Africa. Economic constraints limit opportunities to enhance teacher morale and performance even while upgrading teachers has become the central component of most efforts to reverse educational decline. While the most powerful incentives…

A study of teachers' perceptions concerning intellectual freedom and book selection and use in the elementary school is described in this paper. A questionnaire was sent to a random sample of 452 public elementary school classroom teachers in Minnesota. Surveys were completed by teachers for a response rate of 83%. Results indicated that: (1) 20%…

Presenting findings from a wide-ranging study, this book considers the present state of literature teaching in American middle and secondary schools. Probing both context and the instructional approaches, the book shows a discipline staffed by teachers better educated than their predecessors but carrying heavy class loads and isolated from current…

In an effort to demonstrate how quality literature can engage children in reflective thinking about stories, themselves, and the world, this book suggests children's literature worthy of discussion, shows how interactions work, and encourages adults to bond with children. The book begins with a chapter on how to use the book and a chapter on the…

A study examined the ways teachers and children in a preschool classroom enacted informal book-reading and other informal book-related events. Four key patterns in children's activities and teachers' curricular responses were identified: (1) children naturally selected their own "themes" for reading at the book center, and often these themes were…

A professor finds the use of stories and storytelling, whether first-hand stories or second-hand stories, whether oral stories or stories provided through media or mediated channels, to be invaluable instructional tools in his communication classes. They personalize his classes, encourage a sense of camaraderie among class members, help illustrate…

A number of research projects in the field of English education and literacy are beginning to yield findings about both instruction and achievement in a variety of circumstances. Findings across the projects point to three critical components that make a difference in student performance: connections, conversation, and exploration and analysis.…