Teacher performance areas, criteria for evaluating them, and response modes (checklists for rating teacher performance) are supplied in this document, a prototype developed for the School Improvement Model (SIM) project. Teacher performance areas selected for evaluation include productive teaching techniques; organized, structured class…

Three studies are presented on the subject of factors considered important by teachers as they make decisions about curriculum. For the first study, information was gathered from a sample of 93 elementary and secondary school teachers. Respondents completed a questionnaire which contained a list of influences on curriculum decisions. Teachers…

A discussion of how teachers perceive students and interact with them points out that one characteristic of an effective teacher is a high level of interactive skills. Selected teacher behaviors which enhance the quality of teacher-student contacts are discussed. It is emphasized that modeling desirable behavior is a primary responsibility for…

Five elements of teaching style which are directly related to effective learning patterns are identified: (1) warmth--monitoring seatwork, communicating awareness of behavior, providing individual assistance; (2) cognitive organization--feedback, fast-paced activities, variety of learning drills; (3) orderliness--rules, smooth transitions,…

This review of current research on teaching focuses upon studies of teaching behaviors and their relationship to student performance. In considering research on classroom climate, examples are presented of studies which used the Flanders Interaction Analysis System (FIAC) to investigate relationships among student achievement and teacher-initiated…

This publication reviews research findings related to the verbal questioning behaviors and practices of teachers. It emphasizes current research related to the impact of questioning practices on student thinking, achievement, and attitudes. This includes questioning techniques and strategies and approaches to analyzing classroom questions. A list…

Literature and research studies concerning self-fulfilling prophecy effects are reviewed in this document. Works concerning the Pygmalion Controversy, the existence of self-fulfilling prophecy effects of teacher expectations, and the strength and reality of these effects are cited. The document's sections discuss the effects of teacher…

The influence of students' behavioral definitions on subsequent teacher behaviors was investigated with a simulation which allowed teachers using a microcomputer and video display terminal to verbally interact with four simulated students programmed to vary on knowledge and initiative. These "students," in turn, responded to teacher…

A study examined the effects of three types of teacher questions (literal, interpretive, applied) on: (1) frequency, length, and quality of student response; (2) classroom interaction; (3) student questions; (4) intentional and incidental learning; and (5) student attitudes. Multiple-choice formats were used to assess intentional learning, and…

Eleven female students, in a graduate education course entitled "Mental Health and Human Interaction," participated in a single 24-hour sensitivity training group and were studied to identify personality changes resulting from the session. During the marathon session, an aura of warmth, acceptance, and security was maintained, creating an open…

The study reported in this monograph represents two years of data collection designed to explore the social meaning of language in naturalistic classroom settings. The first part of the book presents the framework within which the study was carried out. The first chapter explicates the framework provided by prior research on classroom language,…

This paper reviews significant literature on teachers' beliefs, offers support for the contention that current research is moving in a more utilitarian direction than in the past, and argues that continuing research into teachers' beliefs could be useful in improving teaching practice. The review focuses on five areas: (1) the different ways that…

This survey of Montgomery County (Maryland) Public Schools was done to answer the following four questions about student discipline: (1) To what extent is student discipline perceived to be a problem? (2) What are the perceived causes of student behavioral and discipline problems? (3) How are the schools planning and administering discipline? and…

A study investigating the perceptions of students of English as a second language (ESL) regarding formal and informal speech in English also looked at their implications for teaching ESL. It was proposed that because the manner of speech a teacher uses may influence the students' ability to acquire the material presented, it may be helpful to…

Learning style based education (LSBE) is an instructional approach which forms the basis for a new teaching technique, learning style informed instruction (LSII). LSBE is a special form of individualized instruction in which the instructional decisions teachers make about specific students are heavily influenced by knowledge of the characteristic…