Informal and formal observations of a second grade classroom of 25 students indicated that students did not remain on task for any substantial length of time when given an assignment, had poor work habits, and were lacking in discipline. The classroom teacher spent most of her time disciplining students in a negative manner for lack of on-task…

The research described in this paper was designed to assess how evaluative data were used in instructional decision making in the Portland (Oregon) Public Schools. Using the Level of Use of an Innovation (LoU) interview, a component of the Concerns-Based Adoption Model (CBAM), along with data from the Portland Achievement Levels Test (PALT), the…

The Partners in Elementary Science (PIES) program of the National Science Foundation (NSF) is a model Teacher Enhancement project. Its goal was to develop and test a program to help elementary teachers strengthen their science teaching by addressing areas of need, specifically teachers' confidence in teaching inquiry science and helping teachers…

Evaluation of the professional role of teacher specialists in New York City (New York) Teacher Centers was conducted through use of an innovative case study approach. Three research/evaluation questions were considered: (1) what services were being delivered? (2) what impact these services have at individual teacher, school, and…

There are four reasons why comparative data is needed for student ratings of faculty performance: (1) the considerable inflation of student ratings; (2) the great variability in the way students rate different items; (3) because student rating systems must be flexible and comparable; and (4) because of factors (such as student motivation, class…

The aims of this symposium are to examine and discuss critically the findings of a major survey of practices in instructional supervision. Data from over 1,000 teachers and their supervisors in central Pennsylvania were compiled, and findings are reported in four sections. The first section is an introduction focusing on the theoretical…

Summarizes two examples of cooperative activities developed in Australia between teachers and teachers and other professionals. Discusses what has been learned from the examples. (YP)

This paper reports on the outcomes of an ongoing action research project with elementary teachers who are attempting to bring a science emphasis to their teaching and in which preservice teachers are matched with inservice teachers who are interested in improving their practice through a focus on science. The project is a modified version of a…

Investigates the effects of a pre-service training course for secondary education teachers in the Netherlands. The training course featured two direct instructional models: executive acting, directed at well-structured skills, and strategic acting, directed at higher-level thinking strategies. Observation revealed significantly more effective…

Describes a cooperative effort between a university school of education faculty and a local high school in Canada. The professor agreed to teach two units of a social studies class and share her impressions, thoughts, and suggestions with the teaching staff. Discusses her findings, interactions with the staff, and subsequent developments. (MJP)

Reports on a study of the effects of competency-based self- analysis of videotaped rehearsals by inservice music teachers. Examines the patterns of task presentation, student response, and immediate teacher feedback. Finds that research-based teaching techniques significantly increased teacher use of complete sequential patterns. (CFR)

The Computerized Observation System (COS) is a software program which an observer can use with a portable microcomputer to document preservice and inservice teacher performance. Specific observable behavior such as appropriate questions and responses shown to increase student achievement are recorded as Low Inference Observation Measures. Time on…

The effects of instructional guides and wait-time feedback upon the classroom interaction of 40 middle school science teachers were investigated in a prior study. The experimental nature of that study produced an artificial situation involving little personal contact between teacher-participants and the research staff. Therefore, a subsample of 10…

This study examined impact of a staff development program on increasing the accuracy of teachers' self-evaluation of classroom performance. Teachers were provided with specific formal feedback through a program called The Effective Use of Time Program (EUOT). The program had four components: (1) observation in the classroom and feedback about…

Energy issues have been the focus of scientists, science educators, politicians, historians, sociologists, and economists since the increase in fuel costs, passing of federal regulations on oil prices, changes in automobile standards, and increase in conservation measures. Many feel that educators have the responsibility of designing energy…