Observational methods are increasingly being used in classrooms to evaluate the quality of teaching. Operational procedures for observing teachers are somewhat arbitrary in existing measures and vary across different instruments. To study the effect of different observation procedures on score reliability and validity, we conducted an experimental…

High-quality measures of instructional practice are essential for research and evaluation of innovative instructional policies and programs, as well as for providing feedback to teachers and administrators. In this study, the authors examined whether using anchoring vignettes in web-based surveys improved the validity of teachers' self-assessments…

It is widely known that the use of visual technology enhances learning by providing a better understanding of the topic as well as motivating students. If all visual-based learning materials (tables, figures, photos, etc.) were equally effective in facilitating student achievement of all kinds of educational objectives, there would virtually be no…

This study investigated firstly the reliability and validity of an Indonesian version of the "Questionnaire on Teacher Interaction" (QTI). Second, perceptions of Indonesian secondary school teachers' interpersonal behaviour as perceived by students and teachers were studied with the QTI. Third, differences between students' and teachers'…

The study examined the impact of Teach for America (TFA) and The New Teacher Project's Teaching Fellows (TF) programs on the mathematics achievement of students in grades 6-12. TFA and TF provide alternative routes to teacher certification and aim to provide high-quality teachers to schools in low-income areas. TFA and TF were studied separately,…

Recently much have been invested in the interactive whiteboard educational technology in Turkey. The government is still wishful to spread it to schools of all levels. This study tries to understand teachers' and students' attitudes toward interactive whiteboard technology along with differences in attitudes resulting from some demographic…

The authors intended to (a) identify the association between gender or grade level and teachers' homework (HW) feedback and (b) examine the relationship between teachers' HW feedback, HW-related behaviors (e.g., amount of HW completed), and academic achievement. Four hundred fifty-four students (Grades 5-12) participated in this study. The results…

Learning materials incorporating written texts as well as instructional pictures are the basis for learning in many subjects. However, text-picture integration makes high cognitive demands of learners, and it seems plausible that the development of this competence is influenced by teachers' instructional skills. The present studies investigated…

The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of a teacher professional development program on the classroom teaching practices of the participants. This particular professional development program included an intensive summer institute, 8 monthly follow-up sessions, informal participant-professor mentoring and peer networking. The majority…

Objective: To consider the short- and medium-term impact of a school-based exhibition of prevention materials designed by adolescents in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) knowledge and attitudes and in the school's involvement in health education. Design: Mixed-methodology that combines quantitative and…

Throughout the history of education, it has been noted that teachers are influential people in lives of children (Applegate & Applegate, 2004; Daisey, 2010; Gambrell, 1996; Ruddell, 1995). Children spend one-third (or more) of the day with teachers; and as they enter into adolescence, children come in contact with more and more teachers during…

The assistant principal is often overlooked in school leadership literature, yet in recent years has grown to be a vital part of secondary schools (Marshall & Hooley, 2006). This descriptive study seeks to expand on the work of Marshall and Hooley (2006), which serves as a primer in the study of assistant principals. In an era of increased…

This article is based on a study that documented the daily work practice of an eighth-grade mathematics teacher and her colleagues at a secondary school in Shanghai when they taught the unit on geometric proofs. Four interrelated work activities were identified to highlight a pedagogy around homework errors. They form an activity system…

In this article, the author shares how Sally Smith, founder of The Lab School of Washington, was right about her being a "history person" when she was assigned to teach Democracy at the Lab School. The author was hired to teach Democracy in 1996, after working in the Junior High for a year as an assistant teacher. Smith explained to the author…

This study examines whether teachers are able to apply the principles of autonomy support and structure support in designing digital problem based learning (PBL) tasks. We examine whether these tasks are more autonomy- and structure-supportive and whether primary and secondary school students experience greater autonomy, competence, and motivation…