Six fourth- and fifth-grade classrooms of children were involved in three studies undertaken to measure the effectiveness of four sets of teaching behaviors on short-term student achievement gains. The following behaviors were considered: (1) sharing instructional objectives with students; (2) providing feedback emphasizing students' abilities;…

The hypothesis that feedback in programmed instruction is an important variable in the learning of novel, but not familiar, content was investigated. A linear, constructed response program dealing with the Sabbath rituals in the synagogue was chosen due to wide variability in student familiarity with this topic. Subjects were randomly assigned to…

This study examines teachers' interactions with fourth- and fifth-grade Mexican American (n=40) and Anglo American (n=59) students who were similar in terms of socioeconomic background, level of academic achievement, and English proficiency. The relationship of these interactions to students' achievement is also examined. (PN)

A controlled study investigated the impact of systematic praise techniques on 145 sixth-grade students' self-esteem. Eighty-five students comprised the experimental group, and 60 students made up the control group. The study was initiated in order to explore the link between self-esteem and academic achievement. The attempt to increase student…

Using authentic assessment means making assessment practices match instructional practices. Biological Sciences Curriculum Study divides assessment into three categories: informal, formative, and summative. Specific strategies are provided for using each assessment type. Teachers are assessing authentically when evaluation becomes an ongoing…

Results are reported from a study which examined how achievement-related beliefs (e.g., academic self-concept, causal attributions, perceptions of teacher feedback) of fifth graders (N=192) vary as a joint function of sex, achievement level, and academic area. (IAH)

Describes study of fifth and sixth grade Jewish Israeli students that tested the hypothesis that intrinsic motivation will be differentially affected by task-involving and ego-involving evaluation. Three feedback conditions involving grades and individual comments are explained, and results are discussed in terms of student interest and…

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether there are differences between males and females on locus of control, if experimental instructions differentially affect the performance of internals as opposed to externals, and if locus of control differentially influences performance on distinct types of aptitude tests. The Children's…

This study examined the relationship between the Qualitative Measures of Teaching Performance Scale and teacher effectiveness. Nine middle school classroom teachers taught the volleyball forearm pass over eight lessons. Pretests and posttests and analysis of videotaped lessons indicated that the test was a valid measure of teacher effectiveness…

Reports on a study of the impact of individual feedback on achievement, attitudes, and behavior in cooperative learning groups on 56 8th-grade students. Finds that individual feedback was more effective than group feedback and that individual feedback resulted in more positive relationships toward others. (CFR)