Teacher organization is a crucial part of classroom functioning; however, its relation to student achievement has not been investigated as extensively as that of instruction. In this study, organization is defined as the amount of time teachers spend explaining the purpose and procedures of learning activities and daily routines. Data from…

Background/Context: A common perspective found in the literature on classroom activity structures hypothesizes that a whole-class mode of instruction is linked with increased problems of achievement motivation for low-achieving students. If whole-class methods of instruction (e.g., recitation-style question-and-answer sessions) are rich in…

This study focused on examining the effect of two alternative school types on student success in Mississippi. To determine alternative school type, alternative program directors self-reported program design, and schools were divided into two groups. Type I schools were defined as "punitive-based" programs in which students receive…

Presents the negative effects the classroom, as a way of structuring education, has on teachers and students, and suggests reorganizing the schools along the lines of research hospitals. (IRT)

Specially designed materials were used for a class that combined the teaching of beginning shorthand and beginning typing in a 50-minute period. A comparison was made (1) between the typing skill of the combined class and a beginning typing class taught in the traditional manner and meeting 50 minutes daily and (2) the shorthand skill gained by…

Describes an Illinois school district's successful effort to boost its early education program by reopening an older school and putting all three-to-six year olds into smaller classes under one roof. Success came from careful planning, a close working relationship with community members, smart public relations, and a good product showing strong…

Focuses on structured interpersonal communication (group-writing assignments) as a way of increasing student achievement of business-writing skills. Studies the effect of the length of class period on student achievement when structured interpersonal communication activities are used. (CT)

A review of the literature on the relationship between ability grouping and student achievement reveals that most researchers have found that homogeneous grouping does not significantly affect achievement. A few studies attempted to relate student achievement to teacher ability and instructional strategies; however, they found no significant…

A meta-analysis of findings from 31 separate studies showed that ability grouping has significant positive effects on the academic performance of elementary school children. The benefits of grouping tended to be small in the typical study of achievement --an increase from the 50th to the 58th percentile for the typical student in a grouped class.…

Studied the existence of optimal classes (classes in which students reach maximal individual achievement with little difference in outcomes within the class) in two German samples from a reading literacy study, representing more than 270 classes of eighth graders. Findings show different proportions of optimal classes in the five basic German…

Examined the class distributional properties of 200 elementary school classes in 2 school districts. Fifty-six classes were combination classes of students from 2 grades. Principals and teachers tended to assign higher ability and more independent students to such classes, and these assignments affected the class distributional properties.…

This study examined the relationship between intensity of study (defined as more hours per week of class within a subject matter area) and student success. The researcher identified two possible methods for increasing the intensity of study: (1) Compression Hypothesis--shortening the length of terms and increasing the amount of time per week spent…

This research investigated social and academic outcomes from single-sex classrooms in a Tasmanian coeducational government primary school. Interviews, observations and surveys formed the basis of the evidence. Teachers, parents and children reported positive benefits from the class organisation, but these differed according to gender. Staff…

This synthesis offers a descriptive inventory of research studies of cooperative learning at the secondary level. While cooperative learning techniques vary, they all share an interest in finding an alternative to "frontal teaching"--the teacher instructing the whole class or individual seatwork by students. Cooperative methods allow…

Discussing research on the effects of developmental differences, task characteristics, teacher feedback, and classroom management and organization on children's perceptions of their abilities, this article speculates on whether and how these perceptions influence children's behavior. (Implications of this research for classroom practice are also…