A multi-aged primary classroom environment was observed to determine (1) the degree to which teacher behaviors specified by developers of an adaptive learning environment (ALE) are actually exhibited by the teachers, (2) the nature of classroom processes and interactions between teachers and students in an ALE, and (3) the extent to which contextual variables alter teacher behavior. Forty-six five to eight year old students in an instructional program of prescriptive and exploratory components were observed, along with their two head teachers and one instructional aide. Two preplanned observation schedules were used to record frequencies of observed student and teacher behaviors in the ALE over a six-week period. Observational data provided explicit information about the nature and patterns of teacher functions in the ALE, functions that may be divided into consultative and management facets. Analyses of teacher behavior patterns, instructional climate based on these behaviors, student behavior patterns and their relationship to classroom processes, and patterns of teacher interaction with students of different characteristics were undertaken. The analyses indicated that teachers do direct the ALE to help students become self-directed and self-evaluating. The data also suggested that contextual variables, such as size of instructional group and subject matter, do affect the teaching patterns and teacher pupil interaction. (MJB)