This article explores two issues in conducting qualitative research: (1) the essentials of data collection, and (2) the unique role of the researcher in the data collection process. The author's own research study on use of health and medical information by various members of a classroom team for special education students is used to illustrate…

Problems associated with combining observations taken from intact classrooms were examined. Clarification of basic entities to be studied was a critical step in research planning. Classroom observers usually study instructional arrangements and other classroom phenomena. The author used activity structure and its component activity segments as the…

The multiple use of several classroom observation instruments was investigated to determine its influence upon the way an observer records behavior, since such an influence may cause discrepancies in findings between studies. Twenty-four volunteer students were divided into three groups and trained to use one or more of three classroom observation…

This paper addresses issues surrounding attempts to describe instructional practices and learning opportunities. It draws from the data and experiences of researchers associated with the Reform Up Close (RUC) Study conducted by the Consortium for Policy Research in Education (CPRE) for the National Science Foundation. The paper focuses on the…

To assess the condition of American education in the next decade, the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) should focus on collecting data in the following major areas: (1) the quality and quantity of time that is allocated to various activities in the classroom; (2) the concerns of teachers, including their working conditions and time…

A technique for large-scale research in which researchers at different sites study the same problem in the same way at the same time is described. This "simultaneous replication" enhances the credibility of the replication process by eliminating variations in the use of time that can contaminate research results. A total of 144…

Two major areas are recommended in the redesign of the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) data collection: assessment of social and communicative competence, and description of classroom processes. Social and communicative competence are important achievements of the school-age years and are heavily influenced by classroom…

A model is presented for studying how schools provide instruction to students. A major function of the National Center for Education Statistics is to collect data for understanding and improving how schools provide instruction. The model describes school factors (characteristics, staffing, organization, policy, and student evaluation); classroom…

A system for effective collection of classroom observation data from teachers in schools was developed. Drawing on the Flanders Interaction Analysis System, a procedure for coding classroom interaction into 10 categories, a system was developed to collect direct observation data with microcomputers. Software was prepared for Tandy computers. Field…

Outlines efforts of the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) to improve the collection and analysis of data relevant to classroom instructional processes. These include (1) the inclusion of videotaping in studies of classroom methods; (2) improved surveys of instructional practices; and (3) studies of daily instructional logs kept by…

The teaching profession's present notion of the ability of teachers to contribute to theory development in language education needs reexamination. University researchers can best foster this ability by encouraging and assisting teachers to become engaged in classroom research. On the basis of both published evidence and field data, it can be…

Based on the Kellian view of constructive alternativism (that the meanings of any idea are not fixed, but vary from individual to individual), this paper describes a technique for exploring school children's conceptions of common physical phenomena to allow science educators (1) to appreciate the alternative conceptions of their students and (2)…

One of the new measures developed as part of the Apple Classrooms of Tomorrow (ACOT) program is described. The ACOT project examines the impact of access to educational technology on the kindergarten through grade 12 classroom environments. The new measure is a technology-based classroom observation instrument for documenting the impact of…

Video and electronic media have the potential to bridge the gap between classroom research and practice by providing rich and detailed data for grounded discussions about teaching and learning. Describes attempts to use digital video technologies to increase collaboration between researchers and practitioners. (WRM)

Designed to assist the observer in the understanding of the Group Reading Interaction Pattern Observation Instrument (GRIP) training manual, this programmed review contains a series of coding activities provided for the purpose of determining if each observer can differentiate between the categories and subcategories of the instrument as well as…