In recent years, numerous studies have been conducted on language teachers' beliefs about language assessment; however, teachers' collaborative discussion as a mediational tool has received scant attention. The present study aimed to investigate non-native language teachers' beliefs about classroom language assessment regarding features of…

This study examined the attitudes, knowledge bases, and practices of 20 cooperating teachers and 20 student teachers regarding evaluation of pupil progress. Teachers often wrestled with balancing district demands for grading with pupil needs for affirmation and guidance. The complexity of the process and implications for teacher educators are…

The first chapter of this monograph sets forth the central purpose of the reported study: "Why do teachers prefer to use particular practices in student evaluation?" Chapter two explores the question: "How should evaluation influence the learning of each student?" and defines three specific issues, quotes what some teachers say…

This study investigated the importance and meaning of the role of observation in teachers' assessment of student achievement. Seven questions were used as a guide by the researchers: 1) What do teachers mean when they rate observation as their most important source of information for assessing student achievement? 2) What role do teachers'…

Teachers rated the behavior of 205 3rd- and 4th-grade children on a 30-item scale. Correlations of factor scores with measures of academic achievement, creativity, inquiry skill, and various orientations, motives, attitudes, and values were investigated. Correlations suggest that teachers can validly discriminate between perseverant and…

Teachers evaluated taped speech samples of middle and lower socioeconomic status (SES) black and white children. Adequacy of task performance was equivalent for all groups, although speech patterns varied as a function of race and social class. White middle SES children were rated and ranked more positively than their counterparts. (Author/CP)

In a study of the relation between teachers' perceptions of children's compliance to them and their evaluations of the children's intelligence, only IQ and age significantly predicted teachers' evaluations of boys' competence. Age, compliance to teachers, and problem-solving scores predicted evaluations of girls' intellectual competence,…

Addresses teachers' frustration in reconciling appropriate education for young children with the practice of grading to assess and report progress, contending that research on unreliability in grading and the efforts of committed parents and professionals are necessary to change the practice. Summarizes research suggesting that grading is…

Based on the experiences of the Neshaminy School District (Pennsylvania) in developing and providing inservice training for regular and special education teachers involved with mainstreaming gifted and handicapped children, the manual presents a general guide for setting up and providing specific materials and activities for mainstreaming…

The purpose of this study was to determine the incidence of behavior disordered children in selected elementary classrooms as perceived by the regular classroom teacher. Two hundred four elementary teachers categorized students according to their perceptions of the students' needs for special services. The categories were defined as mild,…

In the context of a project implementing Belgian observation and assessment scales in German kindergartens, a study examined German practitioners' attitudes toward systematic observation of children. The most significant overall finding was the low priority attributed to systematic observation in teacher training and practice. These findings are…

This paper is part of a series of studies about the nature of expertise in teaching and the cognitions of effective teachers. A summary offered of psychological research on the nature of expertise indicates that experts often know more, in a more elaborate way, about the subject than novices and organize knowledge in a different fashion. It is…

This study consisted of a survey of 31 professional educators to determine their knowledge and attitudes concerning the use of portfolios as an assessment tool. Of the 31 surveys that were mailed to the subjects, 29 were returned, with a response rate of 94 percent. Out of the 29 professionals that were surveyed, only six had implemented the use…

This study reported a number of differences between kindergarten children perceived by their teachers to be "thriving,""average," or "not as yet thriving." Subjects were 340 4- and 5-year-old children from 59 kindergarten classrooms. Results indicated that the three groups of children differed in a wide range of…