Examined one third-grade teacher's portfolio of her literacy instruction for a school year along with her reflections on how creating the portfolio influenced her teaching and thinking. Uses other teachers' self-report data to extend this teacher's reflections on the pedagogical and nonpedagogical effects of the teacher portfolio. (BB)

Results of a survey of fourth and fifth grade teachers regarding computer use are reported in the following areas: educational background and comfort level; perceptions about improving computer implementation; knowledge of the computer curriculum; instructional planning sources; and views on accountability in computer education. The questionnaire…

Many theories have been proposed to help instructional designers make instructional-strategy decisions, yet it is not clear if these theories are actually used by ID practitioners. This study used a web-survey to examine the design strategies of 113 ID practitioners. The survey asked respondents to rate how frequently they used learning or ID…

This qualitative study examined the effects of a high-stakes, standardized test on teachers' instructional planning at a rural school. The research addressed this question: How do mandated curricular standards affect teachers' instructional planning and content selection? Ethnographic interviews (Creswell, 1998) examined four secondary teachers'…

This book, designed for teachers and trainee teachers, provides an introduction to basic techniques and procedures in the classroom. The book illuminates these techniques and provides help in understanding their purpose and how they can be best used. There are chapters on essential topics such as lesson planning, lesson presentation skills,…

A review of research on teacher decision making and planning outlines findings on teachers' judgments and classification of students, development of lesson plans, and decisions made while actively involved in instruction. Findings from a major study on student teaching are discussed as they apply to teacher decision making. Because the classroom…

An evaluation of the instructional development program at the University of North Dakota (UND) over the first 2 years, and 1981-1982 (second year) expenditure data, are presented. The program, which provides resources for improved instruction and professional development of UND faculty members as teachers, involves direct service, grants, and…

The dilemmas facing urban schools can be examined on the instructional level. Low achievement of inner city students is attributable largely to educational inequities. Often the expectations and attitudes of teachers, parents, and students work in combination to yield a nonproductive learning climate. This negative climate is preserved by…

Examines how teachers from Nigerian secondary schools and teacher training colleges select instructional materials. Results of questionnaires and interviews from 89 teachers are analyzed, influences on teachers when selecting materials are described, and implications for instructional design are discussed. (22 references) (LRW)

The California History/Social Science Project is using an action research model to investigate the use of online discourse in professional development and K-12 History/Social Science classrooms. There are three goals--to investigate ways of enhancing students' historical thinking and understanding; to use technology to manifest methodologies and…

Successful integration of technology is dependent on the thoughtful plans, strategies, and provisions developed by knowledgeable educators to meet the needs of their students. Advances in technology and its increasing availability in K-12 schools make it incumbent upon administrators and teachers to make use of today's technology-related learning…

Describes how an analysis of teaching improvement grants can provide information on professors' instructional choices regarding use of technology in higher education. An analysis of over six years of award-winning innovative technology proposals emphasized the positive practices that were being proposed, the importance of situating the analysis…

To aid in instructional planning, 4,730 certificated and 3,381 classified staff members, and 20,506 parents from schools in the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) were surveyed for their opinions on the district's performance in instruction. Survey results emphasized the importance of the quality of instruction. Certificated and…

The development of a field-based approach to the validation of behavioral competencies for young children which reflect the theories of Bloom, Gagne, and Briggs is described in this paper. In Spring 1974, a list of 45 behaviors developed by the author was initially presented to the 50 faculty members of the Athens, Georgia, Child Development…

The 1974-75 school year marked the fifth year of operation for the Division of Instructional Development at Utah State University. The model for Instructional Development (ID) consists of four parts: (1) developing faculty awareness; (2) capitalizing on faculty initiative, primarily through small-scale funding under a program of minigrants; (3)…