Reported on is an analysis of rule systems established in successful elementary school classrooms. The report's first chapter provides an introduction to this verification inquiry, part of a larger study, Ecological Perspectives for Successful Schooling Practice. In chapter 2, the sample, methodology, and data analysis procedures used in the rules…

Attitudes towards "setting," a form of student grouping by ability, were studied in four Scottish primary schools. A slight majority of students and a slight minority of teachers preferred set classes. Positive aspects of sets included smaller classes and independent learning in lower-ability sets, and positive class atmospheres.…

Employs data from 94 elementary schools to examine the prevalence and effects of resegregation. Reports that (1) positive attitudes toward integration influence teachers' selection of grouping practices that promote student interaction; and (2) less resegregative classroom structures are more advantageous for Black students' achievement. (KH)

Examined final-year undergraduate responses to innovations to determine whether positive learning outcomes in large classes are possible by increasing the range of work in which students are involved. Straightforward adjustments to approach and style produced both positive learning outcomes and an increase in transferable skills. (RJM)

Studied connections between parent involvement programs, teachers' attitudes, and teachers' practices in inner-city elementary and middle schools. Examined patterns according to academic subject, classroom organization, and level of support for parent involvement. Found that each variable has implications for the strengths of school programs and…

This study compared students' learning experiences in a set of courses in British literature and a set of courses in marketing, in which each set included a course taught in an intensive format and a semester-long format with the same instructor and content. Data collection included participant observation, videotaped class sessions,…

A preliminary case study used repertory grid and stimulated recall techniques to examine how teachers make sense of the impact of microcomputers on their work. Emphasis was on how teachers construe their classroom influence in relation to the actual use of microcomputers and to idealizations of their use. A version of the Kelly (1955) repgrid was…

A study was conducted of teachers of disadvantaged children during the 1979-80 school year in Dade County, Florida. The study involved nearly 100 inner city elementary teachers who were identified as being the most effective teachers in their schools. The teachers responded to a lengthy questionnaire which asked very detailed questions about how…

This is an evaluation report on a Title I non-public schools reading skills program that served students in grades 4-8 in New York City in 1979-1980. The program's goal was to provide individualized diagnostic prescriptive reading and writing skills instruction for severely disabled readers. Section one of the evaluation provides a description of…

Eight highly structured fifth- and sixth-grade classrooms were compared with seven less structured classrooms with respect to the degree to which teachers', classmates', and self ratings of ability to read were in agreement. It was suggested that classroom structures may effect perceptions of ability. (CTM)

Observed 223 public school kindergarten classrooms to describe classroom activities and child-teacher interactions. Also observed global classroom quality. Found, among other observations, that the most frequently observed forms of activity were structured, teacher-directed activities and whole-group instruction. Findings pose implications for…

A research study was conducted by two teams of researchers who investigated how class size influences teaching and learning. Four second grade teachers participated, two from a rural school in Virginia and two from an urban, inner-city school in California. To understand how the same teachers and students responded to different class size…

A survey of 131 Canadian elementary school teachers teaching in open areas sought to discover the extent to which open education concepts were being implemented and to solicit their opinions about a variety of problems and issues related to implementation. The survey asked teachers to rate their current situation and personal preferences on 11…

A study was undertaken to document, through data gathered from surveys, interviews, and observations, the approaches fourth grade elementary school teachers were using to teach reading comprehension. The study focused on the actual teacher behaviors, methods, and materials rather than on what reading methods, texts or basal series' manuals said…

Data from 31 middle school teachers were categorized through the use of qualitative research to determine what teachers perceive to be the advantages and disadvantages of ability grouping as well as alternative grouping practices. Found that most teachers were knowledgeable about ability grouping through experience or professional development;…