This article capsules six recent research reports on the nature of teaching as observed in the classroom. The reports--by principal investigators Bellack, Jackson, Waimon, Perkins, Smith, and Taba--focus on meaning and classroom language (THE LANGUAGE OF THE CLASSROOM: MEANINGS COMMUNICATED IN HIGH SCHOOL TEACHING), patterns of teacher-pupil communication ("Teacher-Pupil Communication in the Elementary Classroom: An Observational Study"), observation as teacher training ("A Conceptual System for Prospective Teachers To Study Teaching Behavior"), role behavior and class activity as related to achievement ("Classroom Behavior and Underachievement"), teacher strategies (A TENTATIVE REPORT ON THE STRATEGIES OF TEACHING), and cognitive processes (THINKING IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL CHILDREN). Details on test population, setting, procedure, and results are summarized for each report. A 17-item reference list is included. ED 003 273, 015 164, 003 285 are related documents. (LP)