When evaluating the effectiveness of beginning teachers, researchers are interested in defining those teacher behaviors which are related to student achievement in elementary school reading and mathematics. This review of the research literature addresses three issues: (1) definition of the variables which should receive the greatest emphasis in such research, (2) the advantages and disadvantages of the various alternatives in research design and methodology, and (3) the availability of instruments to measure these variables. A number of tables provide lists of variables in classroom research, including: stability of achievement ratings, student ability and background, textbook choice, number of instructional trials, teachers' cognitive ability, research emphasizing teacher-student interaction, learning tasks, classroom environment, teaching methods, teachers' affective behavior, and skills measured. Bibliographic references, observational coding systems, and a model of the teacher as decision maker are appended. (GDC)