Process-product research in which the investigator observes in teachers' classrooms and tries to relate process measures of teaching behavior to product measures of student outcome has face validity appeal and common sense logic. This research approach appears to be the simplest and most direct way to identify teaching behaviors which discriminate…

This study was conducted on informal aspects of an inquiry-based physics course and reports findings about learning interactions and discourse observed during the first three semesters the course was offered. The course offered an alternative to the large lecture instruction typical in introductory university physics and promoted learning in an…

This article describes two types of classroom process research (process-product and descriptive) which are being funded by the National Institute of Education, and it analyzes the trend toward a greater emphasis on descriptive research. (MM)

In discussing the past, present, and future of research in teacher effectiveness, this article notes that researcher's conceptions of teacher effectiveness has determined the nature of the research and the usefulness of the findings; process-product research can produce reliable information; the tools needed to build a knowledge base for effective…

The findings of this study suggest that (1) the previous track-record (how well teachers have performed differentially with groups of students having different learning rates) helps to predict how well teachers will do with students in their regular classrooms and (2) matched teacher/classrooms produce significantly higher achievers than do…

Findings from this project suggest that (1) effective teaching can be predicted from observation in natural classroom settings and (2) a teacher can be trained in the use of observation instruments in order to assess another teacher's performance. (MM)

Researchers perceived that teachers became more aware of their teaching behaviors, more aroused about being able to alter behaviors, and more conscientious about planning for the kinds of behaviors they wish to exhibit in a given situation as a result of the availability of a computer program (Analysis of Teaching Behavior). (MM)

Suggestions are made for priority and strategy changes designed to make the process-product model for investigating effective teacher behaviors more productive. (MJB)

An overview of the first five years of the Louisiana School Effectiveness Study is presented. Major findings from Phase II are offered. School, local, and state recommendations are made. (Author/MT)

Problems in studying teacher effectiveness through the use of classroom observation are discussed. Four assumptions in the observation of classroom process are offered and ways in which these assumptions can be dealt with in designing an observation study are suggested. (DF)

The concept of instructional improvement is used as a framework to synthesize research concerning systematic observation of instruction. A self-help model for improving classroom instruction is proposed that illustrates the concepts of instructional effectiveness, systematic observation of instruction, and assistance as a personalized,…

The problem of obtaining reliable descriptions of classroom events is examined. Using sampling theory, the amount of classroom time to be sampled and observed to obtain precise descriptions is analyzed. Results suggest that previous studies of classrooms have used inadequate samples to estimate the behaviors of teachers and students. (JN)

A methodology for designing rating scales which will maximize diagnostic feedback by students to college professors is presented. Mid-semester and end-of-semester administrations allow for judgment of changes in instructional strategies during the semester. (JMF)

The effectiveness of a traditional programed approach for producing skills needed for systematic classroom observation was compared with that of a group process training approach. The group process approach involved trainees in generation, role-playing, and live coding of a transcript. These trainees showed a more positive attitude toward their…

This review focuses on the relationship between instructional processes and student behavior as presented in "Time to Learn," a description of processes, findings, and implications from the Beginning Teacher Evaluation Study. Attention is given to chapters concerning data collection, relational and descriptive processes, and limitations of the…