An observational study of 12 mixed-age and 12 single-age Dutch primary reading/language and mathematics classes revealed that time-on-task levels were lower for the mixed-age classes. However, no significant differences in achievement test scores were found. (IAH)

A Dutch study compared two first grade classes with regard to teacher treatment of students and student behavior (dependent variables). One class participated in a national initiative to reduce or eliminate educational inequities. The independent variables included socioeconomic background, sex, scholastic identity attributed by the teacher, and…

This article reviews research on teacher praise and presents findings on why teachers offer praise, as well as positive and negative effects of praise on student motivation, perceptions, and achievement. (IAH)

Two Dutch studies examined the relationship between classroom climate, student learning outcomes (attitude and achievement), and school climate (operationalized by teachers' job satisfaction). Results suggest that classroom climate as a variable could be productively incorporated into instructional and curricular design theories because of its…

This article describes a functional experiment designed to evaluate the ability of 128 preservice teachers to interpret pupil problem-behavior nested in two distinct learning settings (cooperative and traditional). (IAH)

A study identified characteristics that 43 kindergarten teachers used to describe themselves and students toward whom they held positive attitudes. Teacher self-perceptions and descriptions of favored students were examined. Results indicated that teachers used a common set of characteristics to describe themselves and those students they regarded…

Selected citations from the ERIC database dealing with the relationship between teachers' self-perception and perceptions of students' characteristics are listed in this article. Abstracts are included of the 14 journal articles and five documents chosen. (DF)

The potential of two-way television as an instructional medium was examined through observations of presentations by medical faculty. The study found that similar teaching strategies were used in conventional classrooms and in two-way television mediated lessons. Detailed study results are offered. (Author/DF)

Hearing impaired students who are mainstreamed often encounter problems in dealing with the usual flow of classroom communication. To examine the effect of action zone phenomenon, six mainstreamed classes were observed and coded for location of student-teacher interactions. Results and discussion are presented. (Author/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,…

Staff development programs in school districts have been changing to comprehensive, adaptive approaches that focus on specific needs and concerns of individual teachers. This bibliography gives citations of documents and journal articles that discuss both theoretical and research findings on the improvement of instruction through staff development…

Ten rural elementary schoolteachers participated in two weekends of intensive seminars focused on effective instruction research findings. All teachers were observed three times, both before and after the seminars, and half were given feedback. Results on teacher implementation of teaching behaviors from the seminar are presented. (MT)

Process-outcome findings linking teacher behavior to student achievement are reviewed. The findings are divided into quantitative results that identify general classroom characteristics associated with high levels of student achievement gain and qualitative results that suggest particular teacher managerial and instructional behaviors involved in…

A sample of 280 undergraduate students were selected for a study to determine the effect of tendentious and nontendentious humor in college first lecture presentations on students' perceptions of classroom communicative climate. Findings are discussed. (MT)

This study had two purposes: first, to add to the body of knowledge about instructional practices that promote disabled learners' success in regular education programs and second, to enable researchers to pilot the use of a state-adopted instrument for teacher observation. (MT)