Several state policies link high-stakes consequences to teacher evaluations, which tend to be heavily weighted by observation scores. However, research has only recently investigated the validity of these scores in field settings. This study examines the sensitivity of teacher observation scores to the number of observations assigned by state…

As the world came to grips with the coronavirus diseases (COVID-19), educational institutions and the society at large faced the challenge of figuring out how to continue with teaching and learning in such a context. Many countries, including South Africa made efforts to help contain and suppress the spread of COVID-19. In the South African…

Ethnographic note-taking in the field is often imbued with emotions, shaped by power relations and influenced by participants' voice and agency. Though enough has been written about ethnography, discussions on the specific challenges of taking notes, particularly in research with children are limited. Drawing on three ethnographic field studies…

Despite the widespread recognition of the significance of outdoor play in early childhood development, centers for early childhood education (ECE) face the challenge of striking a balance between active play activities and safety concerns. Thus, the visual attention of teachers is critical. Studies that compare the visual attention of novice and…

This research focuses on using digital photography to record observations of young children. The observations discussed are young children engaging with music as a communicative language. Digital media has become an inexpensive method to collect research data to communicate children's activities in early learning settings. Like all technologies,…

Self-regulated learning (SRL) is a cyclical process of planning, performance, and reflection. Although SRL contributes to academic achievement, teaching SRL poses a challenge for teachers, who need support in theoretical and practical approaches to SRL knowledge and skills. The first stop for teachers to effectively learn and employ SRL practices…

In this article, the authors share two examples of student engagement in visible, mathematical thinking through a Chalk Talk within the four walls of the classroom, as well as the connected spaces of online learning. Five steps for facilitating the Chalk Talk are outlined, with descriptions of teacher moves for each step. The silent thinking…

When it comes to generating better practices, feedback--a fair representation of professional performance--plays a crucial role due to its transformational power of enhancing skills, which helps ensure high-quality teaching in the classroom. However, principals' lack of time, lack of knowledge of curriculum content, and lack of training are the…

Prior research on new teacher mentoring has focused on reducing teacher attrition rates. However, studies have yet to explore the descriptions of early-career special education teachers in a formal mentoring program. The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study was to explore how early-career special education teachers, located in one school…

Student learning outcomes have been used to measure a teacher's accountability for student learning in the evaluation of teacher effectiveness. This study employed a survey research design and investigated the views of teachers and administrators regarding using student learning objectives (SLOs) and classroom observations in the evaluation of…

Teacher noticing and related variants have ascended in prominence among the mathematics education research community. While the component processes of such noticing (e.g., attending, interpreting and deciding) have been cast as interrelated, capturing the relationships amongst the components has been more elusive. We focused on the component…

Although the concept of assessment as learning has important educational and practical implications, the utilisation and creation of contexts for assessment as learning in early childhood education are contemporary issues that need to be clarified. The overall goal of this work is to reconceptualise the role of the child portfolio as a tool for…

The study presents multivariate sequential monitoring procedures for examining test-taking behaviors online. The procedures monitor examinee's responses and response times and signal aberrancy as soon as significant change is identifieddetected in the test-taking behavior. The study in particular proposes three schemes to track different…

As rates of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) increase, there is an increasing need for clinicians who offer accurate ASD assessments. The Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule, Second Edition (ADOS-2) is a standardized assessment tool that is commonly recommended for use in comprehensive ASD evaluations. However, practitioners do not always follow…

School personnel regularly conduct systematic direct observation (SDO) as part of educational evaluation and intervention progress monitoring. Despite the regularity with which SDO is utilized, little research has been devoted to the identification of efficient and effective training procedures. Thirty-two undergraduate students in education…