This study examined the classroom participation behaviors of undergraduate students. Much of the existing literature had focused on student variables in determining participation in the classroom. Here, instructor variables were investigated. Students completed questionnaires and reported their own perceptions of their participation in class and…

This study focused on an analysis of teachers' perception of the concept of on-task in order to understand better how research results are interpreted and utilized by classroom teachers. Results suggest that ways of thinking about the concept of "on-task" may be cognitive-developmental in character. (Author/MT)

A study examined the relationship between teachers' theoretical orientations toward reading and the verbal feedback they give to students during guided oral reading. A major finding is that teachers' beliefs and behavior vary with the instructional situation; that is, teachers hold different beliefs for different student ability groups.…

Researchers used simultaneous feedback, a means of modifying behavior through verbal cues transmitted via a transistorized ear plug, to improve the teaching skills of university faculty engaged in the act of teaching. Faculty identified areas they wished to improve after viewing videotapes of their teaching. (Authors/PP)

The achievement levels of college students taking a bioethics course who demonstrated high and low degrees of speech anxiety were studied. Students with high speech anxiety interacted less with instructors and did not achieve as well as other students. Strategies instructors can use to help students are suggested. (Authors/PP)

The relative influence of scholastic achievement, intelligence, athletic ability, and ethnic origin on the formation of friendships among pupils in two Israel elementary schools was explored. The most important factor was found to be similar academic achievement, followed by intelligence and athletic achievement. (Authors/PP)

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)

Two low-inference teacher clarity variables, vagueness terms and mazes, are discussed in terms of their effect on student achievement and on student perception of lesson effectiveness. Results indicate that high frequencies of teacher vagueness terms inhibit student achievement and cause students to perceive the lesson as ineffective. (Authors/JN)

Goal setting is examined as an influence on student learning and self-evaluation. Goal setting results in increased motivation, on-task behavior, effort, and persistence and conveys information concerning individual performance capabilities and personal accomplishments. (JN)

An analysis of studies on teacher clarity reveals five components: (1) understanding; (2) structuring; (3) sequencing; (4) explaining; and (5) presenting. Three additional dimensions to be considered are rater qualifications, teacher dynamism, and student opportunity to learn. (CMJ)

The original study upon which this article is based began with a seemingly simple question that had origins in the author's own experiences as a high school teacher. Why do some teachers talk too much when they are teaching, and what can a teacher education program do to address this problem? When informed, then transformed, by available research…