Beyond Guided Listening: Exploring World Musics with Classroom Instruments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bartolome, Sarah J.

2011-01-01

This article explores issues of authenticity related to adapting world music examples for classroom instruments and suggests ways to engage students in active, participatory music-making activities derived from diverse musical cultures. Several lesson plan segments are provided to aid general music specialists in implementing "play along"…

The Validation of a Classroom Observation Instrument Based on the Construct of Teacher Adaptive Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Loughland, Tony; Vlies, Penny

2016-01-01

Teacher adaptability is a key disposition for teachers that has been linked to outcomes of interests to schools. The aim of this study was to examine how the broader disposition of teacher adaptability might be observable as classroom-based adaptive practices using an argument-based approach to validation. The findings from the initial phase of…

An Examination of Teacher-Student Interactions in Inclusive Classrooms: Teacher Interviews and Classroom Observations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cameron, David Lansing

2014-01-01

Teacher-student interactions in 17 inclusive classrooms were examined using a mixed-methods approach that involved quantitative analysis of interactions recorded during classroom observations and follow-up interviews with seven general educators. Observational findings suggest that classrooms were organised along traditional lines with the vast…

CRiSP: An Instrument for Assessing Student Perceptions of Classroom Response Systems

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Richardson, Alice M.; Dunn, Peter K.; McDonald, Christine; Oprescu, Florin

2015-01-01

This paper describes the development and validation of an instrument for evaluating classroom response systems (CRS). While a number of studies evaluating CRS have been published to date, no standardised instrument exists as a means of evaluating the impact of using the CRS. This means that comparing the different systems, or evaluating the…

Classroom Observation Techniques. IDEA Paper No. 4.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Acheson, Keith A.

Techniques for observing the classroom behavior of teachers and students are examined. These techniques provide a framework for analyzing and understanding classroom interaction, for making decisions about what should be happening, and for changing instructional behavior when it is necessary. The observation methods allow collection, analysis, and…

Development and Validation of an Instrument for Assessing Mathematics Classroom Environment in Tertiary Institutions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yin, Hongbiao; Lu, Genshu

2014-01-01

This report describes the development and validation of an instrument, the University Mathematics Classroom Environment Questionnaire (UMCEQ), for assessing the mathematics classroom environment in tertiary institutions in China. Through the use of multiple methods, including exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, on two independent samples…

The Dependability of Classroom Observations.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hiatt, Diana Buell; Keesling, J. Ward

A generalizability study of timed observations was conducted in 25 primary grade classes to observe teachers' use of time--for instruction, evaluation of instruction, and classroom management--according to the hour and day observed. Observational methods used by on-site researchers included videotape, checklists, running documentaries, frequency…

CRiSP: An Instrument for Assessing Student Perceptions of Classroom Response Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Richardson, Alice M.; Dunn, Peter K.; McDonald, Christine; Oprescu, Florin

2015-08-01

This paper describes the development and validation of an instrument for evaluating classroom response systems (CRS). While a number of studies evaluating CRS have been published to date, no standardised instrument exists as a means of evaluating the impact of using the CRS. This means that comparing the different systems, or evaluating the benefits of using the CRS in different ways or settings, is very difficult despite the number of published reports, as indicated by Kay and LeSage (2009). An instrument was developed, called the classroom response system perceptions (CRiSP) questionnaire, which allows the evaluation of varied CRS on three scales: the usability; the impact on student engagement; and the impact on student learning. The development of CRiSP was undertaken in three universities, using different CRS, and evaluated through focus groups, one-on-one interviews and a factor analysis of the survey responses. We found no evidence of difference on the scales according to gender or age groups. The final CRiSP questionnaire consists of 26 base questions, with additional optional questions available. This paper proposes that the CRiSP Questionnaire could, in its current state or with minor changes, be used to evaluate the impact on learning of other classroom technologies also.

Procedures for Classroom Observations: 1973-1974. Technical Report #19.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Miley, Alan

This report describes classroom observation techniques used to record the behavior of educational specialists (teachers) and students in a kindergarten and a first grade classroom of the Kamehameha Early Education Program (KEEP). Classroom behavior was observed and recorded daily during the 1973-1974 school year. Each student was observed three…

Attending to General and Mathematics-Specific Dimensions of Teaching: Exploring Factors across Two Observation Instruments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blazar, David; Braslow, David; Charalambous, Charalambos Y.; Hill, Heather C.

2017-01-01

New systems that seek to evaluate teachers with regard to their classroom quality often rely on observation instruments that capture general instructional pedagogies. However, decades of research suggest that content-specific dimensions of instruction also are important to differentiate teachers and improve student outcomes. We explore the degree…

A Multi-Instrument Examination of Preschool Classroom Quality and the Relationship between Program, Classroom, and Teacher Characteristics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Denny, Joanna Hope; Hallam, Rena; Homer, Karen

2012-01-01

Research Findings: A statewide study of preschool classroom quality was conducted using 3 distinct classroom observation measures in order to inform a statewide quality rating system. Findings suggested that Tennessee preschool classrooms were approaching "good" quality on the Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale-Revised (ECERS-R)…

Assessing collaborative computing: development of the Collaborative-Computing Observation Instrument (C-COI)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Israel, Maya; Wherfel, Quentin M.; Shehab, Saadeddine; Ramos, Evan A.; Metzger, Adam; Reese, George C.

2016-07-01

This paper describes the development, validation, and uses of the Collaborative Computing Observation Instrument (C-COI), a web-based analysis instrument that classifies individual and/or collaborative behaviors of students during computing problem-solving (e.g. coding, programming). The C-COI analyzes data gathered through video and audio screen recording software that captures students' computer screens as they program, and their conversations with their peers or adults. The instrument allows researchers to organize and quantify these data to track behavioral patterns that could be further analyzed for deeper understanding of persistence and/or collaborative interactions. The article provides a rationale for the C-COI including the development of a theoretical framework for measuring collaborative interactions in computer-mediated environments. This theoretical framework relied on the computer-supported collaborative learning literature related to adaptive help seeking, the joint problem-solving space in which collaborative computing occurs, and conversations related to outcomes and products of computational activities. Instrument development and validation also included ongoing advisory board feedback from experts in computer science, collaborative learning, and K-12 computing as well as classroom observations to test out the constructs in the C-COI. These processes resulted in an instrument with rigorous validation procedures and a high inter-rater reliability.

Rater Drift and Time Trends in Classroom Observations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Casabianca, Jodi M.; Lockwood, J. R.

2013-01-01

Classroom observation protocols, in which observers rate multiple dimensions of teaching according to established protocols (either live in the classroom, or post-hoc from lesson videos), are increasingly being used in both research and policy contexts. However, scores generated from these protocols have many sources of error. Day to day variation…

Learning about Teachers' Literacy Instruction from Classroom Observations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kelcey, Ben; Carlisle, Joanne F.

2013-01-01

The purpose of this study is to contribute to efforts to improve methods for gathering and analyzing data from classroom observations in early literacy. The methodological approach addresses current problems of reliability and validity of classroom observations by taking into account differences in teachers' uses of instructional actions (e.g.,…

From the Museum to the Music Classroom: Teaching the "Umrhubhe" as an Ensemble Instrument

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dontsa, Luvuyo

2008-01-01

While there is a keen interest in indigenous African instrumental music among South African university music students, indigenous music instruments such as the "umrhubhe" (musical bow without a calabash resonator) have not found their way into the classroom. Most music departments focus on the teaching and learning of western instruments…

What You See is What You Get: A Summary of Observations in Over 1000 Elementary & Secondary Classrooms. A Study of Schooling in the United States. Technical Report Series, No. 29.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sirotnik, Kenneth A.

Data from observations of 129 elementary, 362 junior, and 525 high school classes were analyzed to raise questions about classroom environment and classroom practices. Results gathered from four instruments are discussed: (1) physical environment inventory, which recorded classroom architectural arrangement, seating and grouping patterns,…

Emotional Bias in Classroom Observations: Within-Rater Positive Emotion Predicts Favorable Assessments of Classroom Quality

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Floman, James L.; Hagelskamp, Carolin; Brackett, Marc A.; Rivers, Susan E.

2017-01-01

Classroom observations increasingly inform high-stakes decisions and research in education, including the allocation of school funding and the evaluation of school-based interventions. However, trends in rater scoring tendencies over time may undermine the reliability of classroom observations. Accordingly, the present investigations, grounded in…

Trends in Classroom Observation Scores

PubMed Central

Lockwood, J. R.; McCaffrey, Daniel F.

2014-01-01

Observations and ratings of classroom teaching and interactions collected over time are susceptible to trends in both the quality of instruction and rater behavior. These trends have potential implications for inferences about teaching and for study design. We use scores on the Classroom Assessment Scoring System–Secondary (CLASS-S) protocol from 458 middle school teachers over a 2-year period to study changes over time in (a) the average quality of teaching for the population of teachers, (b) the average severity of the population of raters, and (c) the severity of individual raters. To obtain these estimates and assess them in the context of other factors that contribute to the variability in scores, we develop an augmented G study model that is broadly applicable for modeling sources of variability in classroom observation ratings data collected over time. In our data, we found that trends in teaching quality were small. Rater drift was very large during raters’ initial days of observation and persisted throughout nearly 2 years of scoring. Raters did not converge to a common level of severity; using our model we estimate that variability among raters actually increases over the course of the study. Variance decompositions based on the model find that trends are a modest source of variance relative to overall rater effects, rater errors on specific lessons, and residual error. The discussion provides possible explanations for trends and rater divergence as well as implications for designs collecting ratings over time. PMID:29795823

Trends in Classroom Observation Scores.

PubMed

Casabianca, Jodi M; Lockwood, J R; McCaffrey, Daniel F

2015-04-01

Observations and ratings of classroom teaching and interactions collected over time are susceptible to trends in both the quality of instruction and rater behavior. These trends have potential implications for inferences about teaching and for study design. We use scores on the Classroom Assessment Scoring System-Secondary (CLASS-S) protocol from 458 middle school teachers over a 2-year period to study changes over time in (a) the average quality of teaching for the population of teachers, (b) the average severity of the population of raters, and (c) the severity of individual raters. To obtain these estimates and assess them in the context of other factors that contribute to the variability in scores, we develop an augmented G study model that is broadly applicable for modeling sources of variability in classroom observation ratings data collected over time. In our data, we found that trends in teaching quality were small. Rater drift was very large during raters' initial days of observation and persisted throughout nearly 2 years of scoring. Raters did not converge to a common level of severity; using our model we estimate that variability among raters actually increases over the course of the study. Variance decompositions based on the model find that trends are a modest source of variance relative to overall rater effects, rater errors on specific lessons, and residual error. The discussion provides possible explanations for trends and rater divergence as well as implications for designs collecting ratings over time.

The sign language skills classroom observation: a process for describing sign language proficiency in classroom settings.

PubMed

Reeves, J B; Newell, W; Holcomb, B R; Stinson, M

2000-10-01

In collaboration with teachers and students at the National Technical Institute for the Deaf (NTID), the Sign Language Skills Classroom Observation (SLSCO) was designed to provide feedback to teachers on their sign language communication skills in the classroom. In the present article, the impetus and rationale for development of the SLSCO is discussed. Previous studies related to classroom signing and observation methodology are reviewed. The procedure for developing the SLSCO is then described. This procedure included (a) interviews with faculty and students at NTID, (b) identification of linguistic features of sign language important for conveying content to deaf students, (c) development of forms for recording observations of classroom signing, (d) analysis of use of the forms, (e) development of a protocol for conducting the SLSCO, and (f) piloting of the SLSCO in classrooms. The results of use of the SLSCO with NTID faculty during a trial year are summarized.

Facilitating Research and Learning in Petrology and Geochemistry through Classroom Applications of Remotely Operable Research Instrumentation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ryan, J. G.

2012-12-01

Bringing the use of cutting-edge research tools into student classroom experiences has long been a popular educational strategy in the geosciences and other STEM disciplines. The NSF CCLI and TUES programs have funded a large number of projects that placed research-grade instrumentation at educational institutions for instructional use and use in supporting undergraduate research activities. While student and faculty response to these activities has largely been positive, a range of challenges exist related to their educational effectiveness. Many of the obstacles these approaches have faced relate to "scaling up" of research mentoring experiences (e.g., providing training and time for use for an entire classroom of students, as opposed to one or two), and to time tradeoffs associated with providing technical training for effective instrument use versus course content coverage. The biggest challenge has often been simple logistics: a single instrument, housed in a different space, is difficult to integrate effectively into instructional activities. My CCLI-funded project sought primarily to knock down the logistical obstacles to research instrument use by taking advantage of remote instrument operation technologies, which allow the in-classroom use of networked analytical tools. Remote use of electron microprobe and SEM instruments of the Florida Center for Analytical Electron Microscopy (FCAEM) in Miami, FL was integrated into two geoscience courses at USF in Tampa, FL. Remote operation permitted the development of whole-class laboratory exercises to familiarize students with the tools, their function, and their capabilities; and it allowed students to collect high-quality chemical and image data on their own prepared samples in the classroom during laboratory periods. These activities improve student engagement in the course, appear to improve learning of key concepts in mineralogy and petrology, and have led to students pursuing independent research projects, as

Uncovering Multivariate Structure in Classroom Observations in the Presence of Rater Errors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McCaffrey, Daniel F.; Yuan, Kun; Savitsky, Terrance D.; Lockwood, J. R.; Edelen, Maria O.

2015-01-01

We examine the factor structure of scores from the CLASS-S protocol obtained from observations of middle school classroom teaching. Factor analysis has been used to support both interpretations of scores from classroom observation protocols, like CLASS-S, and the theories about teaching that underlie them. However, classroom observations contain…

Experiments and hands-on activities for geoscience observing and measuring by using low-priced instruments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, S. S.; Lin, Y. Y.; Tang-Iunn, S. S.

2016-12-01

In this presentation, we will introduce five experiments and hands-on activities for geoscience observing and measuring by using low-priced and small-sized commercial instruments. The Black Box for Environmental Measuring (BBEM) system is based on Arduino platform, low-power consumption sensors are employed to measure meteorological and environmental parameters. Commercial GPS receiver is used to observe the influence of geomagnetic storms on GPS system. Webcam is an accessible instrument which is suitable for detecting and recording sprites, thunders, and the development of cumulonimbus. Real-time flight trackers and websites are employed to determine the altitude of cloud base. A simple VLF receiver is built by using the audio interface on computer, and the observed signals showed the variations of the D-region of the ionosphere. All these experiments and activities are practical and have been applied in classroom and science outreach in Taiwan.

Development of an Instrument for Assessing Senior High School Students' Preferred and Perceived Laboratory Classroom Environment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hsiao, Chien-Hua; Wu, Ying-Tien; Lin, Chung-Yen; Wong, Terrence William; Fu, Hsieh-Hai; Yeh, Ting-Kuang; Chang, Chung-Yen

2014-01-01

This study aimed to develop an instrument, named the inquiry-based laboratory classroom environment instrument (ILEI), for assessing senior high-school science students' preferred and perceived laboratory environment. A total of 262 second-year students, from a senior-high school in Taiwan, were recruited for this study. Four stages were included…

Classroom observation data and instruction in primary mathematics education: improving design and rigour

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thompson, Carla J.; Davis, Sandra B.

2014-06-01

The use of formal observation in primary mathematics classrooms is supported in the literature as a viable method of determining effective teaching strategies and appropriate tasks for inclusion in the early years of mathematics learning. The twofold aim of this study was to (a) investigate predictive relationships between primary mathematics classroom observational data and student achievement data, and (b) to examine the impact of providing periodic classroom observational data feedback to teachers using a Relational-Feedback-Intervention (RFI) Database Model. This observational research effort focused on an empirical examination of student engagement levels in time spent on specific learning activities observed in primary mathematics classrooms as predictors of student competency outcomes in mathematics. Data were collected from more than 2,000 primary classroom observations in 17 primary schools during 2009-2011 and from standardised end-of-year tests for mathematics achievement. Results revealed predictive relationships among several types of teaching and learning tasks with student achievement. Specifically, the use of mathematics concepts, technology and hands-on materials in primary mathematics classrooms was found to produce substantive predictors of increased student mathematics achievement. Additional findings supported the use of periodic classroom observation data reporting as a positive influence on teachers' decisions in determining instructional tasks for inclusion in primary mathematics classrooms. Study results indicate classroom observational research involving a RFI Database Model is a productive tool for improving teaching and learning in primary mathematics classrooms.

Standardized Observational Assessment of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Combined and Predominantly Inattentive Subtypes. II. Classroom Observations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McConaughy, Stephanie H.; Ivanova, Masha Y.; Antshel, Kevin; Eiraldi, Ricardo B.; Dumenci, Levent

2009-01-01

Trained classroom observers used the Direct Observation Form (DOF; McConaughy & Achenbach, 2009) to rate observations of 163 6- to 11-year-old children in their school classrooms. Participants were assigned to four groups based on a parent diagnostic interview and parent and teacher rating scales: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder…

Evaluating Classroom Interaction with the iPad®: An Updated Stalling's Tool

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

MacKinnon, Gregory; Schep, Lourens; Borden, Lisa Lunney; Murray-Orr, Anne; Orr, Jeff; MacKinnon, Paula

2016-01-01

A large study of classrooms in the Caribbean context necessitated the use of a validated classroom observation tool. In practice, the paper-version Stalling's instrument (Stallings & Kaskowitz 1974) presented specific challenges with respect to (a) facile data collection and (b) qualitative observations of classrooms. In response to these…

Follow Through Classroom Process Measurement and Pupil Growth (1970-71). Final Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Soar, Robert S.

This study presents results from the last year of a three-year adjunctive evaluation of classroom process measurement and pupil growth. A total of 289 classrooms involving eight experimental programs, ranging from open classrooms to contingency management classes, along with a comparison sample, were observed. Four observation instruments were…

Further Insight into the Effectiveness of a Behavioral Teacher Program Targeting ADHD Symptoms Using Actigraphy, Classroom Observations and Peer Ratings.

PubMed

Veenman, Betty; Luman, Marjolein; Oosterlaan, Jaap

2017-01-01

Objective: The Positivity and Rules program (PR program), a low-level behavioral teacher program targeting symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), has shown positive effects on teacher-rated ADHD symptoms and social functioning. This study aimed to assess whether program effects could be confirmed by instruments assessing classroom behavior other than teacher-ratings, given teachers' involvement with the training. Methods: Participants were 114 primary school children (age = 6-13) displaying ADHD symptoms in the classroom, who were randomly assigned to the treatment ( n = 58) or control group ( n = 65). ADHD symptoms were measured using classroom observations and actigraphy, and peer acceptance was measured using peer ratings. Intention-to-treat multilevel analyses were conducted to assess program effects. Results: No beneficial program effects were found for any of the measures. Conclusion: The earlier beneficial program effects on both ADHD symptoms and social functioning reported by teachers, may be explained by a change in the perception of teachers rather than changes in the child's behavior. Other methodological explanations are also discussed, such as differences between instruments in the sensitivity to program-related changes. The current study underlines the importance of using different measures of classroom behavior to study program effects. ClinicalTrials.gov registration number: NCT02518711.

Further Insight into the Effectiveness of a Behavioral Teacher Program Targeting ADHD Symptoms Using Actigraphy, Classroom Observations and Peer Ratings

PubMed Central

Veenman, Betty; Luman, Marjolein; Oosterlaan, Jaap

2017-01-01

Objective: The Positivity and Rules program (PR program), a low-level behavioral teacher program targeting symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), has shown positive effects on teacher-rated ADHD symptoms and social functioning. This study aimed to assess whether program effects could be confirmed by instruments assessing classroom behavior other than teacher-ratings, given teachers’ involvement with the training. Methods: Participants were 114 primary school children (age = 6–13) displaying ADHD symptoms in the classroom, who were randomly assigned to the treatment (n = 58) or control group (n = 65). ADHD symptoms were measured using classroom observations and actigraphy, and peer acceptance was measured using peer ratings. Intention-to-treat multilevel analyses were conducted to assess program effects. Results: No beneficial program effects were found for any of the measures. Conclusion: The earlier beneficial program effects on both ADHD symptoms and social functioning reported by teachers, may be explained by a change in the perception of teachers rather than changes in the child’s behavior. Other methodological explanations are also discussed, such as differences between instruments in the sensitivity to program-related changes. The current study underlines the importance of using different measures of classroom behavior to study program effects. ClinicalTrials.gov registration number: NCT02518711 PMID:28744244

Slooh Takes Observing into the Classroom

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Godfrey, Paige

2018-01-01

For many students, studying space is limited to simulations and a vivid imagination. Slooh is providing a new education tool that gives students an authentic experience, mimicking the practices of professional astronomers by bringing real-time astronomical observing to the classroom. Teachers and students have robotic control of Slooh’s global network of ground-based telescopes located at the Institute of Astrophysics in the Canary Islands and at the Catholic University based in Santiago, Chile. Slooh Classroom and Slooh Astrolab are products designed to offer K-12 and higher education an accessible, affordable way to interact with space. The lab manuals provide fully-designed classroom activities that explore celestial objects representing a robust sample of star clusters, nebulae, galaxies, stars, planets, comets and asteroids. Slooh’s education tools provide a unique online platform for the sharing of space content and access to live-hosted shows that discuss current astronomy events, creating a full STEAM experience.

Observed Classroom Quality during Teacher Education and Two Years of Professional Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Malmberg, Lars-Erik; Hagger, Hazel; Burn, Katharine; Mutton, Trevor; Colls, Helen

2010-01-01

The aims of the present study are to investigate whether and how teachers change in their observed classroom quality (emotional and instructional support, classroom organization, and students' engagement; measured with the Classroom Assessment Scoring System observation measure for secondary school [CLASS-S]; Pianta, La Paro, & Hamre, 2006)…

An Observational Study of Print Literacy in Canadian Preschool Classrooms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lynch, Jacqueline

2011-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the role of print literacy in preschool classrooms. There were seven preschool teachers working in central Canada who were observed over three sessions. The process of analytic induction was used to formulate categories based on interviews, classroom observations and documents. The following categories were…

Observing Classroom Engagement in Community College: A Systematic Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alicea, Stacey; Suárez-Orozco, Carola; Singh, Sukhmani; Darbes, Tasha; Abrica, Elvira Julia

2016-01-01

Despite decades of research indicating classrooms shape student engagement, learning, and development, there is a dearth of empirically grounded research focusing specifically on observed classroom engagement as a predictor of student outcomes in community colleges. This article describes the development of a qualitatively grounded, quantitative…

Project Developmental Continuity: PDC Classroom Observation Manual.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Meece, Judy; And Others

This classroom observation manual (Fall 1976) was developed for use in the evaluation of Project Developmental Continuity (PDC), a Head Start demonstration program aimed at providing educational and developmental continuity between children's Head Start and primary school experiences. The manual provides detailed instructions for the observer on…

The Student Actions Coding Sheet (SACS): An Instrument for Illuminating the Shifts toward Student-Centered Science Classrooms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Erdogan, Ibrahim; Campbell, Todd; Abd-Hamid, Nor Hashidah

2011-01-01

This study describes the development of an instrument to investigate the extent to which student-centered actions are occurring in science classrooms. The instrument was developed through the following five stages: (1) student action identification, (2) use of both national and international content experts to establish content validity, (3)…

Classroom "Cupcake" Celebrations: Observations of Foods Offered and Consumed

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Isoldi, Kathy K.; Dalton, Sharron; Rodriguez, Desiree P.; Nestle, Marion

2012-01-01

Objective: To describe food and beverage types offered and consumed during classroom celebrations at an elementary school in a low-income, urban community. In addition, to report student intake of fresh fruit provided alongside other party foods. Methods: Observations held during 4 classroom celebrations. Food and beverage items were measured and…

Classroom "cupcake" celebrations: observations of foods offered and consumed.

PubMed

Isoldi, Kathy K; Dalton, Sharron; Rodriguez, Desiree P; Nestle, Marion

2012-01-01

To describe food and beverage types offered and consumed during classroom celebrations at an elementary school in a low-income, urban community. In addition, to report student intake of fresh fruit provided alongside other party foods. Observations held during 4 classroom celebrations. Food and beverage items were measured and counted before and after each celebration. Consumption data were recorded in aggregate for the entire classroom and later adjusted to mean intake per student. Majority of items offered were low-nutrient, energy-dense foods. Mean caloric intake during celebrations ranged from 259 to 455 cal. Fruit provided during 2 of the 4 classroom celebrations resulted in a mean intake of 1 full serving per student. Caloric intake from low-nutrient, energy-dense foods and beverages offered during classroom celebrations contributed 20% or more of daily caloric needs. However, fresh fruit may be a reasonable addition to the party food table. Copyright © 2012 Society for Nutrition Education and Behavior. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Relating Teacher PCK and Teacher Practice Using Classroom Observation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barendsen, Erik; Henze, Ineke

2017-09-01

Science teachers' pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) has been researched in many studies, yet little empirical evidence has been found to determine how this knowledge actually informs teachers' actions in the classroom. To complement previous quantitative studies, there is a need for more qualitative studies to investigate the relationship between teacher knowledge (as formulated by the teacher) and classroom practice, especially in the context of an educational innovation. In this study we explored a possible way to investigate this relationship in an in-depth and systematic fashion. To this end, we conducted a case study with a chemistry teacher in the context of the implementation of a context-based science curriculum in The Netherlands. The teacher's PCK was captured using the Content Representation form by Loughran, Mulhall, and Berry. We used an observation table to monitor classroom interactions in such a way that the observations could be related to specific elements of teachers' PCK. Thus, we were able to give a detailed characterization of the correspondences and differences between the teacher's personal PCK and classroom practice. Such an elaborate description turned out to be a useful basis for discussing mechanisms explaining the relationship between teachers' knowledge and teachers' actions.

A Practitioner's Instrument for Measuring Secondary Mathematics Teachers' Beliefs Surrounding Learner-Centered Classroom Practice.

PubMed

Lischka, Alyson E; Garner, Mary

In this paper we present the development and validation of a Mathematics Teaching Pedagogical and Discourse Beliefs Instrument (MTPDBI), a 20 item partial-credit survey designed and analyzed using Rasch measurement theory. Items on the MTPDBI address beliefs about the nature of mathematics, teaching and learning mathematics, and classroom discourse practices. A Rasch partial credit model (Masters, 1982) was estimated from the pilot study data. Results show that item separation reliability is .96 and person separation reliability is .71. Other analyses indicate the instrument is a viable measure of secondary teachers' beliefs about reform-oriented mathematics teaching and learning. This instrument is proposed as a useful measure of teacher beliefs for those working with pre-service and in-service teacher development.

Observations of Effective Teacher-Student Interactions in Secondary School Classrooms: Predicting Student Achievement with the Classroom Assessment Scoring System--Secondary

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Allen, Joseph; Gregory, Anne; Mikami, Amori; Lun, Janetta; Hamre, Bridget; Pianta, Robert

2013-01-01

Multilevel modeling techniques were used with a sample of 643 students enrolled in 37 secondary school classrooms to predict future student achievement (controlling for baseline achievement) from observed teacher interactions with students in the classroom, coded using the Classroom Assessment Scoring System--Secondary. After accounting for prior…

Observing Children's Stress Behaviors in a Kindergarten Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jackson, Lori A.

2009-01-01

This study used qualitative methods to determine whether kindergarten children exhibited stress behaviors during the academic work period of the day. Sixteen children (8 male, 8 female) ages 5-6 years were observed. The data consisted of classroom observations by the researcher, open-ended interviews with teachers, artifacts collected from the…

Observations of Children's Interactions with Teachers, Peers, and Tasks across Preschool Classroom Activity Settings

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Booren, Leslie M.; Downer, Jason T.; Vitiello, Virginia E.

2012-01-01

Research Findings: This descriptive study examined classroom activity settings in relation to children's observed behavior during classroom interactions, child gender, and basic teacher behavior within the preschool classroom. A total of 145 children were observed for an average of 80 min during 8 occasions across 2 days using the Individualized…

Beyond student ratings: peer observation of classroom and clinical teaching.

PubMed

Berk, Ronald A; Naumann, Phyllis L; Appling, Susan E

2004-01-01

Peer observation of classroom and clinical teaching has received increased attention over the past decade in schools of nursing to augment student ratings of teaching effectiveness. One essential ingredient is the scale used to evaluate performance. A five-step systematic procedure for adapting, writing, and building any peer observation scale is described. The differences between the development of a classroom observation scale and an appraisal scale to observe clinical instructors are examined. Psychometric issues peculiar to observation scales are discussed in terms of content validity, eight types of response bias, and interobserver reliability. The applications of the scales in one school of nursing as part of the triangulation of methods with student ratings and the teaching portfolio are illustrated. Copies of the scales are also provided.

Development and Cross-National Validation of a Laboratory Classroom Environment Instrument for Senior High School Science.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fraser, Barry J.; And Others

1993-01-01

Describes the development of the Science Laboratory Environment Inventory (SLEI) instrument for assessing perceptions of the psychosocial environment in science laboratory classrooms, and reports validation information for samples of senior high school students from six different countries. The SLEI assesses five dimensions of the actual and…

A Classroom Observational Study of Qatar's Independent Schools: Instruction and School Reform

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Palmer, Douglas J.; Sadiq, Hissa M.; Lynch, Patricia; Parker, Dawn; Viruru, Radhika; Knight, Stephanie; Waxman, Hersh; Alford, Beverly; Brown, Danielle Bairrington; Rollins, Kayla; Stillisano, Jacqueline; Abu-Tineh, Abdullah M. Hamdan; Nasser, Ramzi; Allen, Nancy; Al-Binali, Hessa; Ellili, Maha; Al-Kateeb, Haithem; Al-Kubaisi, Huda

2016-01-01

Qatar initiated a K-12 national educational reform in 2001. However, there is limited information on the instructional practices of the teachers in the reform schools. This project was an observational study of classrooms with a stratified random sample of the first six cohorts of reform schools. Specifically, 156 classrooms were observed in 29…

Development and Construct Validity of the Classroom Strategies Scale-Observer Form

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reddy, Linda A.; Fabiano, Gregory; Dudek, Christopher M.; Hsu, Louis

2013-01-01

Research on progress monitoring has almost exclusively focused on student behavior and not on teacher practices. This article presents the development and validation of a new teacher observational assessment (Classroom Strategies Scale) of classroom instructional and behavioral management practices. The theoretical underpinnings and empirical…

Standardized Observational Assessment of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Combined and Predominantly Inattentive Subtypes. II. Classroom Observations.

PubMed

McConaughy, Stephanie H; Ivanova, Masha Y; Antshel, Kevin; Eiraldi, Ricardo B; Dumenci, Levent

2009-07-01

Trained classroom observers used the Direct Observation Form (DOF; McConaughy & Achenbach, 2009) to rate observations of 163 6- to 11-year-old children in their school classrooms. Participants were assigned to four groups based on a parent diagnostic interview and parent and teacher rating scales: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)-Combined type (n = 64); ADHD-Inattentive type (n = 22); clinically referred without ADHD (n = 51); and nonreferred control children (n = 26). The ADHD-Combined group scored significantly higher than the referred without ADHD group and controls on the DOF Intrusive and Oppositional syndromes, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Problems scale, Hyperactivity-Impulsivity subscale, and Total Problems; and significantly lower on the DOF On-Task score. The ADHD-Inattentive group scored significantly higher than controls on the DOF Sluggish Cognitive Tempo and Attention Problems syndromes, Inattention subscale, and Total Problems; and significantly lower on the DOF On-Task score. Implications are discussed regarding the discriminative validity of standardized classroom observations for identifying children with ADHD and differentiating between the two ADHD subtypes.

Standardized Observational Assessment of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Combined and Predominantly Inattentive Subtypes. II. Classroom Observations

PubMed Central

McConaughy, Stephanie H.; Ivanova, Masha Y.; Antshel, Kevin; Eiraldi, Ricardo B.; Dumenci, Levent

2010-01-01

Trained classroom observers used the Direct Observation Form (DOF; McConaughy & Achenbach, 2009) to rate observations of 163 6- to 11-year-old children in their school classrooms. Participants were assigned to four groups based on a parent diagnostic interview and parent and teacher rating scales: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)—Combined type (n = 64); ADHD—Inattentive type (n = 22); clinically referred without ADHD (n = 51); and nonreferred control children (n = 26). The ADHD—Combined group scored significantly higher than the referred without ADHD group and controls on the DOF Intrusive and Oppositional syndromes, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Problems scale, Hyperactivity-Impulsivity subscale, and Total Problems; and significantly lower on the DOF On-Task score. The ADHD—Inattentive group scored significantly higher than controls on the DOF Sluggish Cognitive Tempo and Attention Problems syndromes, Inattention subscale, and Total Problems; and significantly lower on the DOF On-Task score. Implications are discussed regarding the discriminative validity of standardized classroom observations for identifying children with ADHD and differentiating between the two ADHD subtypes. PMID:20802813

Using the ICOT Instrument to Improve Instructional Technology Usage in the ABE Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lentz, Brannon W.

2011-01-01

The International Society for Technology (ISTE) in Education promotes the use of a specific tool--the ISTE Classroom Observation Tool (ICOT)--to measure and improve the use of instructional technologies in Adult Basic Education (ABE) classrooms. The purpose of this article is to describe an application process for the use of the ICOT instrument…

"Keeping SCORE": Reflective Practice through Classroom Observations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Farrell, Thomas S. C.

2011-01-01

Reflective practice means that teachers must subject their own teaching beliefs and practices to critical examination. One way of facilitating reflective practice in ESL teachers is to encourage them to engage in classroom observations as part of their professional development. This paper reports on a case study of a short series of classroom…

The ISI Classroom Observation System: Examining the Literacy Instruction Provided to Individual Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Connor, Carol McDonald; Morrison, Frederick J.; Fishman, Barry J.; Ponitz, Claire Cameron; Glasney, Stephanie; Underwood, Phyllis S.; Piasta, Shayne B.; Crowe, Elizabeth Coyne; Schatschneider, Christopher

2009-01-01

The Individualizing Student Instruction (ISI) classroom observation and coding system is designed to provide a detailed picture of the classroom environment at the level of the individual student. Using a multidimensional conceptualization of the classroom environment, foundational elements (teacher warmth and responsiveness to students, classroom…

Developing and Validating a New Classroom Climate Observation Assessment Tool

PubMed Central

Leff, Stephen S.; Thomas, Duane E.; Shapiro, Edward S.; Paskewich, Brooke; Wilson, Kim; Necowitz-Hoffman, Beth; Jawad, Abbas F.

2011-01-01

The climate of school classrooms, shaped by a combination of teacher practices and peer processes, is an important determinant for children’s psychosocial functioning and is a primary factor affecting bullying and victimization. Given that there are relatively few theoretically-grounded and validated assessment tools designed to measure the social climate of classrooms, our research team developed an observation tool through participatory action research (PAR). This article details how the assessment tool was designed and preliminarily validated in 18 third-, fourth-, and fifth-grade classrooms in a large urban public school district. The goals of this study are to illustrate the feasibility of a PAR paradigm in measurement development, ascertain the psychometric properties of the assessment tool, and determine associations with different indices of classroom levels of relational and physical aggression. PMID:21643447

Developing and Validating a New Classroom Climate Observation Assessment Tool.

PubMed

Leff, Stephen S; Thomas, Duane E; Shapiro, Edward S; Paskewich, Brooke; Wilson, Kim; Necowitz-Hoffman, Beth; Jawad, Abbas F

2011-01-01

The climate of school classrooms, shaped by a combination of teacher practices and peer processes, is an important determinant for children's psychosocial functioning and is a primary factor affecting bullying and victimization. Given that there are relatively few theoretically-grounded and validated assessment tools designed to measure the social climate of classrooms, our research team developed an observation tool through participatory action research (PAR). This article details how the assessment tool was designed and preliminarily validated in 18 third-, fourth-, and fifth-grade classrooms in a large urban public school district. The goals of this study are to illustrate the feasibility of a PAR paradigm in measurement development, ascertain the psychometric properties of the assessment tool, and determine associations with different indices of classroom levels of relational and physical aggression.

Where Do I Look? Preservice Teachers' Classroom Observation Patterns

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Young, Teresa; Bender-Slack, Delane

2011-01-01

During field experiences, preservice teachers are typically required to observe mentor teachers in schools, but what exactly are they seeing? This research examined the patterns and variations that existed with regard to preservice teachers' classroom observations during recent field experiences. Data were collected from 24 preservice teachers…

Comparing Vignette Instruction and Assessment Tasks to Classroom Observations and Reflections

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jeffries, Carolyn; Maeder, Dale W.

2011-01-01

The growing body of research on the use of vignettes in teacher education courses suggests that vignette-based instruction and assessment tasks may represent a viable alternative to traditional forms of scaffolded instruction and reflective essays following classroom observations, thereby creating a bridge between college and K-12 classrooms for…

Observed Classroom Quality in First Grade: Associations with Teacher, Classroom, and School Characteristics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cadima, Joana; Peixoto, Carla; Leal, Teresa

2014-01-01

The observation and assessment of quality of teacher--child interactions in elementary school settings are increasingly recognized as important; however, research is still very limited in European countries. In this study, we examined the quality of the interactions between teacher and children in first-grade classrooms in Portugal and the extent…

Supporting elementary science education for English learners: An evaluation instrument to promote constructivist teaching

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gibbons, Beatrice Lowney

2002-01-01

The purpose of this study was to develop an evaluation instrument to be used by elementary school administrators in the promotion of constructivist teaching of elementary science for English Learners using a qualitative and quantitative design that identified effective instructional strategies to be included on the evaluation instrument. This study was conducted in fifth grade classrooms of predominately English Learners whose teachers are CLAD-certified, tenured teachers with at least three years of teaching experience. The classroom observations took place within a multicultural school district with predominantly Hispanic and Filipino students in the Southern San Joaquin Valley of California. The evaluation instrument was used to observe these teachers teach elementary science lessons to classrooms of predominately English Learners. The frequency of the use of the ELD/SDAIE instructional strategies were noted on the evaluation instrument with a check mark, indicating the fact that an instructional technique was employed by the teacher. These observation visits revealed what type of instructional strategies were being utilized in the teaching of science to fifth grade English Learners, whether these CLAD-certified teachers were using ELD strategies, and whether the incidence of ELD/SDAIE constructivist instructional techniques increased with the repeated use of the evaluation instrument. As a result of this study, an evaluation instrument to be utilized by school administrators in the evaluation of elementary science instruction to English Learners was developed. The repeated use of this evaluation instrument coupled with preobservation and postobservation conferences may result in the increase in frequency of ELD/SDAIE methodology and constructivist strategies listed on the evaluation instrument in the elementary science classroom.

Self-Observation Model Employing an Instinctive Interface for Classroom Active Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chen, Gwo-Dong; Nurkhamid; Wang, Chin-Yeh; Yang, Shu-Han; Chao, Po-Yao

2014-01-01

In a classroom, obtaining active, whole-focused, and engaging learning results from a design is often difficult. In this study, we propose a self-observation model that employs an instinctive interface for classroom active learning. Students can communicate with virtual avatars in the vertical screen and can react naturally according to the…

Evaluating the Validity of Classroom Observations in the Head Start Designation Renewal System

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mashburn, Andrew J.

2017-01-01

Classroom observations are increasingly common in education policies as a means to assess the quality of teachers and/or education programs for purposes of making high-stakes decisions. This article considers one policy, the Head Start Designation Renewal System (DRS), which involves classroom observations to assess the quality of Head Start…

Further Exploration of the Classroom Video Analysis (CVA) Instrument as a Measure of Usable Knowledge for Teaching Mathematics: Taking a Knowledge System Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kersting, Nicole B.; Sutton, Taliesin; Kalinec-Craig, Crystal; Stoehr, Kathleen Jablon; Heshmati, Saeideh; Lozano, Guadalupe; Stigler, James W.

2016-01-01

In this article we report further explorations of the classroom video analysis instrument (CVA), a measure of usable teacher knowledge based on scoring teachers' written analyses of classroom video clips. Like other researchers, our work thus far has attempted to identify and measure separable components of teacher knowledge. In this study we take…

How Many Classroom Observations Are Sufficient? Empirical Findings in the Context of a Longitudinal Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shih, Jeffrey C.; Ing, Marsha; Tarr, James E.

2013-01-01

One method to investigate classroom quality is for a person to observe what is happening in the classroom. However, this method raises practical and technical concerns such as how many observations to collect, when to collect these observations and who should collect these observations. The purpose of this study is to provide empirical evidence to…

Observations of Effective Teacher–Student Interactions in Secondary School Classrooms: Predicting Student Achievement With the Classroom Assessment Scoring System—Secondary

PubMed Central

Allen, Joseph; Gregory, Anne; Mikami, Amori; Lun, Janetta; Hamre, Bridget; Pianta, Robert

2017-01-01

Multilevel modeling techniques were used with a sample of 643 students enrolled in 37 secondary school classrooms to predict future student achievement (controlling for baseline achievement) from observed teacher interactions with students in the classroom, coded using the Classroom Assessment Scoring System—Secondary. After accounting for prior year test performance, qualities of teacher interactions with students predicted student performance on end-of-year standardized achievement tests. Classrooms characterized by a positive emotional climate, with sensitivity to adolescent needs and perspectives, use of diverse and engaging instructional learning formats, and a focus on analysis and problem solving were associated with higher levels of student achievement. Effects of higher quality teacher–student interactions were greatest in classrooms with fewer students. Implications for teacher performance assessment and teacher effects on achievement are discussed. PMID:28931966

Characterizing Mathematics Classroom Practice: Impact of Observation and Coding Choices

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ing, Marsha; Webb, Noreen M.

2012-01-01

Large-scale observational measures of classroom practice increasingly focus on opportunities for student participation as an indicator of instructional quality. Each observational measure necessitates making design and coding choices on how to best measure student participation. This study investigated variations of coding approaches that may be…

Concurrent Validity of the Classroom Strategies Scale for Elementary School--Observer Form

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reddy, Linda A.; Fabiano, Gregory A.; Dudek, Christopher M.

2013-01-01

The present study is an initial investigation of the concurrent validity of a new assessment, the Classroom Strategies Scale (CSS version 2.0) for Elementary School--Observer Form. The CSS assesses teachers' use of instructional and behavioral management strategies. In the present study, the CSS is compared to the Classroom Assessment Scoring…

Using Rasch Measurement to Validate an Instrument for Measuring the Quality of Classroom Teaching in Secondary Chemistry Lessons

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

He, Peng; Liu, Xiufeng; Zheng, Changlong; Jia, Mengying

2016-01-01

This study intends to develop a standardized instrument for measuring classroom teaching and learning in secondary chemistry lessons. Based on previous studies and interviews with expert teachers, the progression of five quality levels was constructed hypothetically to represent the quality of chemistry lessons in Chinese secondary schools. The…

Benefits of a Classroom Based Instrumental Music Program on Verbal Memory of Primary School Children: A Longitudinal Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rickard, Nikki S.; Vasquez, Jorge T.; Murphy, Fintan; Gill, Anneliese; Toukhsati, Samia R.

2010-01-01

Previous research has demonstrated a benefit of music training on a number of cognitive functions including verbal memory performance. The impact of school-based music programs on memory processes is however relatively unknown. The current study explored the effect of increasing frequency and intensity of classroom-based instrumental training…

Jefferson Teamwork Observation Guide (JTOG): An Instrument to Observe Teamwork Behaviors.

PubMed

Lyons, Kevin J; Giordano, Carolyn; Speakman, Elizabeth; Smith, Kellie; Horowitz, June A

2016-01-01

Interprofessional education (IPE) is becoming an integral part of the education of health professions students. However, teaching students to become successful members of interprofessional teams is complex, and it is important for students to learn the combinations of skills necessary for teams to function effectively. There are many instruments available to measure many features related to IPE. However, these instruments are often too cumbersome to use in an observational situation since they tend to be lengthy and contain many abstract characteristics that are difficult to identify. The Jefferson Teamwork Observation Guide (JTOG) is a short tool that was created for students early in their educational program to observe teams in action with a set of guidelines to help them focus their observation on behaviors indicative of good teamwork. The JTOG was developed over a 2-year period based on student and clinician feedback and the input of experts in IPE. While initially developed as a purely educational tool for prelicensure students, it is becoming clear that it is an easy-to-use instrument that assesses the behavior of clinicians in practice.

Teaching the Teachers: Peer Observations in Elementary Classrooms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schenk, Matthew D.

2016-01-01

The United States is facing an unprecedented teacher shortage. With many studies estimating that 17-33% of teachers leave the profession within their first five years of starting a career, something needs to change to keep new teachers in the classroom. This study evaluates the effectiveness of peer observation as a learning tool to supplement the…

Does Class Size in First Grade Relate to Children's Academic and Social Performance or Observed Classroom Processes?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Allhusen, Virginia; Belsky, Jay; Booth-LaForce, Cathryn L.; Bradley, Robert; Brownwell, Celia A; Burchinal, Margaret; Campbell, Susan B.; Clarke-Stewart, K. Alison; Cox, Martha; Friedman, Sarah L.; Hirsh-Pasek, Kathryn; Houts, Renate M.; Huston, Aletha; Jaeger, Elizabeth; Johnson, Deborah J.; Kelly, Jean F.; Knoke, Bonnie; Marshall, Nancy; McCartney, Kathleen; Morrison, Frederick J.; O'Brien, Marion; Tresch Owen, Margaret; Payne, Chris; Phillips, Deborah; Pianta, Robert; Randolph, Suzanne M.; Robeson, Wendy W.; Spieker, Susan; Lowe Vandell, Deborah; Weinraub, Marsha

2004-01-01

This study evaluated the extent to which first-grade class size predicted child outcomes and observed classroom processes for 651 children (in separate classrooms). Analyses examined observed child-adult ratios and teacher-reported class sizes. Smaller classrooms showed higher quality instructional and emotional support, although children were…

Rating a Teacher Observation Tool: Five Ways to Ensure Classroom Observations are Focused and Rigorous

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

New Teacher Project, 2011

2011-01-01

This "Rating a Teacher Observation Tool" identifies five simple questions and provides an easy-to-use scorecard to help policymakers decide whether an observation framework is likely to produce fair and accurate results. The five questions are: (1) Do the criteria and tools cover the classroom performance areas most connected to student outcomes?…

Executive Control Goes to School: Implications of Preschool Executive Performance for Observed Elementary Classroom Learning Engagement

PubMed Central

Nelson, Timothy D.; Nelson, Jennifer Mize; James, Tiffany D.; Clark, Caron A.C.; Kidwell, Katherine M.; Espy, Kimberly Andrews

2017-01-01

The transition to elementary school is accompanied by increasing demands for children to regulate their attention and behavior within the classroom setting. Executive control (EC) may be critical for meeting these demands; however, few studies have rigorously examined the association between EC and observed classroom behavior. This study examined EC in preschool (age 5 years, 3 months) as a predictor of classroom learning engagement behaviors in first grade, using a battery of performance-based EC tasks and live classroom observations in a longitudinal sample of 313 children. Multilevel modeling results indicated that stronger EC predicted more focused engagement and fewer task management and competing responses, controlling for socioeconomic status, child sex, and age at observations. Results suggest that early EC may support subsequent classroom engagement behaviors that are critical for successful transition to elementary school and long-term learning trajectories. PMID:28358540

Variability of attention processes in ADHD: observations from the classroom.

PubMed

Rapport, Mark D; Kofler, Michael J; Alderson, R Matt; Timko, Thomas M; Dupaul, George J

2009-05-01

Classroom- and laboratory-based efforts to study the attentional problems of children with ADHD are incongruent in elucidating attentional deficits; however, none have explored within- or between-minute variability in the classroom attentional processing in children with ADHD. High and low attention groups of ADHD children defined via cluster analysis, and 36 typically developing children, were observed while completing academic assignments in their general education classrooms. All children oscillated between attentive and inattentive states; however, children in both ADHD groups switched states more frequently and remained attentive for shorter durations relative to typically developing children. Overall differences in attention and optimal ability to maintain attention among the groups are consistent with laboratory studies of increased ADHD-related interindividual and intergroup variability but inconsistent with laboratory results of increased intra-individual variability and attention decrements over time.

The Potential of General Classroom Observation: Turkish EFL Teachers' Perceptions, Sentiments, and Readiness for Action

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Merç, Ali

2015-01-01

The purpose of this study was to determine Turkish EFL teachers' attitudes towards classroom observation. 204 teachers from different school settings responded to an online questionnaire. Data were analyzed according to three types of attitudes towards classroom observation: perceptions, sentiments, and readiness for action. The findings revealed…

Classroom listening assessment: strategies for speech-language pathologists.

PubMed

Johnson, Cheryl DeConde

2012-11-01

Emphasis on classroom listening has gained importance for all children and especially for those with hearing loss and special listening needs. The rationale can be supported from trends in educational placements, the Response to Intervention initiative, student performance and accountability, the role of audition in reading, and improvement in hearing technologies. Speech-language pathologists have an instrumental role advocating for the accommodations that are necessary for effective listening for these children in school. To identify individual listening needs and make relevant recommendations for accommodations, a classroom listening assessment is suggested. Components of the classroom listening assessment include observation, behavioral assessment, self-assessment, and classroom acoustics measurements. Together, with a strong rationale, the results can be used to implement a plan that results in effective classroom listening for these children. Thieme Medical Publishers 333 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10001, USA.

A Study of Measures of Classroom Learning Environments. Technical Report Number 4.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cichon, Donald J.; Olson, George E.

This study deals with the following topics: (1) the extent to which three different learning environment instruments and their underlying conceptual framework are empirically related, and (2) the extent to which intensive observation of classrooms aids in the interpretation of instruments' characterizations of a class. In the first part of the…

A New Mirror for the Classroom: A Technology-Based Tool for Documenting the Impact of Technology on Instruction.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gearhart, Maryl; And Others

One of the new measures developed as part of the Apple Classrooms of Tomorrow (ACOT) program is described. The ACOT project examines the impact of access to educational technology on the kindergarten through grade 12 classroom environments. The new measure is a technology-based classroom observation instrument for documenting the impact of…

Live versus Video Observations: Comparing the Reliability and Validity of Two Methods of Assessing Classroom Quality

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Curby, Timothy W.; Johnson, Price; Mashburn, Andrew J.; Carlis, Lydia

2016-01-01

When conducting classroom observations, researchers are often confronted with the decision of whether to conduct observations live or by using pre-recorded video. The present study focuses on comparing and contrasting observations of live and video administrations of the Classroom Assessment Scoring System-PreK (CLASS-PreK). Associations between…

Radio observations of the Milky Way from the classroom

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chyży, Krzysztof T.

2014-12-01

We present the project to introduce the first European network of radio telescopes for education. It enables pupils to detect spectral line emission of neutral hydrogen in the Milky Way at a wavelength of 21 cm. Any classroom connected to Internet via any web-browser can remotely control one of the radio-telescopes, observe and analyse obtained spectra: derive the Milky-Way rotation curve and recognise spiral arms in hydrogen distribution. Doing exercises pupils, guided by their teachers, learn the basics of radio astronomy research, use scientific method to explore and interpret the attained spectral data. A range of attractive educational materials are prepared to help in disseminating the scientific knowledge in the classroom and demonstrate the modern information technology.

Refining MARGINS Mini-Lessons Using Classroom Observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Iverson, E. A.; Manduca, C. A.; McDaris, J. R.; Lee, S.

2009-12-01

One of the challenges that we face in developing teaching materials or activities from research findings is testing the materials to determine that they work as intended. Traditionally faculty develop material for their own class, notice what worked and didn’t, and improve them the next year. However, as we move to a community process of creating and sharing teaching materials, a community-based process for testing materials is appropriate. The MARGINS project has piloted such a process for testing teaching materials and activities developed as part of its mini-lesson project (http://serc.carleton.edu/margins/index.html). Building on prior work developing mechanisms for community review of teaching resources (e.g. Kastens, 2002; Hancock and Manduca, 2005; Mayhew and Hall, 2007), the MARGINS evaluation team developed a structured classroom observation protocol. The goals of field testing are to a) gather structured, consistent feedback for the lesson authors based on classroom use; b) guide reviewers of these lessons to reflect on research-based educational practice as a framework for their comments; c) collect information on the data and observations that the reviewer used to underpin their review; d) determine which mini-lessons are ready to be made widely available on the website. The protocol guides faculty observations on why they used the activity, the effectiveness of the activity in their classroom, the success of the activity in leading to the desired learning, and what other faculty need to successfully use the activity. Available online (http://serc.carleton.edu/margins/protocol.html), the protocol can be downloaded and completed during instruction with the activity. In order to encourage review of mini-lessons using the protocol, a workshop focused on review and revision of activities was held in May 2009. In preparation for the workshop, 13 of the 28 participants chose to field test a mini-lesson prior to the workshop and reported that they found this

Exoplanetary Science: Instrumentation, Observations, and Expectations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

McElwain, Michael

2011-01-01

More than 700 exoplanets have been discovered and studied using indirect techniques, leading our field into the exciting new era of comparative exoplanetology. However, the direct detection of exoplanetary systems still remains at the sensitivity limits of both ground- and space-based observatories. The development of new technologies for adaptive optics systems and high contrast instruments continues to increase the ability to directly study exoplanets. The scientific impact of these developments has promising prospects for both short and long timescales. In my talk, I will discuss recent highlights from the SEEDS survey and the current instrumentation in use at the Subaru telescope. SEEDS is a high contrast imaging strategic observing program with 120 nights of time allocated at the NAOJ's flagship optical and infrared telescope. I will also describe new instrumentation I designed to improve the SEEDS capabilities and efficiency. Finally, I will briefly discuss the conceptual design of a transiting planet camera to fly as a potential second generation instrument on-board NASA's SOFIA observatory.

Generalizability and decision studies to inform observational and experimental research in classroom settings.

PubMed

Bottema-Beutel, Kristen; Lloyd, Blair; Carter, Erik W; Asmus, Jennifer M

2014-11-01

Attaining reliable estimates of observational measures can be challenging in school and classroom settings, as behavior can be influenced by multiple contextual factors. Generalizability (G) studies can enable researchers to estimate the reliability of observational data, and decision (D) studies can inform how many observation sessions are necessary to achieve a criterion level of reliability. We conducted G and D studies using observational data from a randomized control trial focusing on social and academic participation of students with severe disabilities in inclusive secondary classrooms. Results highlight the importance of anchoring observational decisions to reliability estimates from existing or pilot data sets. We outline steps for conducting G and D studies and address options when reliability estimates are lower than desired.

Teacher Competency in Classroom Testing, Measurement Preparation, and Classroom Testing Practices.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Newman, Dorothy C.; Stallings, William M.

An assessment instrument and a questionnaire (Appendices A and B) were developed to determine how well teachers understand classroom testing principles and to gain information on the measurement preparation and classroom practices of teachers. Two hundred ninety-four inservice teachers, grades 1 through 12, from three urban school systems in…

Inter-calibration and validation of observations from SAPHIR and ATMS instruments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moradi, I.; Ferraro, R. R.

2015-12-01

We present the results of evaluating observations from microwave instruments aboard the Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership (NPP, ATMS instrument) and Megha-Tropiques (SAPHIR instrument) satellites. The study includes inter-comparison and inter-calibration of observations of similar channels from the two instruments, evaluation of the satellite data using high-quality radiosonde data from Atmospheric Radiation Measurement Program and GPS Radio Occultaion Observations from COSMIC mission, as well as geolocation error correction. The results of this study are valuable for generating climate data records from these instruments as well as for extending current climate data records from similar instruments such as AMSU-B and MHS to the ATMS and SAPHIR instruments. Reference: Moradi et al., Intercalibration and Validation of Observations From ATMS and SAPHIR Microwave Sounders. IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing. 01/2015; DOI: 10.1109/TGRS.2015.2427165

Observations of Children's Interactions with Teachers, Peers, and Tasks across Preschool Classroom Activity Settings.

PubMed

Booren, Leslie M; Downer, Jason T; Vitiello, Virginia E

2012-07-01

This descriptive study examined classroom activity settings in relation to children's observed behavior during classroom interactions, child gender, and basic teacher behavior within the preschool classroom. 145 children were observed for an average of 80 minutes during 8 occasions across 2 days using the inCLASS, an observational measure that conceptualizes behavior into teacher, peer, task, and conflict interactions. Findings indicated that on average children's interactions with teachers were higher in teacher-structured settings, such as large group. On average, children's interactions with peers and tasks were more positive in child-directed settings, such as free choice. Children experienced more conflict during recess and routines/transitions. Finally, gender differences were observed within small group and meals. The implications of these findings might encourage teachers to be thoughtful and intentional about what types of support and resources are provided so children can successfully navigate the demands of particular settings. These findings are not meant to discourage certain teacher behaviors or imply value of certain classroom settings; instead, by providing an evidenced-based picture of the conditions under which children display the most positive interactions, teachers can be more aware of choices within these settings and have a powerful way to assist in professional development and interventions.

Commentary on two classroom observation systems: moving toward a shared understanding of effective teaching.

PubMed

Connor, Carol McDonald

2013-12-01

In this commentary, I make five points: that designing observation systems that actually predict students' outcomes is challenging; second that systems that capture the complex and dynamic nature of the classroom learning environment are more likely to be able to meet this challenge; three, that observation tools are most useful when developed to serve a particular purpose and are put to that purpose; four that technology can help; and five, there are policy implications for valid and reliable classroom observation tools. The two observation systems presented in this special issue represent an important step forward and a move toward policy that promises to make a true difference in what is defined as high quality and effective teaching, what it looks like in the classroom, and how these practices can be more widely disseminated so that all children, including those attending under-resourced schools, can experience effective instruction, academic success and the lifelong accomplishment that follows. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2013 APA, all rights reserved.

Commentary on Two Classroom Observation Systems: Moving Toward a Shared Understanding of Effective Teaching

PubMed Central

Connor, Carol McDonald

2016-01-01

In this commentary, I make five points: that designing observation systems that actually predict students’ outcomes is challenging; second that systems that capture the complex and dynamic nature of the classroom learning environment are more likely to be able to meet this challenge; three, that observation tools are most useful when developed to serve a particular purpose and are put to that purpose; four that technology can help; and five, there are policy implications for valid and reliable classroom observation tools. The two observation systems presented in this special issue represent an important step forward and a move toward policy that promises to make a true difference in what is defined as high quality and effective teaching, what it looks like in the classroom, and how these practices can be more widely disseminated so that all children, including those attending under-resourced schools, can experience effective instruction, academic success and the lifelong accomplishment that follows. PMID:24341927

Development and construct validity of the Classroom Strategies Scale-Observer Form.

PubMed

Reddy, Linda A; Fabiano, Gregory; Dudek, Christopher M; Hsu, Louis

2013-12-01

Research on progress monitoring has almost exclusively focused on student behavior and not on teacher practices. This article presents the development and validation of a new teacher observational assessment (Classroom Strategies Scale) of classroom instructional and behavioral management practices. The theoretical underpinnings and empirical basis for the instructional and behavioral management scales are presented. The Classroom Strategies Scale (CSS) evidenced overall good reliability estimates including internal consistency, interrater reliability, test-retest reliability, and freedom from item bias on important teacher demographics (age, educational degree, years of teaching experience). Confirmatory factor analyses (CFAs) of CSS data from 317 classrooms were carried out to assess the level of empirical support for (a) a 4 first-order factor theory concerning teachers' instructional practices, and (b) a 4 first-order factor theory concerning teachers' behavior management practice. Several fit indices indicated acceptable fit of the (a) and (b) CFA models to the data, as well as acceptable fit of less parsimonious alternative CFA models that included 1 or 2 second-order factors. Information-theory-based indices generally suggested that the (a) and (b) CFA models fit better than some more parsimonious alternative CFA models that included constraints on relations of first-order factors. Overall, CFA first-order and higher order factor results support the CSS-Observer Total, Composite, and subscales. Suggestions for future measurement development efforts are outlined. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2013 APA, all rights reserved.

Observation of children with attention-deficit hyperactivity (ADHD) problems in three natural classroom contexts.

PubMed

Lauth, G W; Heubeck, B G; Mackowiak, K

2006-06-01

Observation studies of students with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) problems in natural classroom situations are costly and relatively rare. The study enquired how teacher ratings are anchored in actual student classroom behaviours, and how the behaviour of children with ADHD problems differs from their classmates. The authors attempted to broaden the usual focus on disruptive and inattentive behaviours to elucidate the role of various on-task behaviours, as well as considering differences between classroom contexts. DSM-III-R criteria were used in conjunction with a teacher rating scale to select a sample of 55 students with ADHD problems, and 55 matched controls from a population of 569 primary school students. Students were observed in their natural classrooms using the Munich Observation of Attention Inventory (MAI; Helmke, 1988). Correlations between teacher reports and observation codes were computed, and systematic differences between students with ADHD problems and controls in different classroom contexts were examined using a generalized linear mixed model (GLMM). Global teacher reports showed moderate to strong correlations with observed student behaviours. Expected on-task behaviour demonstrated the strongest relationship (r>-.70) with teacher reports. As hypothesized, the children with ADHD were more disruptive and inattentive than their matched peers. They were also less often inconspicuous on-task as expected by their teachers. However, their behaviour was assigned to two other on-task categories more often than their peers, and this raised their total on-task behaviour to over 66%. Situational differences were found for all codes as well, which mostly affected all students in a similar way, not just students with ADHD. ADHD related behaviours are pervasive across the classroom situations coded. Teachers appear to distinguish between desirable and undesirable on-task behaviours. Nevertheless, assisting students with ADHD problems

Using Classroom Observations to Measure Teacher Effectiveness: Q&A with Rob Ramsdell. REL Mid-Atlantic Webinar

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Regional Educational Laboratory Mid-Atlantic, 2013

2013-01-01

In this webinar, Mr. Rob Ramsdell, Vice President, Cambridge Education, discussed the use of classroom observations as one measure of teacher effectiveness in a comprehensive educator support system. Mr. Ramsdell presented research-based recommendations for improving the quality and rigor of classroom observations. This Q&A addressed the…

Live Video Classroom Observation: An Effective Approach to Reducing Reactivity in Collecting Observational Information for Teacher Professional Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Liang, Jiwen

2015-01-01

This paper examines the significance of live video classroom observations of teaching practice to reduce reactivity (the observer effect) so as to obtain more credible observational information for teacher professional development in a secondary school in the largest city in southern China. Although much has been discussed regarding the use of…

Classroom Observation Practice in Career Schools: A Multiple Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Withers, Marya G.

2017-01-01

Post-secondary career school educational leaders are charged with formulating sufficient, ongoing, and effective faculty development programming to ensure the delivery of quality education in their unique trade-expert led institutions. Classroom observations, which include substantive feedback exchanges from trained personnel are well documented…

Development and Application of the Elementary School Science Classroom Environment Scale (ESSCES): Measuring Student Perceptions of Constructivism within the Science Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Peoples, Shelagh M.; O'Dwyer, Laura M.; Wang, Yang; Brown, Jessica J.; Rosca, Camelia V.

2014-01-01

This article describes the development, validation and application of a Rasch-based instrument, the Elementary School Science Classroom Environment Scale (ESSCES), for measuring students' perceptions of constructivist practices within the elementary science classroom. The instrument, designed to complement the Reformed Teaching Observation…

Participation in regular classroom of student with hearing loss: frequency modulation system use.

PubMed

Jacob, Regina Tangerino de Souza; Alves, Tacianne Kriscia Machado; Moret, Adriane Lima Mortari; Morettin, Marina; Santos, Larissa Germiniani Dos; Mondelli, Maria Fernanda Capoani Garcia

2014-01-01

Translate and adapt to Portuguese the Classroom Participation Questionnaire (CPQ) and compare the participation in regular classroom of students with hearing impairment with and without the use of frequency modulation (FM) System. The translation and adaptation of CPQ included the translation into Portuguese, linguistic adaptation and review of grammatical and idiomatic equivalences. The questionnaire was administered to 15 children and teenagers using hearing aids (HA) and/or cochlear implant (CI), fitted with personal FM System. The translation of the English CPQ into the Portuguese instrument resulted in the "Questionário de participação em sala de aula" with the same number of questions as the original version; regarding linguistic adaptation, no difficulty was observed in the understanding of the items proposed in the application for students with hearing loss. The CPQ instrument was translated and culturally adapted for the Brazilian population, being named "Questionário de participação em sala de aula" in the Portuguese version. The study contributes to observation and monitoring of participation in regular classroom of students with hearing impairment using FM System. In general, students reported increased confidence and participation in the classroom with the use of FM System.

The Individualized Classroom Assessment Scoring System (inCLASS): Preliminary Reliability and Validity of a System for Observing Preschoolers’ Competence in Classroom Interactions

PubMed Central

Downer, Jason T.; Booren, Leslie M.; Lima, Olivia K.; Luckner, Amy E.; Pianta, Robert C.

2012-01-01

This paper introduces the Individualized Classroom Assessment Scoring System (inCLASS), an observation tool that targets children’s interactions in preschool classrooms with teachers, peers, and tasks. In particular, initial evidence is reported of the extent to which the inCLASS meets the following psychometric criteria: inter-rater reliability, normal distributions and adequate range, construct validity, and criterion-related validity. These initial findings suggest that the inCLASS has the potential to provide an authentic, contextualized assessment of young children’s classroom behaviors. Future directions for research with the inCLASS are discussed. PMID:23175598

An Observational Study of Instructional and Curricular Practices Used with Gifted and Talented Students in Regular Classrooms. Research Monograph 93104.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Westberg, Karen L.; And Others

This report describes one part of the Classroom Practices Study, focusing on systematic observations of gifted and talented students in 46 third and fourth grade classrooms. The observations were designed to determine if and how teachers meet the needs of gifted and talented students in regular classroom settings. The Classroom Practices Record…

A Comparative Investigation of the Efficiency of Two Classroom Observational Methods.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kissel, Mary Ann

The problem of this study was to determine whether Method A is a more efficient observational method for obtaining activity type behaviors in an individualized classroom than Method B. Method A requires the observer to record the activities of the entire class at given intervals while Method B requires only the activities of selected individuals…

The Effect of Observation Length and Presentation Order on the Reliability and Validity of an Observational Measure of Teaching Quality

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mashburn, Andrew J.; Meyer, J. Patrick; Allen, Joseph P.; Pianta, Robert C.

2014-01-01

Observational methods are increasingly being used in classrooms to evaluate the quality of teaching. Operational procedures for observing teachers are somewhat arbitrary in existing measures and vary across different instruments. To study the effect of different observation procedures on score reliability and validity, we conducted an experimental…

The development of an instrument to measure teachers' use of fear appeals in the GCSE classroom.

PubMed

Putwain, David W; Roberts, Christine M

2009-12-01

Previous work has suggested that teachers of General Certificate of Secondary Education classes may use fear appeals as a motivational device but these may have unwanted consequences by increasing examination-related anxiety in students. To facilitate future work in this area, an instrument was developed to measure teachers' use of fear appeals in the course of normal classroom instruction. Students in their final 2 years of compulsory schooling in England: 192 in Study 1 and 133 in Study 2. A construct validity approach was used in the development of this instrument. Study 1 reports the development and piloting of this measure. Study 2 reports refinement of this measure and relations with other constructs. A three-factor structure provided a reasonable model fit and all factors demonstrated acceptable reliability. Factors 1 and 2 described the perceived frequency of fear appeals made in relation to educational/occupational consequences and the third factor described the perceived threat of fear appeals. This instrument has demonstrated sufficient convergent and discriminant validity and reliability to be used in subsequent research, although the validation process should continue and it is hoped that the instrument will be adapted for use in other contexts.

Measuring Teacher-Child Interactions in Linguistically Diverse Pre-K Classrooms. Research Brief

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Downer, Jason T.; Lopez, Michael L.; Grimm, Kevin J.; Hamagami, Aki; Pianta, Robert C.; Howes, Carollee

2012-01-01

Researchers investigated whether the Classroom Assessment Scoring System[TM] reliably characterized prekindergarten classrooms having varying ethnic and language compositions across the instrument's three domains (Emotional Support, Classroom Organization, and Instructional Support). They also examined whether the instrument predicted children's…

Observations of Children’s Interactions with Teachers, Peers, and Tasks across Preschool Classroom Activity Settings

PubMed Central

Booren, Leslie M.; Downer, Jason T.; Vitiello, Virginia E.

2014-01-01

This descriptive study examined classroom activity settings in relation to children’s observed behavior during classroom interactions, child gender, and basic teacher behavior within the preschool classroom. 145 children were observed for an average of 80 minutes during 8 occasions across 2 days using the inCLASS, an observational measure that conceptualizes behavior into teacher, peer, task, and conflict interactions. Findings indicated that on average children’s interactions with teachers were higher in teacher-structured settings, such as large group. On average, children’s interactions with peers and tasks were more positive in child-directed settings, such as free choice. Children experienced more conflict during recess and routines/transitions. Finally, gender differences were observed within small group and meals. The implications of these findings might encourage teachers to be thoughtful and intentional about what types of support and resources are provided so children can successfully navigate the demands of particular settings. These findings are not meant to discourage certain teacher behaviors or imply value of certain classroom settings; instead, by providing an evidenced-based picture of the conditions under which children display the most positive interactions, teachers can be more aware of choices within these settings and have a powerful way to assist in professional development and interventions. PMID:25717282

Improving Method-in-Use through Classroom Observation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nunn, Roger

2011-01-01

Method-in-use (Nunn, Describing classroom interaction in intercultural curricular research and development, University of Reading, 1996, International Review of Applied Linguistics in Language Teaching 37: 23-42, 1999) is a description of the method actually being enacted through classroom interaction in a particular context. The description is…

Generalizability and Decision Studies to Inform Observational and Experimental Research in Classroom Settings

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bottema-Beutel, Kristen; Lloyd, Blair; Carter, Erik W.; Asmus, Jennifer M.

2014-01-01

Attaining reliable estimates of observational measures can be challenging in school and classroom settings, as behavior can be influenced by multiple contextual factors. Generalizability (G) studies can enable researchers to estimate the reliability of observational data, and decision (D) studies can inform how many observation sessions are…

New Worlds Observer Telescope and Instrument Optical Design Concepts

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Howard, Joseph M.; Noecker, Charlie; Kendrick, Steve; Woodgate, Bruce; Kilstron, Steve; Cash, Webster

2008-01-01

Optical design concepts for the telescope and instrumentation for NASA s New Worlds Observer program are presented. A four-meter multiple channel telescope is discussed, as well as a suite of science instrument concepts. Wide field instrumentation (imager and spectrograph) would be accommodated by a three-mirror-anastigmat telescope design. Planet finding and characterization, and a UV instrument would use a separate channel that is picked off after the first two mirrors (primary and secondary). Guiding concepts are also discussed.

Occasions and the Reliability of Classroom Observations: Alternative Conceptualizations and Methods of Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Meyer, J. Patrick; Cash, Anne H.; Mashburn, Andrew

2011-01-01

Student-teacher interactions are dynamic relationships that change and evolve over the course of a school year. Measuring classroom quality through observations that focus on these interactions presents challenges when observations are conducted throughout the school year. Variability in observed scores could reflect true changes in the quality of…

Development of a System for Observing Dance Activities in the Classroom Environment (SODANCE)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sims, Meredith; Abel, Mark; Clasey, Jody; Beighle, Aaron; Fedewa, Alicia; Erwin, Heather

2016-01-01

This study sought to develop a system for observing dance activities in the classroom environment (SODANCE) based on the system for observing fitness instructional time (SOFIT). SODANCE utilizes direct observation to quantify the physical activity intensity of dance activities. Female students aged 11-17 years participated in an activity protocol…

One Look at Aggression in the Classroom.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Carl R.

1980-01-01

The author defines classroom aggression, deals with the possible explanations as to why such behavior occurs, looks at possible misconceptions related to classroom aggression, and points out items which need to be looked at when analyzing classroom aggression. Two types of aggression--hostile and instrumental--are considered. Determinants of…

The Domain Five Observation Instrument: A Competency-Based Coach Evaluation Tool

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shangraw, Rebecca

2017-01-01

The Domain Five Observation Instrument (DFOI) is a competency-based observation instrument recommended for sport leaders or researchers who wish to evaluate coaches' instructional behaviors. The DFOI includes 10 behavior categories and four timed categories that encompass 34 observable instructional benchmarks outlined in domain five of the…

Classroom Writing Environments and Children's Early Writing Skills: An Observational Study in Head Start Classrooms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zhang, Chenyi; Hur, Jinhee; Diamond, Karen E.; Powell, Douglas

2015-01-01

This study examined the classroom writing environment in 31 Head Start classrooms, and explored the relations between the writing environment, children's (N = 262) name-writing, and children's letter knowledge using pathway analysis. Our analyses showed that Head Start classrooms provided opportunities (i.e., writing materials and teachers'…

An Instrument for Investigating Chinese Language Learning Environments in Singapore Secondary Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chua, Siew Lian; Wong, Angela F. L.; Chen, Der-Thanq

2009-01-01

This paper describes how a new classroom environment instrument, the "Chinese Language Classroom Environment Inventory (CLCEI)", was developed to investigate the nature of Chinese language classroom learning environments in Singapore secondary schools. The CLCEI is a bilingual instrument (English and Chinese Language) with 48 items…

The Effect of Using More than One Type of Teacher Observation System in the Same Study.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marston, Paul T.; Zimmerer, Linda K.

The multiple use of several classroom observation instruments was investigated to determine its influence upon the way an observer records behavior, since such an influence may cause discrepancies in findings between studies. Twenty-four volunteer students were divided into three groups and trained to use one or more of three classroom observation…

Dimensionality and construct validity of an instrument designed to measure the metacognitive orientation of science classroom learning environments.

PubMed

Thomas, Gregory P

2004-01-01

The purpose of this study was to establish the factorial construct validity and dimensionality of the Metacognitive Orientation Learning Environment Scale-Science (MOLES-S) which was designed to measure the metacognitive orientation of science classroom learning environments. The metacognitive orientation of a science classroom learning environment is the extent to which psychosocial conditions that are known to enhance students' metacognition are evident within that classroom. The development of items comprising this scale was based on a theoretical understanding of metacognition, learning environments and the development of previous learning environments instruments. Four possible hypothesized structure models, each consistent with the literature, were reviewed and their merits were compared on the basis of empirical data drawn from two populations of 1026 and 1223 Hong Kong secondary school students using confirmatory factor analysis procedures. The scale was calibrated using the Rasch rating scale model using data from the 1223 student sample. The results suggest that there is strong evidence to support the factorial construct validity of the MOLES-S but that, on the basis of the Rasch analysis, there are still suggestions for further refinement and improvement of the MOLES-S.

RBSPICE in the Classroom: Building a ballistic galvanometer using common household products

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Patterson, J. D.; Manweiler, J. W.; Lanzerotti, L. J.; Zwiener, H.

2016-12-01

"RBSPICE in the Classroom: Changing Magnetic Fields and Electrical Currents" is a hands-on exercise for middle school and high school science classrooms. Students build a ballistic galvanometer using inexpensive common items that can be purchased at any craft store, and make qualitative observations of changing magnetic fields and the electrical currents they create. The goal of this work is to provide teachers new materials to use in their classrooms as tools for teaching students about electricity and magnetism. The experiment relates our Earth as a planet to the role the Magnetosphere plays in protecting us from Space Weather. The experiments show the ways in which Van Allen Probes play an important part in exploring those relationships using such instruments as the Radiation Belt Storm Probes Ion Composition Experiment (RBSPICE). The exercise is a vehicle for discussing electromagnetic induction, the behavior of the Earth's magnetosphere coupled with storm-time conditions that produce the Earth's ring current, and the mission objectives of the Van Allen Probes RBSPICE instrument.

Different Regions, Diverse Classrooms? a Study of Primary Classrooms in China

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McNaught, Carmel; Lok, Beatrice; Yin, Hongbiao; Lee, John Chi-Kin; Song, Huan

2014-01-01

Classroom experience is shaped by a number of factors. In this paper, we report a classroom observation study in China, illustrating regional variation in students' classroom learning experiences. Through comparing and contrasting observed classroom practices in three different regions in China (Chongqing, Hong Kong and Shanghai), the paper…

Teacher Interviews, Student Interviews, and Classroom Observations in Combinatorics: Four Analyses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Caddle, Mary C.

2012-01-01

This research consists of teacher interviews, student interviews, and classroom observations, all based around the mathematical content area of combinatorics. Combinatorics is a part of discrete mathematics concerning the ordering and grouping of distinct elements. The data are used in four separate analyses. The first provides evidence that…

What Principals Do to Improve Teaching and Learning: Comparing the Use of Informal Classroom Observations in Two School Districts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ing, Marsha

2013-01-01

Informally observing classrooms is one way that principals can help improve teaching and learning. This study describes the variability of principals' classroom observations across schools and identifies the conditions under which observations relate to the instructional climate in some schools and not others. Data for this study come from…

What Works Clearinghouse Quick Review: "Gathering Feedback for Teachers: Combining High-Quality Observations with Student Surveys and Achievement Gains"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

What Works Clearinghouse, 2012

2012-01-01

This study examined five instruments used to assess the effectiveness of teacher practices based on classroom observations. The study first examined whether observers could reliably assess teachers with each instrument, and then examined how well each instrument, along with other information, predicted student achievement. The study reported that,…

Corrective Feedback in L2 Latvian Classrooms: Teacher Perceptions versus the Observed Actualities of Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dilans, Gatis

2016-01-01

This two-part study aims to investigate teacher perceptions about providing oral corrective feedback (CF) to minority students of Latvian as a second language and compare the perceptions to the actual provision of CF in L2 Latvian classrooms. The survey sample represents sixty-six L2 Latvian teachers while the classroom observations involved 13…

Observation and Teacher Quality: Critical Analysis of Observational Instruments in Preservice Teacher Performance Assessment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Caughlan, Samantha; Jiang, Heng

2014-01-01

Teacher preparation programs commonly use observational instruments to assess the progress and the exit performances of teacher candidates. However, while these instruments have been described and several have been studied for effectiveness, the field lacks a close examination of how they position participants: teacher candidates, K-12 pupils, and…

Perceptions and Practice: The Relationship between Teacher Perceptions of Technology Use and Level of Classroom Technology Integration

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sawyer, Laura M.

2017-01-01

This correlational-predictive study investigated the relationship between teacher perceptions of technology use and observed classroom technology integration level using the "Technology Uses and Perceptions Survey" (TUPS) and the "Technology Integration Matrix-Observation" (TIM-O) instruments, developed by the Florida Center…

Leveraging Observation Tools for Instructional Improvement: Exploring Variability in Uptake of Ambitious Instructional Practices

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cohen, Julie; Schuldt, Lorien Chambers; Brown, Lindsay; Grossman, Pamela

2016-01-01

Background/Context: Current efforts to build rigorous teacher evaluation systems has increased interest in standardized classroom observation tools as reliable measures for assessing teaching. However, many argue these instruments can also be used to effect change in classroom practice. This study investigates a model of professional development…

Measuring Reform Practices in Science and Mathematics Classrooms: The Reformed Teaching Observation Protocol.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sawada, Daiyo; Piburn, Michael D.; Judson, Eugene; Turley, Jeff; Falconer, Kathleen; Benford, Russell; Bloom, Irene

2002-01-01

Describes the Reformed Teaching Observation Protocol (RTOP), a 25-item classroom observation protocol that is standards-based, inquiry-oriented, and student-centered. Provides the definition for reform and the basis for evaluation of the Arizona Collaborative for Excellence in the Preparation of Teachers (ACEPT). Concludes that reform, as defined…

Using Systematic Classroom Observation to Explore Student Engagement as a Function of Teachers' Developmentally Appropriate Instructional Practices (DAIP) in Ethnically Diverse Pre-Kindergarten through Second-Grade Classrooms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alford, Beverly L.; Rollins, Kayla B.; Padrón, Yolanda N.; Waxman, Hersh C.

2016-01-01

Researchers observed pre-kindergarten through second-grade public school classrooms, specifically noting child-centered and teacher-directed pedagogical approaches, by simultaneously examining: (a) student behavior and activities, (b) teacher instructional orientation and rationale, and (c) overall classroom environment. Dissimilar to previous…

Exploring the boundaries: A study of multiple classroom learning environments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ritchie, Stephen M.; Tobin, Kenneth; Hook, Karl S.

1995-09-01

The study of learning environments has developed into a productive field of research in science education. Initially, the design and application of classroom perceptual measures of particular dimensions of science classrooms attracted much attention. More recently, such instruments have been used alongside of qualitative techniques to provide a richer understanding of sub-environments. We continue this trend in the present interpretive study by exploring the nature of multiple environments within a middle school classroom from the different perspectives of teacher, student and participant observer. In particular, we examine the activity settings of lectures and group work, as well as the issues of learning and assessment. We conclude by arguing that teachers need to adopt procedures that enable them to identify and plan for multiple environments.

The Use of Classroom Walk-Through Observations as a Strategy to Improve Teaching and Learning: An Administrative Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Weller, Mark J.

2010-01-01

The purpose of this study was to identify the possible use of structured classroom walk-through observations as a strategy to improve teaching and learning. A wide variety of programs and initiatives have recently been implemented across the country to improve student achievement. One such initiative is classroom walk-through observations.…

Executive Control Goes to School: Implications of Preschool Executive Performance for Observed Elementary Classroom Learning Engagement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nelson, Timothy D.; Nelson, Jennifer Mize; James, Tiffany D.; Clark, Caron A. C.; Kidwell, Katherine M.; Espy, Kimberly Andrews

2017-01-01

The transition to elementary school is accompanied by increasing demands for children to regulate their attention and behavior within the classroom setting. Executive control (EC) may be critical for meeting these demands; however, few studies have rigorously examined the association between EC and observed classroom behavior. This study examined…

Building a More Complete Understanding of Teacher Evaluation Using Classroom Observations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cohen, Julie; Goldhaber, Dan

2016-01-01

Improving teacher evaluation is one of the most pressing but also contested areas of educational policy. Value-added measures have received much of the attention in new evaluation systems, but they can only be used to evaluate a fraction of teachers. Classroom observations are almost universally used to assess teachers, yet their statistical…

CLASSROOM INTERACTION, PUPIL ACHIEVEMENT AND ADJUSTMENT IN TEAM TEACHING AS COMPARED WITH THE SELF-CONTAINED CLASSROOM.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

LAMBERT, PHILIP; AND OTHERS

EXPLORED ARE TEACHING AND LEARNING RELATIONSHIPS OR FORMS OF CLASSROOM INTERACTION IN THE TEAM TEACHING ARRANGEMENT, AND THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THESE AND TRADITIONAL CLASSROOM INTERACTION WITH RESPECT TO STUDENT ADJUSTMENT AND STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT. AN ATTEMPT WAS MADE TO IMPROVE THE SOPHISTICATION OF EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH INSTRUMENTS. A 2-YEAR TEAM…

On the Performance of Multi-Instrument Solar Flare Observations During Solar Cycle 24

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Milligan, Ryan O.; Ireland, Jack

2018-02-01

The current fleet of space-based solar observatories offers us a wealth of opportunities to study solar flares over a range of wavelengths. Significant advances in our understanding of flare physics often come from coordinated observations between multiple instruments. Consequently, considerable efforts have been, and continue to be, made to coordinate observations among instruments ( e.g. through the Max Millennium Program of Solar Flare Research). However, there has been no study to date that quantifies how many flares have been observed by combinations of various instruments. Here we describe a technique that retrospectively searches archival databases for flares jointly observed by the Ramaty High Energy Solar Spectroscopic Imager (RHESSI), Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO)/ EUV Variability Experiment (EVE - Multiple EUV Grating Spectrograph (MEGS)-A and -B, Hinode/( EUV Imaging Spectrometer, Solar Optical Telescope, and X-Ray Telescope), and Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS). Out of the 6953 flares of GOES magnitude C1 or greater that we consider over the 6.5 years after the launch of SDO, 40 have been observed by 6 or more instruments simultaneously. Using each instrument's individual rate of success in observing flares, we show that the numbers of flares co-observed by 3 or more instruments are higher than the number expected under the assumption that the instruments operated independently of one another. In particular, the number of flares observed by larger numbers of instruments is much higher than expected. Our study illustrates that these missions often acted in cooperation, or at least had aligned goals. We also provide details on an interactive widget ( Solar Flare Finder), now available in SSWIDL, which allows a user to search for flaring events that have been observed by a chosen set of instruments. This provides access to a broader range of events in order to answer specific science questions. The difficulty in scheduling coordinated

Pathfinder Instruments for Cloud and Aerosol Spaceborne Observations (PICASSO)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

McCormick, M. Patrick; Winker, David M.

1998-01-01

This paper will describe the planned 3-year Pathfinder Instruments for Cloud and Aerosol Spaceborne Observations (PICASSO) mission, its instrumentation and implementation. It will use LITE and other data, plus analyses, to show the feasibility of such a mission. PICASSO is being proposed for NASA's Earth System Science Pathfinder (ESSP) program with launch predicted in 2003.

Validation of the "Chinese Language Classroom Learning Environment Inventory" for Investigating the Nature of Chinese Language Classrooms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lian, Chua Siew; Wong, Angela F. L.; Der-Thanq, Victor Chen

2006-01-01

The Chinese Language Classroom Environment Inventory (CLCEI) is a bilingual instrument developed for use in measuring students' and teachers' perceptions toward their Chinese Language classroom learning environments in Singapore secondary schools. The English version of the CLCEI was customised from the English version of the "What is…

Ethnographic Eyes: A Teacher's Guide to Classroom Observation.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Frank, Carolyn

This book extends ethnography beyond the work of university researchers to include classroom teachers, student teachers, and teacher educators. It provides ways for student teachers and others to develop lenses for seeing the patterns and practices of life within classrooms. The book describes how developing "ethnographic eyes" can help student…

Ocean Observation Instrument

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1993-01-01

The Airborne Ocean Color Imager (AOCI) was developed by Daedalus Enterprises, Inc. for Ames Research Center under a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contract as a simulator for an advanced oceanographic satellite instrument. The instrument measures water temperature and detects water color in nine wavelengths. Water color indicates chlorophyll content or phytoplankton. After EOCAP assistance and technical improvements, the AOCI was successfully commercialized by Daedalus Enterprises, Inc. One version provides commercial fishing fleets with information about fish locations, and the other is used for oceanographic research.

New Worlds Observer Telescope and Instrument Optical Design Concepts

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Howard, Joseph; Kilston, Steve; Kendrick, Steve

2008-01-01

Optical design concepts for the telescope and instrumentation for NASA's New Worlds Observer program are presented. First order parameters are derived from the science requirements, and estimated performance metrics are shown using optical models. A four meter multiple channel telescope is discussed, as well as a suite of science instrument concepts. Wide field instrumentation (imager and spectrograph) would be accommodated by a three-mirror anastigmat telescope design. Planet finding and characterization would use a separate channel which is picked off after the first two mirrors (primary and secondary). Guiding concepts are also discussed.

Using MIDI: A Staff Development Program Designed To Increase Teacher Awareness of the Technological Applications of Musical Instrument Digital Interface in the Classroom.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Neese, Charles Glen

This practicum report describes an instructional program designed to increase teacher awareness of the technological applications of musical instrument digital interface (MIDI) in the classroom. The primary goal of the study was to assist music teachers in becoming more informed about MIDI, and to enable them to effectively select the appropriate…

Assessing the Relationship Between Observed Teaching Practice and Reading Growth in First Grade English Learners: A Validation Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baker, Scott K.; Gersten, Russell; Haager, Diane; Dingle, Mary; Goldenberg, Claude

2005-01-01

Validation of a classroom observation measure for use with English Learners (ELs) in Grade 1 is the focus of this study. Fourteen teachers were observed during reading and language arts instruction with an instrument used to generate overall ratings of instructional quality on a number of dimensions. In these classrooms, the reading performance of…

Development of an Observational Scale to Measure Social Competence in Young Children.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Porter, Robin

An observational instrument was developed to measure social competence in kindergarten classrooms. Social competence was specified in terms of four broad behavioral categories: obedience, cooperation, interaction, and autonomy. Each category was further particularized in terms of observable behaviors. Initial 5-minute observations using the…

Improving nursing education classroom environments.

PubMed

Fisher, D L; Parkinson, C A

1998-05-01

This study describes the first use of a classroom environment questionnaire with a class in nursing education. An instructor of nursing students monitored classes using such a questionnaire. The questionnaire used was the College and University Classroom Environment Inventory and it was used to obtain practical and useful information about the learning environment in two different classes. Collaborative changes were made in the classes to improve the classroom environment and consequently the learning situation. Any instructor of nursing students could use this same process with this instrument.

Teaching Historical Contextualization: The Construction of a Reliable Observation Instrument

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Huijgen, Tim; van de Grift, Wim; van Boxtel, Carla; Holthuis, Paul

2017-01-01

Since the 1970s, many observation instruments have been constructed to map teachers' general pedagogic competencies. However, few of these instruments focus on teachers' subject-specific competencies. This study presents the development of the "Framework for Analyzing the Teaching of Historical Contextualization" (FAT-HC). This…

Highly accurate FTIR observations from the scanning HIS aircraft instrument

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Revercomb, Henry E.; Tobin, David C.; Knuteson, Robert O.; Best, Fred A.; Smith, William L., Sr.; van Delst, Paul F. W.; LaPorte, Daniel D.; Ellington, Scott D.; Werner, Mark W.; Dedecker, Ralph G.; Garcia, Raymond K.; Ciganovich, Nick N.; Howell, Hugh B.; Olson, Erik R.; Dutcher, Steven B.; Taylor, Joseph K.

2005-01-01

Development in the mid 80s of the High-resolution Interferometer Sounder (HIS) instrument for the high altitude NASA ER2 aircraft demonstrated the capability for advanced atmospheric temperature and water vapor sounding and set the stage for new satellite instruments that are now becoming a reality [AIRS(2002), CrIS(2006), IASI(2006), GIFTS(200?), HES(2013)]. Follow-on developments at the University of Wisconsin that employ Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) for Earth observations include the ground-based Atmospheric Emitted Radiance Interferometer (AERI) and the new Scanning HIS aircraft instrument. The Scanning HIS is a smaller version of the original HIS that uses cross-track scanning to enhance spatial coverage. Scanning HIS and its close cousin, the NPOESS Airborne Sounder Testbed (NAST), are being used for satellite instrument validation and for atmospheric research. A novel detector configuration on Scanning HIS allows the incorporation of a single focal plane and cooler with three or four spectral bands that view the same spot on the ground. The calibration accuracy of the S-HIS and results from recent field campaigns are presented, including validation comparisons with the NASA EOS infrared observations (AIRS and MODIS). Aircraft comparisons of this type provide a mechanism for periodically testing the absolute calibration of spacecraft instruments with instrumentation for which the calibration can be carefully maintained on the ground. This capability is especially valuable for assuring the long-term consistency and accuracy of climate observations, including those from the NASA EOS spacecrafts (Terra, Aqua and Aura) and the new complement of NPOESS operational instruments. It is expected that aircraft flights of the S-HIS and the NAST will be used to check the long-term stability of AIRS and the NPOESS operational follow-on sounder, the Cross-track Infrared Sounder (CrIS), over the life of the mission.

The Use of Classroom Walk-Through Observations as a Strategy to Improve Teaching and Learning: A Student Centered Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sorensen, Thomas R., Jr.

2010-01-01

Due to the increasing pressure of meeting the demands of No Child Left Behind, and reducing the achievement gap between subgroups of school populations, school administrators across the nation have implemented a variety of short classroom walk-through observations. A walk-through is defined as a 3-5 minute observation of the classroom teacher by…

Backchannel Discussions during Classroom Observations: Connecting Theory and Practice in Real Time

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Howell, Penny B.; Sheffield, Caroline C.; Shelton, Ashley L.; Vujaklija, Amy R.

2017-01-01

This article provides an overview of utilizing an online backchannel platform, TodaysMeet, to enhance middle level preservice teachers' course-embedded classroom observations in early field experiences through the synchronous utilization of 1:1 tablet technology. In reflecting on the use of these applications, it is apparent that it created a safe…

Assessing Quality in Toddler Classrooms Using the CLASS-Toddler and the ITERS-R

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

La Paro, Karen M.; Williamson, Amy C.; Hatfield, Bridget

2014-01-01

Many very young children attend early care and education programs, but current information about the quality of center-based care for toddlers is scarce. Using 2 observation instruments, the Infant/Toddler Environment Rating Scale-Revised (ITERS-R) and the Classroom Assessment Scoring System, Toddler Version (CLASS-Toddler), 93 child care…

Problems with Coursebooks in EFL Classrooms: Prospective Teachers' Opinions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Arikan, Arda

2009-01-01

In today's classrooms, coursebooks remain as the major instructional instrument and resource and effectiveness and quality of coursebooks must be studied in their actual classroom use. In this study, opinions of future teachers of English are collected and analyzed to shed light on what happens in Turkish EFL classrooms in regards to the use of…

Measuring Medical Housestaff Teamwork Performance Using Multiple Direct Observation Instruments: Comparing Apples and Apples.

PubMed

Weingart, Saul N; Yaghi, Omar; Wetherell, Matthew; Sweeney, Megan

2018-04-10

To examine the composition and concordance of existing instruments used to assess medical teams' performance. A trained observer joined 20 internal medicine housestaff teams for morning work rounds at Tufts Medical Center, a 415-bed Boston teaching hospital, from October through December 2015. The observer rated each team's performance using 9 teamwork observation instruments that examined domains including team structure, leadership, situation monitoring, mutual support, and communication. Observations recorded on paper forms were stored electronically. Scores were normalized from 1 (low) to 5 (high) to account for different rating scales. Overall mean scores were calculated and graphed; weighted scores adjusted for the number of items in each teamwork domain. Teamwork scores were analyzed using t-tests, pair-wise correlations, and the Kruskal-Wallis statistic, and team performance was compared across instruments by domain. The 9 tools incorporated 5 major domains, with 5-35 items per instrument for a total of 161 items per observation session. In weighted and unweighted analyses, the overall teamwork performance score for a given team on a given day varied by instrument. While all of the tools identified the same low outlier, high performers on some instruments were low performers on others. Inconsistent scores for a given team across instruments persisted in domain-level analyses. There was substantial variation in the rating of individual teams assessed concurrently by a single observer using multiple instruments. Since existing teamwork observation tools do not yield concordant assessments, researchers should create better tools for measuring teamwork performance.

Raising Concerns about Sharing and Reusing Large-Scale Mathematics Classroom Observation Video Data

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ing, Marsha; Samkian, Artineh

2018-01-01

There are great opportunities and challenges to sharing large-scale mathematics classroom observation data. This Research Commentary describes the methodological opportunities and challenges and provides a specific example from a mathematics education research project to illustrate how the research questions and framework drove observational…

Examining Teacher Effectiveness Using Classroom Observation Scores: Evidence from the Randomization of Teachers to Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Garrett, Rachel; Steinberg, Matthew P.

2015-01-01

Despite policy efforts to encourage multiple measures of performance in newly developing teacher evaluation systems, practical constraints often result in evaluations based predominantly on formal classroom observations. Yet there is limited knowledge of how these observational measures relate to student achievement. This article leverages the…

The Classroom Observation Schedule to Measure Intentional Communication (COSMIC): an observational measure of the intentional communication of children with autism in an unstructured classroom setting.

PubMed

Pasco, Greg; Gordon, Rosanna K; Howlin, Patricia; Charman, Tony

2008-11-01

The Classroom Observation Schedule to Measure Intentional Communication (COSMIC) was devised to provide ecologically valid outcome measures for a communication-focused intervention trial. Ninety-one children with autism spectrum disorder aged 6 years 10 months (SD 16 months) were videoed during their everyday snack, teaching and free play activities. Inter-rater reliability was high and relevant items showed significant associations with comparable items from concurrent Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule-Generic (Lord et al. 2000, J Autism Dev Disord 30(3):205-223) assessments. In a subsample of 28 children initial differences in rates of initiations, initiated speech/vocalisation and commenting were predictive of language and communication competence 15 months later. Results suggest that the use of observational measures of intentional communication in natural settings is a valuable assessment strategy for research and clinical practice.

Designing and Using Research Instruments to Describe the Beliefs and Practices of Mathematics Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Swan, Malcolm

2006-01-01

This article describes research instruments that facilitate the description of teachers' beliefs and practices and their use with further education (FE) mathematics teachers. They consist of linked questionnaires aimed at both teachers and students, validated by cross-referencing with more open questionnaires and with classroom observation. They…

Classroom Interaction in Teaching English as Foreign Language at Lower Secondary Schools in Indonesia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sundari, Hanna

2017-01-01

The aim of this study was to develop a deep understanding of interaction in language classroom in foreign language context. Interviews, as major instrument, to twenty experienced English language teachers from eight lower secondary schools (SMP) were conducted in Jakarta, completed by focus group discussions and class observation/recordings. The…

Instruments for Assessment of Instructional Practices in Standards-Based Teaching

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wainwright, Camille L.

2006-12-01

This paper describes the development of two forms of an instrument used as a classroom observation protocol, designed to document the impact of reform-based professional development with undergraduate mathematics and science faculty and its impact on the resultant preparation of teachers (PreK 12). A rationale for the development and utilization of this instrument (known as the OTOP, or the Oregon Teacher Observation Protocol) is provided. Constructed upon review of the research on teaching and standards documents in mathematics and science, the protocol formed the basis for data collection in a three-year longitudinal study of teaching practice among early career teachers as well as undergraduate college faculty. In addition, this paper suggests further applications of the observation protocol beyond the original research study purpose. One prominent use for the protocol is in supervisor observations of mathematics and science student teachers.

Classroom Composition and Measured Teacher Performance: What Do Teacher Observation Scores Really Measure?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Steinberg, Matthew P.; Garrett, Rachel

2016-01-01

As states and districts implement more rigorous teacher evaluation systems, measures of teacher performance are increasingly being used to support instruction and inform retention decisions. Classroom observations take a central role in these systems, accounting for the majority of teacher ratings upon which accountability decisions are based.…

Collaboration Between Astronomers at UT Austin and K-12 Teachers: Connecting the Experience of Observing and Research with the Classroom

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Finkelstein, Keely D.; Sneden, Christopher; Hemenway, Mary Kay; Preston, Sandra; EXES Teachers Associate Program

2015-01-01

McDonald Observatory has a long history of providing teacher professional development (PD), and recently we have developed a new workshop model for more advanced participants. By choosing a select group of middle and high school teachers from those previously involved in our past PD programs, we have created a joint workshop / observing run program for them. After traveling to the observatory, the teachers participate in an actual observing run with a research astronomer. The teachers are trained first-hand how to take observations, operate the telescope, set up the instrument, and monitor observing conditions. The teachers are fully put in the role of observer. They are also given background information before and during the workshop related to the science and data they are helping to collect. The teachers work in teams to both perform the nightly observations with an astronomer, but to also perform new interactive classroom activities with education staff, and use other telescopes on the mountain. This is a unique experience for teachers since it allows them to take the resources and experiences directly back to their classrooms and students. They can directly relate to their students what skills for specific careers in STEM fields are needed. Evaluation from these workshops shows that there is: increased content knowledge among participants, greater impact that will be passed on to their students, and an authentic research experience that can't be replicated in other PD settings. In addition, not only is this program beneficial to the teachers, but this group is benefit to the education program of McDonald Observatory. Building on an existing PD program (with a 16 year history) we have the opportunity to test out new products and new education endeavors with this devoted group of well-trained teachers before bringing them to wider teacher and student audiences. This program is currently supported by the NSF grant AST-1211585 (PI Sneden).

Impact of a Checklist on Principal-Teacher Feedback Conferences Following Classroom Observations. REL 2018-285

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mihaly, Kata; Schwartz, Heather L.; Opper, Isaac M.; Grimm, Geoffrey; Rodriguez, Luis; Mariano, Louis T.

2018-01-01

Most states' teacher evaluation systems have changed substantially in the past decade. New evaluation systems typically require school leaders to observe teachers' classrooms two to three times a school year instead of once (Doherty & Jacobs, 2015). The feedback that school leaders provide to teachers after these observations is a key but…

Classroom Observation Data and Instruction in Primary Mathematics Education: Improving Design and Rigour

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thompson, Carla J.; Davis, Sandra B.

2014-01-01

The use of formal observation in primary mathematics classrooms is supported in the literature as a viable method of determining effective teaching strategies and appropriate tasks for inclusion in the early years of mathematics learning. The twofold aim of this study was to (a) investigate predictive relationships between primary mathematics…

Predicting Student Achievement in University-Level Business and Economics Classes: Peer Observation of Classroom Instruction and Student Ratings of Teaching Effectiveness

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Galbraith, Craig S.; Merrill, Gregory B.

2012-01-01

We examine the validity of peer observation of classroom instruction for purposes of faculty evaluation. Using both a multi-section course sample and a sample of different courses across a university's School of Business and Economics we find that the results of annual classroom observations of faculty teaching are significantly and positively…

An Inquiry into the Psychosocial Exclusion in Classrooms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Areekkuzhiyil, Santhosh

2017-01-01

Education is an instrument to replicate the social system. The social practices are reflected in the classrooms and it is the classrooms that create tomorrow's society. People are excluded by institutions and behavior that reflect, enforce and reproduce prevailing social attitudes and values, particularly those of powerful groups in society.…

An Enquiry into the Psychosocial Exclusion in Classrooms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Areekkuzhyil, Santhosh

2017-01-01

Education is an instrument to replicate the social system. The social practices are reflected in the classrooms and it is the classrooms that create tomorrow's society. People are excluded by institutions and behavior that reflect, enforce and reproduce prevailing social attitudes and values, particularly those of powerful groups in society.…

Evolution and validation of a personal form of an instrument for assessing science laboratory classroom environments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fraser, Barry J.; Giddings, Geoffrey J.; McRobbie, Campbell J.

The research reported in this article makes two distinctive contributions to the field of classroom environment research. First, because existing instruments are unsuitable for science laboratory classes, the Science Laboratory Environment Inventory (SLEI) was developed and validated. Second, a new Personal form of the SLEI (involving a student's perceptions of his or her own role within the class) was developed and validated in conjunction with the conventional Class form (involving a student's perceptions of the class as a whole), and its usefulness was investigated. The instrument was cross-nationally fieldtested with 5,447 students in 269 senior high school and university classes in six countries, and cross-validated with 1,594 senior high school students in 92 classes in Australia. Each SLEI scale exhibited satisfactory internal consistency reliability, discriminant validity, and factorial validity, and differentiated between the perceptions of students in different classes. A variety of applications with the new instrument furnished evidence about its usefulness and revealed that science laboratory classes are dominated by closed-ended activities; mean scores obtained on the Class form were consistently somewhat more favorable than on the corresponding Personal form; females generally held more favorable perceptions than males, but these differences were somewhat larger for the Personal form than the Class form; associations existed between attitudinal outcomes and laboratory environment dimensions; and the Class and Personal forms of the SLEI each accounted for unique variance in student outcomes which was independent of that accounted for by the other form.

IRR (Inter-Rater Reliability) of a COP (Classroom Observation Protocol)--A Critical Appraisal

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rui, Ning; Feldman, Jill M.

2012-01-01

Notwithstanding broad utility of COPs (classroom observation protocols), there has been limited documentation of the psychometric properties of even the most popular COPs. This study attempted to fill this void by closely examining the item and domain-level IRR (inter-rater reliability) of a COP that was used in a federally funded striving readers…

Lidar instruments for ESA Earth observation missions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hélière, Arnaud; Armandillo, Errico; Durand, Yannig; Culoma, Alain; Meynart, Roland

2017-11-01

for Earth Observation by initiating feasibility studies of a spaceborne concept to monitor atmospheric CO2 and other greenhouse gases. The purpose of this paper is to present the instruments concept and related technology/instrument developments that are currently running at the European Space Agency. The paper will also outline the development planning proposed for future lidar systems.

Within-Day Variability in the Quality of Classroom Interactions during Third and Fifth Grade: Implications for Children's Experiences and Conducting Classroom Observations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Curby, Timothy W.; Stuhlman, Megan; Grimm, Kevin; Mashburn, Andrew; Chomat-Mooney, Lia; Downer, Jason; Hamre, Bridget; Pianta, Robert C.

2011-01-01

The quality of classroom interactions has typically been studied using aggregates of ratings over time. However, within-day ratings may contain important variability. This study investigated within-day variability using the NICHD Study of Early Childcare and Youth Development's observational data during grades 3 and 5. The first question examined…

Development of an Instrument for Assessing the Effectiveness of Chemistry Classroom Teaching

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zheng, Changlong; Fu, Lihai; He, Peng

2014-04-01

Classroom teaching is a main frontier of the implementation of new curricular ideas in China. The study reported in this article is concerned with the effectiveness of system of classroom teaching (SCT) in chemistry lessons. According to the Systems Science theory, we took a macroscopic view on the SCT, arguing that SCT is a hierarchy of system, which includes class system, plate system, unit system, and primitive system. In this study, we focused on primitive system of classroom teaching (PrS)—the lowest level in a SCT. Using focus group interviews, this study investigated the variables related to the effectiveness of PrS. We found a total of 21 such variables. To identify the main factors underlying the effectiveness of PrS, we further used exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis. We found five main factors: rational use of time, quality of teaching behavior chain, match degree, quality of using resource and technology, and rationality of primitive content. Based on these findings, we constructed an evaluation scale for assessing the effectiveness of primitive system of chemistry classroom teaching.

Perspectives Regarding Classroom Management Style: Differences between Elementary and Secondary Level Teachers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Martin, Nancy K.; Baldwin, Beatrice

This study represents a continuation of research efforts to further refine the Inventory of Classroom Management Style, an instrument designed to measure teachers' perceptions of their classroom management beliefs and practices. "Classroom management" is an umbrella term describing teacher efforts to oversee a multitude of activities in…

Development of an Instrument for Assessing the Effectiveness of Chemistry Classroom Teaching

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zheng, Changlong; Fu, Lihai; He, Peng

2014-01-01

Classroom teaching is a main frontier of the implementation of new curricular ideas in China. The study reported in this article is concerned with the effectiveness of system of classroom teaching (SCT) in chemistry lessons. According to the Systems Science theory, we took a macroscopic view on the SCT, arguing that SCT is a hierarchy of system,…

Use of the Environment and Policy Evaluation and Observation as a Self-Report Instrument (EPAO-SR) to measure nutrition and physical activity environments in child care settings: validity and reliability evidence.

PubMed

Ward, Dianne S; Mazzucca, Stephanie; McWilliams, Christina; Hales, Derek

2015-09-26

Early care and education (ECE) centers are important settings influencing young children's diet and physical activity (PA) behaviors. To better understand their impact on diet and PA behaviors as well as to evaluate public health programs aimed at ECE settings, we developed and tested the Environment and Policy Assessment and Observation - Self-Report (EPAO-SR), a self-administered version of the previously validated, researcher-administered EPAO. Development of the EPAO-SR instrument included modification of items from the EPAO, community advisory group and expert review, and cognitive interviews with center directors and classroom teachers. Reliability and validity data were collected across 4 days in 3-5 year old classrooms in 50 ECE centers in North Carolina. Center teachers and directors completed relevant portions of the EPAO-SR on multiple days according to a standardized protocol, and trained data collectors completed the EPAO for 4 days in the centers. Reliability and validity statistics calculated included percent agreement, kappa, correlation coefficients, coefficients of variation, deviations, mean differences, and intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC), depending on the response option of the item. Data demonstrated a range of reliability and validity evidence for the EPAO-SR instrument. Reporting from directors and classroom teachers was consistent and similar to the observational data. Items that produced strongest reliability and validity estimates included beverages served, outside time, and physical activity equipment, while items such as whole grains served and amount of teacher-led PA had lower reliability (observation and self-report) and validity estimates. To overcome lower reliability and validity estimates, some items need administration on multiple days. This study demonstrated appropriate reliability and validity evidence for use of the EPAO-SR in the field. The self-administered EPAO-SR is an advancement of the measurement of ECE

Instrumentation for single-dish observations with The Greenland Telescope

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grimes, Paul K.; Asada, K.; Blundell, R.; Burgos, R.; Chang, H.-H.; Chen, M. T.; Goldie, D.; Groppi, C.; Han, C. C.; Ho, P. T. P.; Huang, Y. D.; Inoue, M.; Kubo, D.; Koch, P.; Leech, J.; de Lera Acedo, E.; Martin-Cocher, P.; Nishioka, H.; Nakamura, M.; Matsushita, S.; Paine, S. N.; Patel, N.; Raffin, P.; Snow, W.; Sridharan, T. K.; Srinivasan, R.; Thomas, C. N.; Tong, E.; Wang, M.-J.; Wheeler, C.; Withington, S.; Yassin, G.; Zeng, L.-Z.

2014-07-01

The Greenland Telescope project will deploy and operate a 12m sub-millimeter telescope at the highest point of the Greenland i e sheet. The Greenland Telescope project is a joint venture between the Smithsonian As- trophysical Observatory (SAO) and the Academia Sinica Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics (ASIAA). In this paper we discuss the concepts, specifications, and science goals of the instruments being developed for single-dish observations with the Greenland Telescope, and the coupling optics required to couple both them and the mm-VLBI receivers to antenna. The project will outfit the ALMA North America prototype antenna for Arctic operations and deploy it to Summit Station,1 a NSF operated Arctic station at 3,100m above MSL on the Greenland I e Sheet. This site is exceptionally dry, and promises to be an excellent site for sub-millimeter astronomical observations. The main science goal of the Greenland Telescope is to carry out millimeter VLBI observations alongside other telescopes in Europe and the Americas, with the aim of resolving the event horizon of the super-massive black hole at the enter of M87. The Greenland Telescope will also be outfitted for single-dish observations from the millimeter-wave to Tera-hertz bands. In this paper we will discuss the proposed instruments that are currently in development for the Greenland Telescope - 350 GHz and 650 GHz heterodyne array receivers; 1.4 THz HEB array receivers and a W-band bolometric spectrometer. SAO is leading the development of two heterodyne array instruments for the Greenland Telescope, a 48- pixel, 325-375 GHz SIS array receiver, and a 4 pixel, 1.4 THz HEB array receiver. A key science goal for these instruments is the mapping of ortho and para H2D+ in old protostellar ores, as well as general mapping of CO and other transitions in molecular louds. An 8-pixel prototype module for the 350 GHz array is currently being built for laboratory and operational testing on the Greenland Telescope

Measuring the Use of ICTs in the Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jamieson-Proctor, Romina; Watson, Glenice; Finger, Glenn; Grimbeek, Peter; Burnett, Paul C.

2007-01-01

In 2003, the "ICT Curriculum Integration Performance Measurement Instrument" was developed from an extensive review of the contemporary international and Australian research pertaining to the definition and measurement of ICT curriculum integration in classrooms (Proctor, Watson, & Finger, 2003). The 45-item instrument that resulted…

Variability of Attention Processes in ADHD: Observations from the Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rapport, Mark D.; Kofler, Michael J.; Alderson, R. Matt; Timko, Thomas M., Jr.; DuPaul, George J.

2009-01-01

Objective: Classroom- and laboratory-based efforts to study the attentional problems of children with ADHD are incongruent in elucidating attentional deficits; however, none have explored within- or between-minute variability in the classroom attentional processing in children with ADHD. Method: High and low attention groups of ADHD children…

Initial Validation of the Prekindergarten Classroom Observation Tool and Goal Setting System for Data-Based Coaching

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Crawford, April D.; Zucker, Tricia A.; Williams, Jeffrey M.; Bhavsar, Vibhuti; Landry, Susan H.

2013-01-01

Although coaching is a popular approach for enhancing the quality of Tier 1 instruction, limited research has addressed observational measures specifically designed to focus coaching on evidence-based practices. This study explains the development of the prekindergarten (pre-k) Classroom Observation Tool (COT) designed for use in a data-based…

Observation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Helfrich, Shannon

2016-01-01

Helfrich addresses two perspectives from which to think about observation in the classroom: that of the teacher observing her classroom, her group, and its needs, and that of the outside observer coming into the classroom. Offering advice from her own experience, she encourages and defends both. Do not be afraid of the disruption of outside…

Inside the Primary Classroom.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Simon, Brian

1980-01-01

Presents some of the findings of the ORACLE research program (Observational Research and Classroom Learning Evaluation), a detailed observational study of teacher-student interaction, teaching styles, and management methods within a sample of primary classrooms. (Editor/SJL)

The Five-String Banjo in the Music Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Kenneth H.

2011-01-01

The banjo is an instrument of unique image and sound. It has a long history in North America from its arrival on slave ships from North Africa to its contemporary use in jazz and popular music. Adding the instrument to the general music classroom can open new realms of timbre and new avenues of exploration into the instruments of cultures around…

Beyond Lecture and Non-Lecture Classrooms: LA-student interactions in Active Learning Classrooms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gonzalez, Dayana; Kornreich, Hagit; Rodriguez, Idaykis; Monslave, Camila; Pena-Flores, Norma

Our expanded multi-site study on active learning classrooms supported by Learning Assistants (LAs) aims to understand the connections between three classroom elements: the activity, student learning, and how LAs support the learning process in the classroom. At FIU, LAs are used in a variety of active learning settings, from large auditorium settings to studio classroom with movable tables. Our study uses the COPUS observation protocol as a way to characterize LAs behaviors in these classrooms. With a focus on LA-student interactions, our analysis of how LAs interact with students during a 'learning session' generated new observational codes for specific new categories of LA roles. Preliminary results show that LAs spend more time interacting with students in some classes, regardless of the classroom setting, while in other classrooms, LA-student interactions are mostly brief. We discuss how LA-student interactions contribute to the dynamics and mechanism of the socially shared learning activity.

The Design and Validation of an Instrument for Identifying and Measuring the Coping Behaviors of Three-Year-Olds in Pre-School Settings.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Silvernail, Jean Marie

Coping is defined as the process by which the child attempts to control, synthesize, and make his world manageable. Coping behaviors found in the literature and observed in five preschool classrooms were behaviorally defined to facilitate their identification and observation by trained adults. An instrument designed for use in observation of these…

Japanese Classroom Behavior: A Micro-Analysis of Self-Reports versus Classroom Observations--With Implications for Language Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bohn, Mariko T.

2004-01-01

This article examines the influence of Japanese cultural values, beliefs, and educational style on Japanese students learning English as a second language in an American classroom. In contrast to the Japanese students' high motivation to learn English, their classroom behavior and roles reflect their own cultural perspectives rather than the…

Observations of Academic Instruction for Students with Significant Intellectual Disability: Three States, Thirty-Nine Classrooms, One View

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Restorff, Diane E.; Abery, Brian H.

2013-01-01

As part of the validation process for alternate assessments, 39 classroom observations were conducted to gather data about current practices in providing academic instruction to students with significant intellectual disability. Using a standardized protocol, data were gathered using direct instructional observation, an Individualized Education…

An Examination of the Construct Validity of the Inventory of Classroom Management Style.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Martin, Nancy K.; Baldwin, Beatrice

Confirmatory factor analysis was used to examine the construct validity of a new instrument measuring perceptions toward classroom management: the Inventory of Classroom Management Style (ICMS). Classroom management was defined as a multifaceted process that includes three broad dimensions: (1) what teachers believe about students as persons; (2)…

Facilitating Real-Time Observation of, and Peer Discussion and Feedback about, Practice in Writing Classrooms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Parr, Judy M.; Hawe, Eleanor

2017-01-01

This study investigates conditions designed to optimize learning where professionals utilize the expertise and support of one another. It describes a research--practice collaboration to enhance teacher knowledge and practice through peer observation of, and feedback about, classroom practice in writing. A collaboratively designed observation…

Factors Associated with Alignment between Teacher Survey Reports and Classroom Observation Ratings of Mathematics Instruction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kaufman, Julia Heath; Stein, Mary Kay; Junker, Brian

2016-01-01

We investigated the alignment between a teacher survey self-report measure and classroom observation measure of ambitious mathematics instructional practice among teachers in two urban school districts using two different standards-based mathematics curricula. Survey reports suggested mild differences in teachers' instructional practices between…

Instruments for Semiotic Mediation in Primary School Classrooms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bussi, Maria G. Bartolini; Boni, Mara

2003-01-01

Instruments have been used for centuries in mathematical experience and in the teaching tradition as well. One example is cultural instruments inherited from tradition (e.g., rulers, abaci, compasses, curve-drawing devices) that have followed or anticipated the theoretical development of mathematics. In this article, the authors analyze two cases…

The Most Common Patterns of Classroom Dialogue Used by Science Teachers in Omani Cycle Two Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alshaqsi, Hanan; Ambusaidi, Abdullah

2018-01-01

This study aimed to identify the patterns of classroom dialogue used by science teachers in science classes at Omani schools with respect to their gender. The study sample consisted of science teachers: three males and three females. To achieve the aims of the study, mixed methods with three instruments were used. These are an observation card or…

Teacher and TA Ratings of Preschoolers' Externalizing Behavior: Agreement and Associations with Observed Classroom Behavior

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wolcott, Catherine Sanger; Williford, Amanda P.

2015-01-01

The present study investigated teachers' and teacher aides' (TAs) agreement in their ratings of preschoolers' externalizing behavior and their associations with observed classroom behavior for a sample of children at risk of developing a disruptive behavior disorder. One hundred twenty-two teachers rated 360 students' externalizing behavior in the…

Observation of Classroom Social Communication: Do Children with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders Spend Their Time Differently than Their Typically Developing Peers?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Olswang, Lesley B.; Svensson, Liselotte; Astley, Susan

2010-01-01

Purpose: In this research, the authors examined how social communication profiles during classroom activities differed between children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) and typically developing pair-matched peers. Method: Twelve pairs of children were observed in their classrooms 20 min a day for 4 days across 2 weeks. Coders…

Evaluation of Energy Efficiency Improvements to Portable Classrooms in Florida.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Callahan, Michael P.; Parker, Danny S.; Sherwin, John R.; Anello, Michael T.

Findings are presented from a 2-year experiment exploring ways to reduce energy costs and improve the learning environment in Florida's 25,000 portable classrooms. Improvements were made in two highly instrumented portable classrooms in the following areas: installation of a T8 lighting system with electronic ballasts; a high efficiency heat pump…

Wavefront sensors for the active control of earth observation optical instruments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Velluet, Marie-Thérèse; Michau, Vincent; Rousset, Gérard

2018-04-01

This paper, "Wavefront sensors for the active control of earth observation optical instruments," was presented as part of International Conference on Space Optics—ICSO 1997, held in Toulouse, France.

Reconciling Simulated and Observed Views of Clouds: MODIS, ISCCP, and the Limits or Instrument Simulators

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ackerman, Steven A.; Hemler, Richard S.; Hofman, Robert J. Patrick; Pincus, Robert; Platnick, Steven

2011-01-01

The properties of clouds that may be observed by satellite instruments, such as optical depth and cloud top pressure, are only loosely related to the way clouds m-e represented in models of the atmosphere. One way to bridge this gap is through "instrument simulators," diagnostic tools that map the model representation to synthetic observations so that differences between simulator output and observations can be interpreted unambiguously as model error. But simulators may themselves be restricted by limited information available from the host model or by internal assumptions. This paper considers the extent to which instrument simulators are able to capture essential differences between MODIS and ISCCP, two similar but independent estimates of cloud properties. The authors review the measurements and algorithms underlying these two cloud climatologies, introduce a MODIS simulator, and detail data sets developed for comparison with global models using ISCCP and MODIS simulators, In nature MODIS observes less mid-level doudines!> than ISCCP, consistent with the different methods used to determine cloud top pressure; aspects of this difference are reproduced by the simulators running in a climate modeL But stark differences between MODIS and ISCCP observations of total cloudiness and the distribution of cloud optical thickness can be traced to different approaches to marginal pixels, which MODIS excludes and ISCCP treats as homogeneous. These pixels, which likely contain broken clouds, cover about 15 k of the planet and contain almost all of the optically thinnest clouds observed by either instrument. Instrument simulators can not reproduce these differences because the host model does not consider unresolved spatial scales and so can not produce broken pixels. Nonetheless, MODIS and ISCCP observation are consistent for all but the optically-thinnest clouds, and models can be robustly evaluated using instrument simulators by excluding ambiguous observations.

The 21st Century Physics Classroom: What Students, Teachers, and Classroom Observers Report

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sunal, Dennis W.; Dantzler, John A.; Sunal, Cynthia Szymanski; Turner, Donna P.; Harrell, James W.; Simon, Marsha; Aggarwal, Mohan D.

2016-01-01

Before we can effectively apply specific interventions through professional development, it is important to determine what is occurring in our high school physics classrooms. This study investigated common professional practices in physics teaching among a representative sample group of schools and teachers from a diverse, geographically large…

The Influence of Classroom Aggression and Classroom Climate on Aggressive-Disruptive Behavior

PubMed Central

Thomas, Duane E.; Bierman, Karen L.; Powers, CJ

2011-01-01

Research suggests that early classroom experiences influence the socialization of aggression. Tracking changes in the aggressive behavior of 4179 children from kindergarten to second-grade (ages 5–8) this study examined the impact of two important features of the classroom context–aggregate peer aggression and climates characterized by supportive teacher-student interactions. The aggregate aggression scores of children assigned to first-grade classrooms predicted the level of classroom aggression (assessed by teacher ratings) and quality of classroom climate (assessed by observers) that emerged by the end of grade 1. HLM analyses revealed that first-grade classroom aggression and quality of classroom climate made independent contributions to changes in student aggression, as students moved from kindergarten to second grade. Implications for policy and practice are discussed. PMID:21434887

ESA's Earth observation priority research objectives and satellite instrument requirements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reynolds, M. L.

2018-04-01

Since 1996 the European Space Agency has been pursuing an Earth Observation strategy based on a resolution endorsed by European Minister at a meeting in Toulouse. This resolution recognised a broad distinction between purely research objectives, on the one hand, and purely application objectives on the other. However, this is not to be understood as an absolute separation, but rather as an identification of the major driving emphasis for the definition of mission requirement. Indeed, application satellites can provide a wealth of data for research objectives and scientific earth observation programmes can equally provide an important source of data to develop and demonstrate new applications. It is sufficient to look at the data utilisation of Meteosat and ERS to find very many examples of this. This paper identifies the priority research objectives defined for scientific Earth Explorer missions and the resulting instrument needs. It then outlines the requirements for optical instruments.

Active region upflows. I. Multi-instrument observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vanninathan, K.; Madjarska, M. S.; Galsgaard, K.; Huang, Z.; Doyle, J. G.

2015-12-01

Context. We study upflows at the edges of active regions, called AR outflows, using multi-instrument observations. Aims: This study intends to provide the first direct observational evidence of whether chromospheric jets play an important role in furnishing mass that could sustain coronal upflows. The evolution of the photospheric magnetic field, associated with the footpoints of the upflow region and the plasma properties of active region upflows is investigated with the aim of providing information for benchmarking data-driven modelling of this solar feature. Methods: We spatially and temporally combine multi-instrument observations obtained with the Extreme-ultraviolet Imaging Spectrometer on board the Hinode, the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly and the Helioseismic Magnetic Imager instruments on board the Solar Dynamics Observatory and the Interferometric BI-dimensional Spectro-polarimeter installed at the National Solar Observatory, Sac Peak, to study the plasma parameters of the upflows and the impact of the chromosphere on active region upflows. Results: Our analysis shows that the studied active region upflow presents similarly to those studied previously, i.e. it displays blueshifted emission of 5-20 kms-1 in Fe xii and Fe xiii and its average electron density is 1.8 × 109 cm-3 at 1 MK. The time variation of the density is obtained showing no significant change (in a 3σ error). The plasma density along a single loop is calculated revealing a drop of 50% over a distance of ~20 000 km along the loop. We find a second velocity component in the blue wing of the Fe xii and Fe xiii lines at 105 kms-1 reported only once before. For the first time we study the time evolution of this component at high cadence and find that it is persistent during the whole observing period of 3.5 h with variations of only ±15 kms-1. We also, for the first time, study the evolution of the photospheric magnetic field at high cadence and find that magnetic flux diffusion is

Observing Emotional Interactions between Teachers and Students in Elementary School Classrooms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yan, Elizabeth M.; Evans, Ian M.; Harvey, Shane T.

2011-01-01

Fostering emotional skills in the elementary (primary) school classroom can lead to improved learning outcomes, more prosocial behavior, and positive emotional development. Incorporating emotional skill development into the naturalistic and implicit teaching environment is a key feature of what is meant by the emotional climate of the classroom.…

Educational Theory and Classroom Behavior.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Swanson, Ronald G.; Smith, William S.

1979-01-01

Described are two instruments used in a workshop designed to help teachers clarify their own beliefs about education and to shape their classroom behavior accordingly. The Student-Content Inventory concerns styles of student-teacher interaction and the Educational Theory Inventory correlates the respondent's beliefs to major educational theories.…

PORTAAL: A Classroom Observation Tool Assessing Evidence-Based Teaching Practices for Active Learning in Large Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Classes

PubMed Central

Eddy, Sarah L.; Converse, Mercedes; Wenderoth, Mary Pat

2015-01-01

There is extensive evidence that active learning works better than a completely passive lecture. Despite this evidence, adoption of these evidence-based teaching practices remains low. In this paper, we offer one tool to help faculty members implement active learning. This tool identifies 21 readily implemented elements that have been shown to increase student outcomes related to achievement, logic development, or other relevant learning goals with college-age students. Thus, this tool both clarifies the research-supported elements of best practices for instructor implementation of active learning in the classroom setting and measures instructors’ alignment with these practices. We describe how we reviewed the discipline-based education research literature to identify best practices in active learning for adult learners in the classroom and used these results to develop an observation tool (Practical Observation Rubric To Assess Active Learning, or PORTAAL) that documents the extent to which instructors incorporate these practices into their classrooms. We then use PORTAAL to explore the classroom practices of 25 introductory biology instructors who employ some form of active learning. Overall, PORTAAL documents how well aligned classrooms are with research-supported best practices for active learning and provides specific feedback and guidance to instructors to allow them to identify what they do well and what could be improved. PMID:26033871

The influence of classroom aggression and classroom climate on aggressive-disruptive behavior.

PubMed

Thomas, Duane E; Bierman, Karen L; Powers, C J

2011-01-01

Research suggests that early classroom experiences influence the socialization of aggression. Tracking changes in the aggressive behavior of 4,179 children from kindergarten to second-grade (ages 5-8), this study examined the impact of 2 important features of the classroom context--aggregate peer aggression and climates characterized by supportive teacher-student interactions. The aggregate aggression scores of children assigned to first-grade classrooms predicted the level of classroom aggression (assessed by teacher ratings) and quality of classroom climate (assessed by observers) that emerged by the end of Grade 1. Hierarchical linear model analyses revealed that first-grade classroom aggression and quality of classroom climate made independent contributions to changes in student aggression, as students moved from kindergarten to second grade. Implications for policy and practice are discussed. © 2011 The Authors. Child Development © 2011 Society for Research in Child Development, Inc.

Classroom Environment as Related to Contest Ratings among High School Performing Ensembles.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hamann, Donald L.; And Others

1990-01-01

Examines influence of classroom environments, measured by the Classroom Environment Scale, Form R (CESR), on vocal and instrumental ensembles' musical achievement at festival contests. Using random sample, reveals subjects with higher scores on CESR scales of involvement, affiliation, teacher support, and organization received better contest…

Beliefs Regarding Classroom Management Style: Relationships to Particular Teacher Personality Characteristics.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Martin, Nancy K.; And Others

This study was a continuation of an in-process research effort to further refine the Inventory of Classroom Management Styles (ICMS), an instrument designed to measure teachers' perceptions of their classroom management beliefs and practices. Using preliminary data analysis based on partial data collection, the primary objective of this study was…

Sense of Classroom Community and Team Development Process in Online Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Erdem Aydin, Irem; Gumus, Salih

2016-01-01

The purpose of this study is to determine whether there is a relationship between Turkish online learners' sense of classroom community, perceptions of success in team development process and their preferences of studying in teams. A survey instrument included the Sense of Classroom Community Scale, Tuckman's Teamwork Questionnaire and some other…

Acquiring the Language of Learning: The Performance of Hawaiian Preschool Children on the Preschool Language Assessment Instrument (PLAI).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Martini, Mary

The Preschool Language Assessment Instrument (PLAI) was designed as a diagnostic tool for 3- to 6-year-old children to assess children's abilities to use language to solve thinking problems typically posed by teachers. The PLAI was developed after observing middle-class teachers in preschool classrooms encourage children to use language in…

Differentiated Instruction at Work. Reinforcing the Art of Classroom Observation through the Creation of a Checklist for Beginning and Pre-Service Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Subban, Pearl; Round, Penny

2015-01-01

Professional experience is viewed as integral to shaping philosophy and acquiring skills in the area of classroom teaching. Classrooms are complex places, with educators implementing differentiated strategies to cater for student diversity. Pre-service teachers who observe these lessons often miss the intuitive practices, as there is much to…

The high resolution optical instruments for the Pleiades HR Earth observation satellites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gaudin-Delrieu, Catherine; Lamard, Jean-Luc; Cheroutre, Philippe; Bailly, Bruno; Dhuicq, Pierre; Puig, Olivier

2017-11-01

Coming after the SPOT satellites series, PLEIADESHR is a CNES optical high resolution satellite dedicated to Earth observation, part of a larger optical and radar multi-sensors system, ORFEO, which is developed in cooperation between France and Italy for dual Civilian and Defense use. The development of the two PLEIADES-HR cameras was entrusted by CNES to Thales Alenia Space. This new generation of instrument represents a breakthrough in comparison with the previous SPOT instruments owing to a significant step in on-ground resolution, which approaches the capabilities of aerial photography. The PLEIADES-HR instrument program benefits from Thales Alenia Space long and successful heritage in Earth observation from space. The proposed solution benefits from an extensive use of existing products, Cannes Space Optics Centre facilities, unique in Europe, dedicated to High Resolution instruments. The optical camera provides wide field panchromatic images supplemented by 4 multispectral channels with narrow spectral bands. The optical concept is based on a four mirrors Korsch telescope. Crucial improvements in detector technology, optical fabrication and electronics make it possible for the PLEIADES-HR instrument to achieve the image quality requirements while respecting the drastic limitations of mass and volume imposed by the satellite agility needs and small launchers compatibility. The two flight telescopes were integrated, aligned and tested. After the integration phase, the alignment, mainly based on interferometric measurements in vacuum chamber, was successfully achieved within high accuracy requirements. The wave front measurements show outstanding performances, confirmed, after the integration of the PFM Detection Unit, by MTF measurements on the Proto-Flight Model Instrument. Delivery of the proto flight model occurred mi-2008. The FM2 Instrument delivery is planned Q2-2009. The first optical satellite launch of the PLEIADES-HR constellation is foreseen

The Modified-Classroom Observation Schedule to Measure Intentional Communication (M-COSMIC): Evaluation of Reliability and Validity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clifford, Sally; Hudry, Kristelle; Brown, Laura; Pasco, Greg; Charman, Tony

2010-01-01

The Modified-Classroom Observation Schedule to Measure Intentional Communication (M-COSMIC) was developed as an ecologically valid measure of social-communication behaviour, delineating forms, functions, and intended partners of children's spontaneous communication acts. Forty-one children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) aged 48-73 months were…

Development of the System for Observing Student Movement in Academic Routines and Transitions (SOSMART)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Russ, Laura B.; Webster, Collin A.; Beets, Michael W.; Egan, Catherine; Weaver, Robert Glenn; Harvey, Rachel; Phillips, David S.

2017-01-01

National attention on whole-of-school approaches to decrease children's sedentary behavior and increase physical activity includes movement integration (MI) in classrooms. The purpose of this study was to describe instrument development, reliability, and validity of the System for Observing Student Movement in Academic Routines and Transitions…

Type II Radio Bursts Observed by STEREO/Waves and Wind/Waves instruments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krupar, V.; Magdalenic, J.; Zhukov, A.; Rodriguez, L.; Mierla, M.; Maksimovic, M.; Cecconi, B.; Santolik, O.

2013-12-01

Type II radio bursts are slow-drift emissions triggered by suprathermal electrons accelerated on shock fronts of propagating CMEs. We present several events at kilometric wavelengths observed by radio instruments onboard the STEREO and Wind spacecraft. The STEREO/Waves and Wind/Waves have goniopolarimetric (GP, also referred to as direction finding) capabilities that allow us to triangulate radio sources when an emission is observed by two or more spacecraft. As the GP inversion has high requirements on the signal-to-noise ratio we only have a few type II radio bursts with sufficient intensity for this analysis. We have compared obtained radio sources with white-light observations of STEREO/COR and STEREO/HI instruments. Our preliminary results indicate that radio sources are located at flanks of propagating CMEs.

Validation of Radiometric Standards for the Laboratory Calibration of Reflected-Solar Earth Observing Satellite Instruments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Butler, James J.; Johnson, B. Carol; Rice, Joseph P.; Brown, Steven W.; Barnes, Robert A.

2007-01-01

Historically, the traceability of the laboratory calibration of Earth-observing satellite instruments to a primary radiometric reference scale (SI units) is the responsibility of each instrument builder. For the NASA Earth Observing System (EOS), a program has been developed using laboratory transfer radiometers, each with its own traceability to the primary radiance scale of a national metrology laboratory, to independently validate the radiances assigned to the laboratory sources of the instrument builders. The EOS Project Science Office also developed a validation program for the measurement of onboard diffuse reflecting plaques, which are also used as radiometric standards for Earth-observing satellite instruments. Summarized results of these validation campaigns, with an emphasis on the current state-of-the-art uncertainties in laboratory radiometric standards, will be presented. Future mission uncertainty requirements, and possible enhancements to the EOS validation program to ensure that those uncertainties can be met, will be presented.

Collaborative Classroom Management in a Co-Taught Primary School Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rytivaara, Anna

2012-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine how teachers manage their classroom in co-taught lessons. The data were collected by observing and interviewing a pair of primary school teachers. The most important influence of collaboration on classroom management seemed to be the emotional support of another adult, and the opportunity to use different…

Southwestern Cooperative Educational Laboratory Interaction Observation Schedule (SCIOS): A System for Analyzing Teacher-Pupil Interaction in the Affective Domain.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bemis, Katherine A.; Liberty, Paul G.

The Southwestern Cooperative Interaction Observation Schedule (SCIOS) is a classroom observation instrument designed to record pupil-teacher interaction. The classification of pupil behavior is based on Krathwohl's (1964) theory of the three lowest levels of the affective domain. The levels are (1) receiving: the learner should be sensitized to…

The Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) on Aqua: instrument stability and data products for climate observations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pagano, Thomas S.; Chahine, M.; Aumann, H.; Strow, L.; Broberg, S.; Gaiser, S.

2003-01-01

30th International Symposium on Remote Sensing of the Environment (ISRSE) NASA Honolulu, Hawaii, USAThis paper discusses the stability of the AIRS instrument as measured pre-flight and in-orbit. In order differentiate instrument related changes with true changes in climate observations, the instrument stability must be demonstrated.

Interplanetary and Interstellar Dust Observed by the Wind/WAVES Electric Field Instrument

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Malaspina, David; Horanyi, M.; Zaslavsky, A.; Goetz, K.; Wilson, L. B., III; Kersten, K.

2014-01-01

Observations of hypervelocity dust particles impacting the Wind spacecraft are reported here for the first time using data from the WindWAVES electric field instrument. A unique combination of rotating spacecraft, amplitude-triggered high-cadence waveform collection, and electric field antenna configuration allow the first direct determination of dust impact direction by any spacecraft using electric field data. Dust flux and impact direction data indicate that the observed dust is approximately micron-sized with both interplanetary and interstellar populations. Nanometer radius dust is not detected by Wind during times when nanometer dust is observed on the STEREO spacecraft and both spacecraft are in close proximity. Determined impact directions suggest that interplanetary dust detected by electric field instruments at 1 AU is dominated by particles on bound trajectories crossing Earths orbit, rather than dust with hyperbolic orbits.

Classroom Correlates of Neurological "Soft Signs".

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hartlage, Patricia L.; Hartlage, Lawrence C.

This study investigated the relationships between 19 neurological abnormalities in school children and measures of school performance in reading, math, and nonacademic classroom behaviors. The sample of 45 children was given a standardized achievement test and the Draw-a-Person instrument to obtain academic variables. Nonacademic behaviors…

Constraining the temperature history of the past millennium using early instrumental observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brohan, P.

2012-12-01

The current assessment that twentieth-century global temperature change is unusual in the context of the last thousand years relies on estimates of temperature changes from natural proxies (tree-rings, ice-cores etc.) and climate model simulations. Confidence in such estimates is limited by difficulties in calibrating the proxies and systematic differences between proxy reconstructions and model simulations - notable differences include large differences in multi-decadal variability between proxy reconstructions, and big uncertainties in the effect of volcanic eruptions. Because the difference between the estimates extends into the relatively recent period of the early nineteenth century it is possible to compare them with a reliable instrumental estimate of the temperature change over that period, provided that enough early thermometer observations, covering a wide enough expanse of the world, can be collected. By constraining key aspects of the reconstructions and simulations, instrumental observations, inevitably from a limited period, can reduce reconstruction uncertainty throughout the millennium. A considerable quantity of early instrumental observations are preserved in the world's archives. One organisation which systematically made observations and collected the results was the English East-India Company (EEIC), and 900 log-books of EEIC ships containing daily instrumental measurements of temperature and pressure have been preserved in the British Library. Similar records from voyages of exploration and scientific investigation are preserved in published literature and the records in National Archives. Some of these records have been extracted and digitised, providing hundreds of thousands of new weather records offering an unprecedentedly detailed view of the weather and climate of the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. The new thermometer observations demonstrate that the large-scale temperature response to the Tambora eruption and the 1809

Qualitative observation instrument to measure the quality of parent-child interactions in young children with type 1 diabetes mellitus.

PubMed

Nieuwesteeg, Anke; Hartman, Esther; Pouwer, Frans; Emons, Wilco; Aanstoot, Henk-Jan; Van Mil, Edgar; Van Bakel, Hedwig

2014-06-10

In young children with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM), parents have complete responsibility for the diabetes-management. In toddlers and (pre)schoolers, the tasks needed to achieve optimal blood glucose control may interfere with normal developmental processes and could negatively affect the quality of parent-child interaction. Several observational instruments are available to measure the quality of the parent-child interaction. However, no observational instrument for diabetes-specific situations is available. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to develop a qualitative observation instrument, to be able to assess parent-child interaction during diabetes-specific situations. First, in a pilot study (n = 15), the observation instrument was developed in four steps: (a) defining relevant diabetes-specific situations; (b) videotaping these situations; (c) describing all behaviors in a qualitative observation instrument; (d) evaluating usability and reliability. Next, we examined preliminary validity (total n = 77) by testing hypotheses about correlations between the observation instrument for diabetes-specific situations, a generic observation instrument and a behavioral questionnaire. The observation instrument to assess parent-child interaction during diabetes-specific situations, which consists of ten domains: "emotional involvement", "limit setting", "respect for autonomy", "quality of instruction", "negative behavior", "avoidance", "cooperative behavior", "child's response to injection", "emphasis on diabetes", and "mealtime structure", was developed for use during a mealtime situation (including glucose monitoring and insulin administration). The present study showed encouraging indications for the usability and inter-rater reliability (weighted kappa was 0.73) of the qualitative observation instrument. Furthermore, promising indications for the preliminary validity of the observation instrument for diabetes-specific situations were found (r ranged

ASQ Program Observation Instrument: A Tool for Assessing School-Age Child Care Quality.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

O'Connor, Susan; And Others

ASQ (Assessing School-Aged Child Care Quality) is a system for determining the quality of school-age child care programs. The ASQ Program Observation Instrument is a ten-step, self assessment process to guide program improvement. This instrument does not work well in full-day programs that have a single focus, but works well in programs that offer…

Measuring Motivation-to-Communicate in the Classroom.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zorn, Theodore E.

1991-01-01

Reviews eight instruments designed to assess motivation to communicate in the classroom, including cross-situational anxiety (communication apprehension and shyness), situational anxiety (State-Trait Anxiety Inventory and Communication Anxiety Inventory, Form State), cross-situational willingness (willingness to communicate and communication…

Student Observations: Introducing iPads into University Classrooms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wardley, Leslie J.; Mang, Colin F.

2016-01-01

This paper explores the growing trend of using mobile technology in university classrooms, exploring the use of tablets in particular, to identify learning benefits faced by students. Students, acting on their efficacy beliefs, make decisions regarding technology's influence in improving their education. We construct a theoretical model in which…

Language in the Drama Classroom: Observations and Opinions.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Collins, Jude

1981-01-01

The importance of talk in the drama classroom is described. Students view talk as either development of vocal skills or preexperience for various kinds of social situations. Teacher talk was dominant, however, and emerged in the form of verbal control through closed questions and instructions to students. (JN)

Classroom Age Composition and Developmental Change in 70 Urban Preschool Classrooms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moller, Arlen C.; Forbes-Jones, Emma; Hightower, A. Dirk

2008-01-01

A multilevel modeling approach was used to investigate the influence of age composition in 70 urban preschool classrooms. A series of hierarchical linear models demonstrated that greater variance in classroom age composition was negatively related to development on the Child Observation Record (COR) Cognitive, Motor, and Social subscales. This was…

Using Lunar Observations to Validate In-Flight Calibrations of Clouds and Earth Radiant Energy System Instruments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Daniels, Janet L.; Smith, G. Louis; Priestley, Kory J.; Thomas, Susan

2014-01-01

The validation of in-orbit instrument performance requires stability in both instrument and calibration source. This paper describes a method of validation using lunar observations scanning near full moon by the Clouds and Earth Radiant Energy System (CERES) instruments. Unlike internal calibrations, the Moon offers an external source whose signal variance is predictable and non-degrading. From 2006 to present, in-orbit observations have become standardized and compiled for the Flight Models-1 and -2 aboard the Terra satellite, for Flight Models-3 and -4 aboard the Aqua satellite, and beginning 2012, for Flight Model-5 aboard Suomi-NPP. Instrument performance parameters which can be gleaned are detector gain, pointing accuracy and static detector point response function validation. Lunar observations are used to examine the stability of all three detectors on each of these instruments from 2006 to present. This validation method has yielded results showing trends per CERES data channel of 1.2% per decade or less.

Ethnographic analysis: a study of classroom environments.

PubMed

Griswold, L A

1994-05-01

Occupational therapists assess and adapt an environment to enhance clients' abilities to function. Therapists working in schools may assess several classroom environments in a week. Identifying relevant information in an efficient manner is essential yet presents a challenge for school therapists. In this study, ethnographic research methodology was used to analyze the plethora of data gained from observations in eight classrooms. Three major categories were identified to structure observations: activities, people, and communication. These categories were used to compile a Classroom Observation Guide that gives therapists relevant questions to ask in each category. Using the Classroom Observation Guide, occupational therapists can recommend classroom activities that suit a particular teacher's style. For example, working with a teacher who prefers structural activities with clear time and space boundaries for one specific purpose, a therapist might suggest organized sensorimotor games with a distinct purpose to be carried out for a given time period.

From Evaluation to Collaborative Reflection: Teacher Candidate Perceptions of a Digital Learner-Centered Classroom Observation Form

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Flores, Raymond; Krutka, Daniel G.; Mason, Katherine; Bergman, Daniel J.

2014-01-01

In efforts to promote a more learner-centered approach to supervision, faculty members at a Midwestern U.S. university piloted a new digital classroom observation form. Participants included middle/secondary teacher candidates (N = 28) in their final semester of their programs. The overall goal of this study was to gather teacher candidates'…

Classroom Observation of Students and Teachers (COST): A Multiple Payoff Approach to Inservice Training. A Symposium.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Knowling, Wynn; And Others

This group of papers was presented as part of a symposium entitled "Classroom Observation of Students and Teachers (COST): A Multiple Payoff Approach to Inservice Training." The first paper, "Films for Inservice Teacher Training: A Miniworkshop," outlines the rationale and development of the film series of which the film, Consequences of Behavior,…

Exploring Teachers' Knowledge of Second Language Pronunciation Techniques: Teacher Cognitions, Observed Classroom Practices, and Student Perceptions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baker, Amanda

2014-01-01

This study explored some of the intricate connections between the cognitions (beliefs, knowledge, perceptions, attitudes) and pedagogical practices of five English language teachers, specifically in relation to pronunciation-oriented techniques. Integral to the study was the use of semistructured interviews, classroom observations, and stimulated…

S'COOL Provides Research Opportunities and Current Data for Today's Technological Classroom

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Green, Carolyn J.; Chambers, Lin H.; Racel, Anne M.

1999-01-01

NASA's Students' Cloud Observations On-Line (S'COOL) project, a hands-on educational project, was an innovative idea conceived by the scientists in the Radiation Sciences Branch at NASA Langley Research Center, Hampton, Virginia, in 1996. It came about after a local teacher expressed the idea that she wanted her students to be involved in real-life science. S'COOL supports NASA's Clouds and the Earth's Radiant Energy System (CERES) instrument, which was launched on the Tropical Rainforest Measuring Mission (TRMM) in November, 1997, as part of NASA's Earth Science Enterprise. With the S'COOL project students observe clouds and related weather conditions, compute data and note vital information while obtaining ground truth observations for the CERES instrument. The observations can then be used to help validate the CERES measurements, particularly detection of clear sky from space. In addition to meeting math, science and geography standards, students are engaged in using the computer to obtain, report and analyze current data, thus bringing modern technology into the realm of classroom, a paradigm that demands our attention.

Participate or Observe? Effects of Economic Classroom Experiments on Students' Economic Literacy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Grol, Roel; Sent, Esther-Mirjam; de Vries, Bregje

2017-01-01

Economic classroom experiments are controlled interactive learning exercises targeting the comprehension of economic concepts in an inductive way. Aiming at increasing students' knowledge of economic concepts, two types of economic classroom experiments are examined in a sample of 134 secondary school students. In the interactive research…

HMMR (High-Resolution Multifrequency Microwave Radiometer) Earth observing system, volume 2e. Instrument panel report

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1987-01-01

Recommendations and background are provided for a passive microwave remote sensing system of the future designed to meet the observational needs of Earth scientist in the next decade. This system, called the High Resolution Multifrequency Microwave Radiometer (HMMR), is to be part of a complement of instruments in polar orbit. Working together, these instruments will form an Earth Observing System (EOS) to provide the information needed to better understand the fundamental, global scale processes which govern the Earth's environment. Measurements are identified in detail which passive observations in the microwave portion of the spectrum could contribute to an Earth Observing System in polar orbit. Requirements are established, e.g., spatial and temporal resolution, for these measurements so that, when combined with the other instruments in the Earth Observing System, they would yield a data set suitable for understanding the fundamental processes governing the Earth's environment. Existing and/or planned sensor systems are assessed in the light of these requirements, and additional sensor hardware needed to meet these observational requirements are defined.

Behavior Management in Preschool Classrooms: Insights Revealed through Systematic Observation and Interview

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ritz, Mariah; Noltemeyer, Amity; Davis, Darrel; Green, Jennifer

2014-01-01

This mixed methods study examined behavior management strategies used by preschool teachers to address student noncompliance in the classroom. Specifically, the study aimed to (1) examine the methods that preschool teachers are currently using to respond to noncompliant behavior in their classrooms, (2) measure the frequency with which each…

Observed Changes in Classroom Behavior Utilizing Supportive Intervention.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Swift, J. Nathan; And Others

The effects of instructional guides and wait-time feedback upon the classroom interaction of 40 middle school science teachers were investigated in a prior study. The experimental nature of that study produced an artificial situation involving little personal contact between teacher-participants and the research staff. Therefore, a subsample of 10…

Kindergarten to 1st Grade: Classroom Characteristics and the Stability and Change of Children's Classroom Experiences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

La Paro, Karen M.; Rimm-Kaufman, Sara E.; Pianta, Robert C.

2006-01-01

This study examines the classroom experiences of 192 children followed longitudinally from kindergarten to 1st grade. Time-sampled observations of children were conducted to compare learning formats, teaching activities, and children's engagement in activities between kindergarten and 1st grade. Classroom observations also were conducted to…

Teaching computer interfacing with virtual instruments in an object-oriented language.

PubMed Central

Gulotta, M

1995-01-01

LabVIEW is a graphic object-oriented computer language developed to facilitate hardware/software communication. LabVIEW is a complete computer language that can be used like Basic, FORTRAN, or C. In LabVIEW one creates virtual instruments that aesthetically look like real instruments but are controlled by sophisticated computer programs. There are several levels of data acquisition VIs that make it easy to control data flow, and many signal processing and analysis algorithms come with the software as premade VIs. In the classroom, the similarity between virtual and real instruments helps students understand how information is passed between the computer and attached instruments. The software may be used in the absence of hardware so that students can work at home as well as in the classroom. This article demonstrates how LabVIEW can be used to control data flow between computers and instruments, points out important features for signal processing and analysis, and shows how virtual instruments may be used in place of physical instrumentation. Applications of LabVIEW to the teaching laboratory are also discussed, and a plausible course outline is given. PMID:8580361

Teaching computer interfacing with virtual instruments in an object-oriented language.

PubMed

Gulotta, M

1995-11-01

LabVIEW is a graphic object-oriented computer language developed to facilitate hardware/software communication. LabVIEW is a complete computer language that can be used like Basic, FORTRAN, or C. In LabVIEW one creates virtual instruments that aesthetically look like real instruments but are controlled by sophisticated computer programs. There are several levels of data acquisition VIs that make it easy to control data flow, and many signal processing and analysis algorithms come with the software as premade VIs. In the classroom, the similarity between virtual and real instruments helps students understand how information is passed between the computer and attached instruments. The software may be used in the absence of hardware so that students can work at home as well as in the classroom. This article demonstrates how LabVIEW can be used to control data flow between computers and instruments, points out important features for signal processing and analysis, and shows how virtual instruments may be used in place of physical instrumentation. Applications of LabVIEW to the teaching laboratory are also discussed, and a plausible course outline is given.

Towards a standardized method to assess straylight in earth observing optical instruments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Caron, J.; Taccola, M.; Bézy, J.-L.

2017-09-01

Straylight is a spurious effect that can seriously degrade the radiometric accuracy achieved by Earth observing optical instruments, as a result of the high contrast in the observed Earth radiance scenes and spectra. It is considered critical for several ESA missions such as Sentinel-5, FLEX and potential successors to CarbonSat. Although it is traditionally evaluated by Monte-Carlo simulations performed with commercial softwares (e.g. ASAP, Zemax, LightTools), semi-analytical approximate methods [1,2] have drawn some interest in recent years due to their faster computing time and the greater insight they provide in straylight mechanisms. They cannot replace numerical simulations, but may be more advantageous in contexts where many iterations are needed, for instance during the early phases of an instrument design.

A Tale of Two Settings: The Lab and the Classroom

DTIC Science & Technology

1991-08-08

employed in this study were intensive and extensive classroom observation and repeated extended interviews with students and teachers. Classroom observers...instruction were observed during both years of the study, resulting in a very large data base gathered during almost 500 hours of classroom observation . With

WFIRST: Guest observer science with the coronagraph instrument

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Levesque, Emily; Lomax, Jamie; Akeson, Rachel; Meshkat, Tiffany; WFIRST CGI GO working group

2018-01-01

In addition to the discovery and characterization of exoplanets, the coronagraph instrument (CGI) on WFIRST has the potential for ground-breaking discoveries in other fields through the Guest Observer (GO) program. 25% of the observing time in the primary mission will be made available to the GO community, and GO science with the CGI spans a broad range of scientific applications. These include imaging of binary and multiple asteroids and Kuiper Belt objects, the circumstellar environments of evolved giants and supergiants, debris disks around young stars, and the circumnuclear regions of active galactic nuclei. In this poster we summarize some of the key compelling science gains that can be pursued with the GO program and present preliminary analyses of the technical gains that the CGI will be able to offer over other contemporary coronagraphs, including those on JWST and ground-based observatories.

Sherlock Holmes in the Classroom.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Faia, Jean E.

1988-01-01

Describes a three-day classroom activity combining criminal investigations and scientific skills, especially observation skills. Provides detailed classroom procedures with an illustration of eight basic fingerprint patterns and a classification chart. (YP)

[The BASYS observation system for the analysis of aggressive behavior in classroom-settings].

PubMed

Wettstein, Alexander

2012-01-01

Educational or therapeutic measures of aggressive student behavior are often based on the judgments of teachers. However, empirical studies show that the objectivity of these judgments is generally low. In order to assess aggressive behavior in classroom settings, we developed a context-sensitive observational system. The observation system exists in a version for teachers in action as well as a version for the uninvolved observer. The teacher version allows categorizing aggressive behavior while teaching. The aim is to differentiate the perception and the judgments of teachers, so that the judgments can serve as trustable diagnostic information. The version for an independent observer, in addition, contains categories to collect information about the context in which aggressions take place. The behavior observation system was tested in four field-studies in regular and special classes. The empirical results show that, after training, teachers were able to make objective observations, and that aggressive behavior depends to a large extent on situational factors. The system allows identification of problematic people-environment relationships and the derivation of intervention measures.

Bringing History Alive in the Classroom!

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McRae, Lee, Ed.

1996-01-01

This document consists of the first four issues of a serial publication, "Bringing History Alive in the Classroom!" The volumes focus on: (1) "A Sampling of Renaissance Instruments," which includes: information on Christopher Columbus, Leondardo da Vinci, and William Shakespeare, a timeline from the middle ages through the renaissance, Queen…

ChickScope: An Interactive MRI Classroom Curriculum Innovation for K-12.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bruce, B. C.; Carragher, B. O.; Damon, B. M.; Dawson, M. J.; Eurell, J. A.; Gregory, C. D.; Lauterbur, P. C.; Marjanovic, M. M.; Mason-Fossum, B.; Morris, H. D.; Potter, C. S.; Thakkar, U.

1997-01-01

Describes ChickScope, a 21-day chick embryonic development project, to demonstrate the remote control of a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) instrument through the World Wide Web. Topics include remote instrumentation and the Web, teacher-based implementation, impact in elementary and secondary school classrooms, and future directions. (Author/LRW)

Teachers' Instructional Practices within Connected Classroom Technology Environments to Support Representational Fluency

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gunpinar, Yasemin; Pape, Stephen

2018-01-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the ways that teachers use connected classroom technology (CCT) in conjunction with the Texas Instruments Nspire calculator to potentially support achievement on Algebra problems that require translation between representations (i.e., symbolic to graphical). Four Algebra I classrooms that initially…

Five Methods to Score the Teacher Observation of Classroom Adaptation Checklist and to Examine Group Differences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wang, Ze; Rohrer, David; Chuang, Chi-ching; Fujiki, Mayo; Herman, Keith; Reinke, Wendy

2015-01-01

This study compared 5 scoring methods in terms of their statistical assumptions. They were then used to score the Teacher Observation of Classroom Adaptation Checklist, a measure consisting of 3 subscales and 21 Likert-type items. The 5 methods used were (a) sum/average scores of items, (b) latent factor scores with continuous indicators, (c)…

Multi-instrument observations of midlatitude summer nighttime anomaly from satellite and ground

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yamamoto, Mamoru; Thampi, Smitha V.; Liu, Huixin; Lin, Charles

"Midlatitude Summer Nighttime Anomaly (MSNA)" is a phenomenon that the nighttime elec-tron densities exceed the daytime values on almost all days in summer over latitudes of 33-34N of more. We recently found the MSNA over the northeast Asian region from multi-instrument observations. The observations include the tomography analysis based on the chain of digital beacon receivers at Shionomisaki (33.45N, 135.8E), Shigaraki (34.85N, 136.1E), and Fukui (36.06N,136E), the ionosonde network over Japan (especially data from Wakkanai (45.4N, 141.7E)), ground-based GPS TEC observations using the GEONET. Also from satellites, CHAMP in situ electron density measurements, and Formosat3/COSMIC (F3/C) occultation measurements are useful to confirm the presence of MSNA over this region. In the presen-tation we show detailed features of the MSNA based on these multi-instrument, and discuss importance of the neutral atmosphere as a driver of the phenomenon.

Reconciling Simulated and Observed Views of Clouds: MODIS, ISCCP, and the Limits of Instrument Simulators in Climate Models

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pincus, Robert; Platnick, Steven E.; Ackerman, Steve; Hemler, Richard; Hofmann, Patrick

2011-01-01

The properties of clouds that may be observed by satellite instruments, such as optical depth and cloud top pressure, are only loosely related to the way clouds are represented in models of the atmosphere. One way to bridge this gap is through "instrument simulators," diagnostic tools that map the model representation to synthetic observations so that differences between simulator output and observations can be interpreted unambiguously as model error. But simulators may themselves be restricted by limited information available from the host model or by internal assumptions. This work examines the extent to which instrument simulators are able to capture essential differences between MODIS and ISCCP, two similar but independent estimates of cloud properties. We focus on the stark differences between MODIS and ISCCP observations of total cloudiness and the distribution of cloud optical thickness can be traced to different approaches to marginal pixels, which MODIS excludes and ISCCP treats as homogeneous. These pixels, which likely contain broken clouds, cover about 15% of the planet and contain almost all of the optically thinnest clouds observed by either instrument. Instrument simulators can not reproduce these differences because the host model does not consider unresolved spatial scales and so can not produce broken pixels. Nonetheless, MODIS and ISCCP observation are consistent for all but the optically-thinnest clouds, and models can be robustly evaluated using instrument simulators by excluding ambiguous observations.

The Measurement of Classroom Management Self-Efficacy: A Review of Measurement Instrument Development and Influences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

O'Neill, Sue Catherine; Stephenson, Jennifer

2011-01-01

Teachers' self-efficacy (SE) in their classroom management capabilities is thought to be an important factor in teachers' overall judgements of their teaching SE. Low SE in classroom management has been linked to teacher attrition and burnout, and reduced student learning outcomes. This article provides the first comprehensive review of classroom…

Polar Mesospheric Clouds (PMCs) Observed by the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) on Aura

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

DeLand, Matthew T.; Shettle, Eric P.; Levelt, Pieternel F.; Kowalewski, Matthew G.

2010-01-01

Backscattered ultraviolet (BUV) instruments designed for measuring stratospheric ozone profiles have proven to be robust tools for observing polar mesospheric clouds (PMCs). These measurements are available for more than 30 years, and have been used to demonstrate the existence of long-term variations in PMC occurrence frequency and brightness. The Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) on the EOS Aura satellite provides new and improved capabilities for PMC characterization. OMI uses smaller pixels than previous BUV instruments, which increases its ability to identify PMCs and discern more spatial structure, and its wide cross-track viewing swath provides full polar coverage up to 90 latitude every day in both hemispheres. This cross-track coverage allows the evolution of PMC regions to be followed over several consecutive orbits. Localized PMC variations determined from OMI measurements are consistent with coincident SBUV/2 measurements. Nine seasons of PMC observations from OMI are now available, and clearly demonstrate the advantages of these measurements for PMC analysis.

Ecology and Development in Classroom Communication

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barowy, William; Smith, Jeanne Elser

2008-01-01

Drawing upon observer participation in a first grade classroom, we present a systemic functional analysis of classroom communication located in relation to social semiotics, cultural historical activity theory, and ecological psychology, relating context to meaning making. Two years of observation include field notes, student assessments, audio…

Pre-Service Teachers and Classroom Authority

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pellegrino, Anthony M.

2010-01-01

This study examined the classroom practices of five pre-service teachers from three secondary schools in a large southeastern state. Through classroom observations, survey responses, reviews of refection logs, and focus-group interview responses, we centered on the issue of developing classroom authority as a means to effective classroom…

Evaluation of nursing faculty through observation.

PubMed

Crawford, L H

1998-10-01

The purpose of this study was to assess current use and faculty perceptions of classroom observation as a method of faculty evaluation in schools of nursing. Baccalaureate schools of nursing were surveyed to determine current use of classroom observation and its worth from the perception of administrators and faculty. Although most schools used classroom observation as a method of faculty evaluation, further clarification and research is needed in the following areas: purpose of classroom observation; number of observations necessary; weight given to classroom observation in relation to other evaluation methods; and tools used.

The Impact of Withholding Observations from TOMS or SBUV Instruments on the GEOS Ozone Data Assimilation System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stajner, Ovanka; Riishojgaard, Lars Peter; Rood, Richard B.

2000-01-01

In a data assimilation system (DAS), model forecast atmospheric fields, observations and their respective statistics are combined in an attempt to produce the best estimate of these fields. Ozone observations from two instruments are assimilated in the Goddard Earth Observing System (GEOS) ozone DAS: the Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (TOMS) and the Solar Backscatter Ultraviolet (SBUV) instrument. The assimilated observations are complementary; TOMS provides a global daily coverage of total column ozone, without profile information, while SBUV measures ozone profiles and total column ozone at nadir only. The purpose of this paper is to examine the performance of the ozone assimilation system in the absence of observations from one of the instruments as it can happen in the event of a failure of an instrument or when there are problems with an instrument for a limited time. Our primary concern is for the performance of the GEOS ozone DAS when it is used in the operational mode to provide near real time analyzed ozone fields in support of instruments on the Terra satellite. In addition, we are planning to produce a longer term ozone record by assimilating historical data. We want to quantify the differences in the assimilated ozone fields that are caused by the changes in the TOMS or SBUV observing network. Our primary interest is in long term and large scale features visible in global statistics of analysis fields, such as differences in the zonal mean of assimilated ozone fields or comparisons with independent observations, While some drifts in assimilated fields occur immediately, after assimilating just one day of different observations, the others develop slowly over several months. Thus, we are also interested in the length of time, which is determined from time series, that is needed for significant changes to take place.

Classroom Context and Years of Teaching Experience as Predictors of Misalignment on Ratings of Preschoolers' Classroom Engagement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Phillips, Krishtine; Downer, Jason

2017-01-01

Research Findings: This study investigated the relationship between features of the classroom environment and misalignment between teacher and observer ratings of preschoolers' classroom engagement and the extent to which years of teaching experience moderated this relationship. In a sample of 116 preschoolers and 21 teachers in 29 classrooms,…

Classroom by Classroom Analysis of the Impact of a Compensatory Education Program.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Forster, Fred; Carpenter, James

The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of the CO-Plus project by organizing data to utilize the classroom as the basic unit of analysis. The study employed classroom observations, a variety of questionnaire responses from staff and pupils, achievement test scores, and related data. Questionnaire data were summarized using factor…

A LEKID-based CMB instrument design for large-scale observations in Greenland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Araujo, D. C.; Ade, P. A. R.; Bond, J. R.; Bradford, K. J.; Chapman, D.; Che, G.; Day, P. K.; Didier, J.; Doyle, S.; Eriksen, H. K.; Flanigan, D.; Groppi, C. E.; Hillbrand, Seth N.; Johnson, B. R.; Jones, G.; Limon, Michele; Miller, A. D.; Mauskopf, P.; McCarrick, H.; Mroczkowski, T.; Reichborn-Kjennerud, B.; Smiley, B.; Sobrin, Joshua; Wehus, I. K.; Zmuidzinas, J.

2014-08-01

We present the results of a feasibility study, which examined deployment of a ground-based millimeter-wave polarimeter, tailored for observing the cosmic microwave background (CMB), to Isi Station in Greenland. The instrument for this study is based on lumped-element kinetic inductance detectors (LEKIDs) and an F/2.4 catoptric, crossed-Dragone telescope with a 500 mm aperture. The telescope is mounted inside the receiver and cooled to < 4 K by a closed-cycle 4He refrigerator to reduce background loading on the detectors. Linearly polarized signals from the sky are modulated with a metal-mesh half-wave plate that is rotated at the aperture stop of the telescope with a hollow-shaft motor based on a superconducting magnetic bearing. The modular detector array design includes at least 2300 LEKIDs, and it can be configured for spectral bands centered on 150 GHz or greater. Our study considered configurations for observing in spectral bands centered on 150, 210 and 267 GHz. The entire polarimeter is mounted on a commercial precision rotary air bearing, which allows fast azimuth scan speeds with negligible vibration and mechanical wear over time. A slip ring provides power to the instrument, enabling circular scans (360 degrees of continuous rotation). This mount, when combined with sky rotation and the latitude of the observation site, produces a hypotrochoid scan pattern, which yields excellent cross-linking and enables 34% of the sky to be observed using a range of constant elevation scans. This scan pattern and sky coverage combined with the beam size (15 arcmin at 150 GHz) makes the instrument sensitive to 5 < ` < 1000 in the angular power spectra.

Development of the FPI+ as facility science instrument for SOFIA cycle four observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pfüller, Enrico; Wiedemann, Manuel; Wolf, Jürgen; Krabbe, Alfred

2016-08-01

The Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) is a heavily modified Boeing 747SP aircraft, accommodating a 2.5m infrared telescope. This airborne observation platform takes astronomers to flight altitudes of up to 13.7 km (45,000ft) and therefore allows an unobstructed view of the infrared universe at wavelengths between 0.3 m and 1600 m. SOFIA is currently completing its fourth cycle of observations and utilizes eight different imaging and spectroscopic science instruments. New instruments for SOFIAs cycle 4 observations are the High-resolution Airborne Wideband Camera-plus (HAWC+) and the Focal Plane Imager (FPI+). The latter is an integral part of the telescope assembly and is used on every SOFIA flight to ensure precise tracking on the desired targets. The FPI+ is used as a visual-light photometer in its role as facility science instrument. Since the upgrade of the FPI camera and electronics in 2013, it uses a thermo-electrically cooled science grade EM-CCD sensor inside a commercial-off-the-shelf Andor camera. The back-illuminated sensor has a peak quantum efficiency of 95% and the dark current is as low as 0.01 e-/pix/sec. With this new hardware the telescope has successfully tracked on 16th magnitude stars and thus the sky coverage, e.g. the area of sky that has suitable tracking stars, has increased to 99%. Before its use as an integrated tracking imager, the same type of camera has been used as a standalone diagnostic tool to analyze the telescope pointing stability at frequencies up to 200 Hz (imaging with 400 fps). These measurements help to improve the telescope pointing control algorithms and therefore reduce the image jitter in the focal plane. Science instruments benefit from this improvement with smaller image sizes for longer exposure times. The FPI has also been used to support astronomical observations like stellar occultations by the dwarf planet Pluto and a number of exoplanet transits. Especially the observation of the

Group dynamic and its effect on classroom climate, achievement, and time in lab in the organic chemistry laboratory classroom

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hall, Rachael S.

Despite the many studies on the benefits of cooperative learning, there is surprising little research into how the classroom as a whole changes when these cooperative groups are reassigned. In one section of CHEM 3011 in Fall 2013, students were allowed to pick their partner and kept the same partner all semester. In another section during the same semester, students were assigned a different partner for every wet lab and were allowed to pick their partners during the computer simulation labs. The students in both sections were given the "preferred" version of the Science Laboratory Environment Inventory (SLEI) at the beginning of the semester to elicit student preferences for the class environment, and the "actual" version of the SLEI and the Class Life Instrument at the end of the semester to determine what actually occurred during the semester. The students' interactions were recorded using an observational instrument developed specifically for this project. The students' responses to surveys, interactions, grades, and time in lab were analyzed for differences between the two sections. The results of this study will be discussed.

Development and initial validation of the Classroom Motivational Climate Questionnaire (CMCQ).

PubMed

Alonso Tapia, Jesús; Fernández Heredia, Blanca

2008-11-01

Research on classroom goal-structures (CGS) has shown the usefulness of assessing the classroom motivational climate to evaluate educational interventions and to promote changes in teachers' activity. So, the Classroom Motivational Climate Questionnaire for Secondary and High-School students was developed. To validate it, confirmatory factor analysis and correlation and regression analyses were performed. Results showed that the CMCQ is a highly reliable instrument that covers many of the types of teaching patterns that favour motivation to learn, correlates as expected with other measures of CGS, predicts satisfaction with teacher's work well, and allows detecting teachers who should revise their teaching.

PORTAAL: A Classroom Observation Tool Assessing Evidence-Based Teaching Practices for Active Learning in Large Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Classes.

PubMed

Eddy, Sarah L; Converse, Mercedes; Wenderoth, Mary Pat

2015-01-01

There is extensive evidence that active learning works better than a completely passive lecture. Despite this evidence, adoption of these evidence-based teaching practices remains low. In this paper, we offer one tool to help faculty members implement active learning. This tool identifies 21 readily implemented elements that have been shown to increase student outcomes related to achievement, logic development, or other relevant learning goals with college-age students. Thus, this tool both clarifies the research-supported elements of best practices for instructor implementation of active learning in the classroom setting and measures instructors' alignment with these practices. We describe how we reviewed the discipline-based education research literature to identify best practices in active learning for adult learners in the classroom and used these results to develop an observation tool (Practical Observation Rubric To Assess Active Learning, or PORTAAL) that documents the extent to which instructors incorporate these practices into their classrooms. We then use PORTAAL to explore the classroom practices of 25 introductory biology instructors who employ some form of active learning. Overall, PORTAAL documents how well aligned classrooms are with research-supported best practices for active learning and provides specific feedback and guidance to instructors to allow them to identify what they do well and what could be improved. © 2015 S. L. Eddy et al. CBE—Life Sciences Education © 2015 The American Society for Cell Biology. This article is distributed by The American Society for Cell Biology under license from the author(s). It is available to the public under an Attribution–Noncommercial–Share Alike 3.0 Unported Creative Commons License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0).

One Good Look Deserves Another: Combining Methodologies to Describe Classrooms. Report No. 5084.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kugle, C. L.; Clements, R. O.

Qualitative and quantitative methodology in classroom observation were combined in this study that examined nine second grade reading classes. Each classroom was observed by an ethnographer and a classroom coder ten times throughout the year, and each observation lasted 90 minutes. For each classroom, four of the ten observations were also…

The Harvard experiment on OSO-6 - Instrumentation, calibration, operation, and description of observations.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Huber, M. C. E.; Dupree, A. K.; Goldberg, L.; Parkinson, W. H.; Reeves, E. M.; Withbroe, G. L.; Noyes, R. W.

1973-01-01

The Harvard experiment carried by OSO-6 was an extreme-ultraviolet (EUV) spectrometer-spectroheliometer with a wavelength range of 285 to 1385 A, a spatial and spectral bandwidth of 35 x 35(arc sec) squared and 3 A, respectively. The instrument acquired data that have been deposited with the National Space Science Data Center and World Data Center A at the Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, and are now available in their entirety to the scientific community. Aspects of the experiment that are relevant to potential users of the data are described - namely, instrument configuration and parameters, laboratory and inflight calibrations, as well as operational capabilities and procedures. The observations obtained are reported, and the nature, number, and dates of observation, where relevant, are listed.

Who Is Granted Authority in the Mathematics Classroom? An Analysis of the Observed and Perceived Distribution of Authority

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Depaepe, Fien; De Corte, Erik; Verschaffel, Lieven

2012-01-01

The article deals with the way in which authority was established and interpreted by teachers and students in two Flemish sixth-grade mathematics classrooms. Problem-solving lessons during a seven-month observation period were analysed regarding three aspects of teacher-student interactions that explicitly or implicitly reflect who bears…

Teacher Professional Knowledge and Classroom Management: On the Relation of General Pedagogical Knowledge (GPK) and Classroom Management Expertise (CME)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

König, Johannes; Kramer, Charlotte

2016-01-01

Due to the need for measurement instruments that allow an investigation of teachers' situational cognition and thus go beyond the limited scope of classical paper-and-pencil-tests, we ask how a specific video-based measurement of teachers' classroom management expertise can provide additional information when compared with an established…

Associations between school-level environment and science classroom environment in secondary schools

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dorman, Jeffrey P.; Fraser, Barry J.; McRobbie, Campbell J.

1995-09-01

This article describes a study of links between school environment and science classroom environment. Instruments to assess seven dimensions of school environment (viz., Empowerment, Student Support, Affiliation, Professional Interest, Mission Consensus, Resource Adequacy and Work Pressure) and seven dimensions of classroom environment (viz., Student Affiliation, Interactions, Cooperation, Task Orientation, Order & Organisation, Individualisati n and Teacher Control) in secondary school science classrooms were developed and validated. The study involved a sample of 1,318 students in 64 year 9 and year 12 science classes and 128 teachers of science in Australian secondary schools. Using the class mean as the unit of analysis for student data, associations between school and classroom environment were investigated using simple, multiple and canonical correlational analyses. In general, results indicated weak relationships between school and classroom environments and they reinforced the view that characteristics of the school environment are not transmitted automatically into science classrooms.

Measuring Attitudes That Bias Teacher Observation.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marston, Paul T.; Clements, Richard O.

It was hypothesized that individual differences in observer attitudes might affect the way observers code teacher behavior. A questionnaire assessing educational attitudes was given to 22 subjects who were trained on 3 classroom observation systems: the Flanders Interaction Analysis, the Classroom Observation Scales, and the Classroom Observation…

Differential Stress Levels in Primary Versus Secondary Classrooms.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jones, J. Reid

A study investigated sources of stress among 61 elementary and secondary school teachers who had attended an inservice stress clinic. Teachers completed test or survey instruments which collected data on problem situations for classroom teachers, including personal information on their teaching situations, job satisfaction, consideration of…

Profiles of classroom behavior in high schools: associations with teacher behavior management strategies and classroom composition.

PubMed

Pas, Elise T; Cash, Anne H; O'Brennan, Lindsey; Debnam, Katrina J; Bradshaw, Catherine P

2015-04-01

Although there has been considerable attention to the issue of classroom management and processes in educational reform models, there has been relatively limited research on these factors in high schools. The current study utilized observational data from 1262 classrooms in 52 high schools to examine teacher classroom management strategies and ratings of student compliance, engagement, and social disruption. Latent profile analysis (LPA) was conducted to examine specific patterns of classroom-wide student behavior in relation to teachers' use of classroom management strategies and classroom composition. The LPA revealed three distinct classroom behavioral profiles where students consistently met behavioral expectations (71%), inconsistently met expectations (23%), and were noncompliant (6%). Analyses indicated a functional association between patterns of student behavior and teachers' classroom management. In classrooms where students consistently met expectations, teachers provided more opportunities to respond and less disapproval and reactive behavioral management. Classrooms with noncompliant students had teachers who used the most disapproval and reactive behavior management. In addition, classrooms characterized as consistent had fewer males and more White students than classrooms characterized by inconsistent and noncompliant behaviors. These findings highlight the link between student patterns of behavior and teacher classroom management and have important implications for screening and professional development. Copyright © 2014 Society for the Study of School Psychology. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Turkish Preservice Science Teachers' Efficacy Beliefs Regarding Science Teaching and Their Beliefs about Classroom Management

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gencer, Ayse Savran; Cakiroglu, Jale

2007-01-01

The purpose of this study was to explore Turkish preservice science teachers' science teaching efficacy and classroom management beliefs. Data in this study were collected from a total number of 584 preservice science teachers utilizing the Science Teaching Efficacy Belief Instrument and the attitudes and beliefs on classroom control (ABCC)…

Students' perceptions of academic dishonesty in the chemistry classroom laboratory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

del Carlo, Dawn I.; Bodner, George M.

2004-01-01

Although the literature on both academic dishonesty and scientific misconduct is extensive, research on academic dishonesty has focused on quizzes, exams, and papers, with the virtual exclusion of the classroom laboratory. This study examined the distinctions undergraduate chemistry majors made between academic dishonesty in the classroom laboratory and scientific misconduct in the research laboratory. Across the spectrum of undergraduate chemistry courses, from the introductory course for first-semester chemistry majors to the capstone course in instrumental analysis, we noted that students believe the classroom lab is fundamentally different from a research or industrial lab. This difference is so significant that it carries over into students' perceptions of dishonesty in these two environments.

Listening to Strangers: Classroom Discussion in Democratic Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Parker, Walter C.

2010-01-01

Background/Context: The literature on classroom discussion often undercuts itself by treating discussion only as an instructional method, confining its role to the instrumental. Although discussion does serve as an effective means to other curricular ends (teaching with discussion), the capable practice of discussion can also be considered a…

Bridging Theory to Practice with Classroom Rounds

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bowman, Connie L.; Herrelko, Janet M.

2014-01-01

Pre-service candidates' perceptions of how to teach were challenged after going through the process of Classroom Rounds, the process that was used in this study. Classroom Rounds consisted of a pre-conference meeting with an inservice teacher, followed by a classroom observation of that teacher, and finally a discussion focusing on proven…

Advancing the discussion about systematic classroom behavioral observation, a product review of Tenny, J. (2010). eCOVE observation software. Pacific City, OR: eCOVE Software, LLC.

PubMed

Froiland, John Mark; Smith, Liana

2014-05-01

Applied child psychologists and behavioral consultants often use systematic behavioral observations to inform the psychological assessment and intervention development process for children referred for attention and hyperactivity problems. This article provides a review of the 2010 version of the eCOVE classroom observation software in terms of its utility in tracking the progress of children with attention and hyperactive behaviors and its use in evaluating teacher behaviors that may impede or promote children's attention and positive behavior. The eCOVE shows promise as an efficient tool for psychologists and behavioral consultants who want to evaluate the effects of interventions for children with symptoms of ADHD, ODD, mood disorders and learning disorders; however, some research-based improvements for future models are suggested. The reviewers also share their firsthand experience in using eCOVE to evaluate teacher and student behavior exhibited on a television show about teaching urban high school students and during a movie about an eccentric new kindergarten teacher. Rich examples are provided of using strategic behavioral observations to reveal how to improve the classroom environment so as to facilitate attention, motivation and positive behavior among youth. Broader implications for enhancing the use of systematic behavioral observations in the assessment of children and adolescents with attention disorders and related behavioral problems are discussed. Key issues are examined such as the use of behavioral observations during psychological consultation to prevent the previously found gender bias in referrals for ADHD. Using behavioral observations to enhance differential diagnosis is also discussed.

Secondary science teachers' view toward and classroom translation of sustained professional development

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lewis, Elizabeth Blake

This study concerns the phenomenon of secondary science teacher learning and enacting instructional strategies learned at the Communication in Science Inquiry Project (CISIP) teacher professional development events, as well as teacher perception of, and relationship to, this year-long professional development program. The CISIP program teaches science teachers how to build scientific classroom discourse communities with their students. Some of the science teachers were previous participants in the professional development, and acted as mentor teachers. The research design employed an integrated conceptual framework of situated learning theory with an analytical lens of teachers' professional, institutional and affinity, identities. A multi-method approach was used to generate data. Throughout the 2007-2008 academic year, the teachers' fidelity to the professional development model was measured using a classroom observation instrument aligned with the professional development model. From these observation data a longitudinal model, using hierarchical linear modeling, was constructed. In addition, surveys and interview data were used to construct both whole group and case studies of two high school science teachers who taught biology at the same school. The results indicated that there was a significant difference between previous and new participants; specifically, the longer teachers had participated in the professional development, and adopted a mentorship role, the greater their fidelity of classroom instruction to the CISIP model. Additionally, the case study teacher who developed a CISIP model-aligned affinity identity implemented more of the instructional strategies than the teacher who maintained his school-based institutional identity.

Asking Students Their Opinions of the Learning Environment: An Empirical Analysis of Elementary Classroom Climate

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kearney, W. Sean; Smith, Page A.; Maika, Sean

2016-01-01

There is currently a lack of research into classroom climate as perceived by the students themselves. This article presents a new classroom climate evaluation instrument which is designed to gauge student perceptions of their own level of engagement in academic activities, their relationships with peers, and the level of support they feel from…

Long-term total ozone observations at Arosa (Switzerland) with Dobson and Brewer instruments (1988-2007)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Scarnato, B.; Staehelin, J.; Stübi, R.; Schill, H.

2010-07-01

Dobson and Brewer spectrophotometers are the standard instruments for ground-based total ozone monitoring under the World Meteorological Organization's Global Atmosphere Watch program. Both types of instruments have been simultaneously used at Arosa station (Switzerland) since 1988; presently two Dobson and three Brewer instruments (one of which is type Mark III) are in operation. The large data set of quasi-simultaneous measurements (defined here as observations performed less than 10 min apart) allows for the determination of both inter- and intrainstrumental precision. The results for one standard deviation of total ozone are ±0.5% for Dobson standard wavelength pair observations and ±0.15% for Brewer total ozone measurements. To transform Dobson data into Brewer total ozone observations, empirical transfer functions are used to describe the observed difference in seasonal variations of total ozone data derived from the two types of instruments (amounting to a seasonal amplitude of approximately 2% with maximum deviation in winter). The statistical model (applied to quasi-simultaneous measurements) includes the ozone effective temperature and the air mass multiplied by total ozone (ozone slant path) as explanatory variables; it removes the seasonal cycle in the difference and it allows the significance of the proxies introduced and systematic errors in the data to be determined. However, even when these transfer functions are applied, a 3% drift over about a 10 year period (1988-1997) between Arosa's Dobson and Brewer derived total ozone data series remains unexplained, adding to the model an aerosol proxy for which only part of the drift can be removed (related to the period 1992-1996).

Developing the System for Observing Behavioral Ecology for Youth in Schools Instrument

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lorenz, Kent A.; van der Mars, Hans; Kulinna, Pamela H.; Ainsworth, Barbara E.; Hovell, Melbourne F.

2017-01-01

Background: Behavioral support may be effective in increasing physical activity (PA) in school settings. However, there are no data collection systems to concurrently record PA and behavioral support. This paper describes the development and validation of the System for Observing Behavioral Ecology for Youth in Schools (SOBEYS)--an instrument used…

The Gaia spectrophotometric standard stars survey: II. Instrumental effects of six ground-based observing campaigns

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Altavilla, G.; Marinoni, S.; Pancino, E.; Galleti, S.; Ragaini, S.; Bellazzini, M.; Cocozza, G.; Bragaglia, A.; Carrasco, J. M.; Castro, A.; Di Fabrizio, L.; Federici, L.; Figueras, F.; Gebran, M.; Jordi, C.; Masana, E.; Schuster, W.; Valentini, G.; Voss, H.

2015-08-01

The Gaia SpectroPhotometric Standard Stars (SPSS) survey started in 2006, was awarded almost 450 observing nights and accumulated almost 100 000 raw data frames with both photometric and spectroscopic observations. Such large observational effort requires careful, homogeneous, and automatic data reduction and quality control procedures. In this paper, we quantitatively evaluate instrumental effects that might have a significant (i.e., ≥ 1 %) impact on the Gaia SPSS flux calibration. The measurements involve six different instruments, monitored over the eight years of observations dedicated to the Gaia flux standards campaigns: DOLORES@TNG in La Palma, EFOSC2@NTT and ROSS@REM in La Silla, CAFOS@2.2 m in Calar Alto, BFOSC@Cassini in Loiano, and LaRuca@1.5 m in San Pedro Mártir. We examine and quantitatively evaluate the following effects: CCD linearity and shutter times, calibration frames stability, lamp flexures, second order contamination, light polarization, and fringing. We present methods to correct for the relevant effects which can be applied to a wide range of observational projects at similar instruments. Based on data obtained with BFOSC@Cassini in Loiano, Italy; EFOSC2@NTT in La Silla, Chile; DOLORES@TNG in La Palma, Spain; CAFOS@2.2 m in Calar Alto, Spain; LaRuca@1.5 m in San Pedro Mártir, Mexico (see acknowledgements for more details).

A comparison of in-class learner engagement across lecture, problem-based learning, and team learning using the STROBE classroom observation tool.

PubMed

Kelly, P Adam; Haidet, Paul; Schneider, Virginia; Searle, Nancy; Seidel, Charles L; Richards, Boyd F

2005-01-01

Having recently introduced team learning into the preclinical medical curriculum, evidence of the relative impact of this instructional method on in-class learner engagement was sought. To compare patterns of engagement behaviors among learners in class sessions across 3 distinct instructional methods: lecture, problem-based learning (PBL), and team learning. Trained observers used the STROBE classroom observation tool to measure learner engagement in 7 lecture, 4 PBL, and 3 team learning classrooms over a 12-month period. Proportions of different types of engagement behaviors were compared using chi-square. In PBL and team learning, the amount of learner-to-learner engagement was similar and much greater than in lecture, where most engagement was of the learner-to-instructor and self-engagement types. Also, learner-to-instructor engagement appeared greater in team learning than in PBL. Observed engagement behaviors confirm the potential of team learning to foster engagement similar to PBL, but with greater faculty input.

Initial validation of the prekindergarten Classroom Observation Tool and goal setting system for data-based coaching.

PubMed

Crawford, April D; Zucker, Tricia A; Williams, Jeffrey M; Bhavsar, Vibhuti; Landry, Susan H

2013-12-01

Although coaching is a popular approach for enhancing the quality of Tier 1 instruction, limited research has addressed observational measures specifically designed to focus coaching on evidence-based practices. This study explains the development of the prekindergarten (pre-k) Classroom Observation Tool (COT) designed for use in a data-based coaching model. We examined psychometric characteristics of the COT and explored how coaches and teachers used the COT goal-setting system. The study included 193 coaches working with 3,909 pre-k teachers in a statewide professional development program. Classrooms served 3 and 4 year olds (n = 56,390) enrolled mostly in Title I, Head Start, and other need-based pre-k programs. Coaches used the COT during a 2-hr observation at the beginning of the academic year. Teachers collected progress-monitoring data on children's language, literacy, and math outcomes three times during the year. Results indicated a theoretically supported eight-factor structure of the COT across language, literacy, and math instructional domains. Overall interrater reliability among coaches was good (.75). Although correlations with an established teacher observation measure were small, significant positive relations between COT scores and children's literacy outcomes indicate promising predictive validity. Patterns of goal-setting behaviors indicate teachers and coaches set an average of 43.17 goals during the academic year, and coaches reported that 80.62% of goals were met. Both coaches and teachers reported the COT was a helpful measure for enhancing quality of Tier 1 instruction. Limitations of the current study and implications for research and data-based coaching efforts are discussed. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2013 APA, all rights reserved.

Fostering a Sense of Wonder in the Science Classroom

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hadzigeorgiou, Yannis Petros

2012-10-01

This paper reports on a study undertaken with the primary aim of investigating the role of wonder in the learning process. The study was carried out by a 9th grade science teacher in collaboration with a university professor. The teacher taught two classrooms of 27 and 30 students respectively, by trying to evoke a sense of wonder only in one of them. To this end the teacher identified ideas and phenomena as potential sources of wonder and initiated the instruction through these ideas and phenomena. Observation and especially student optional journals were the main instruments of the research. A quantitative analysis of journal entries made by the students of both classrooms, provided evidence for higher involvement for the students—both males and females—of the classroom where the teacher evoked a sense of wonder. Also an analysis of students' comments provided evidence that wonder, experienced as astonishment and a shock of awareness can help students change their outlook on natural phenomena. Moreover two paper-and-pencil tests administered at the end of the school year provided additional evidence that wonder had an effect on students' ability to remember "wonder-full" ideas and also an effect on better understanding, of at least, three phenomena. This empirical evidence of better retention and understanding is evidence of the role of wonder as an attention catcher and generally of the role of affective factors in the learning process.

Multi-instrument observations of sub-minute quasi-periodic pulsations in solar flares

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dominique, Marie; Zhukov, Andrei; Dolla, Laurent

2017-08-01

Since a decade, quasi-periodic pulsations (QPPs) have been regularly reported to be observed in EUV and SXR during solar flares, while they were previously mostly observed in HXR and radio wavelengths. These new detections can be credited to a new generation of EUV space radiometers (SDO/EVE, PROBA2/LYRA, etc.) that significantly enhanced the instrument performances in terms of signal-to-noise ratio and time resolution. These new instruments allow us to perform statistical analysis of QPPs, which could ultimately help solving the long-debated question of their origin. However, recently, the methods (mainly the way to pre-process data and to account for the noise) used to detect QPPs in those wavelengths were questioned. In this presentation, we will discuss our current understanding of QPPs and the difficulties inherent to their detection. I will particularly address the sub-minute QPPs in the EUV and analyze them in the broader picture of multi-wavelength detection. How do they compare to the pulsations observed in other wavelength ranges? Are sub-minute QPPs and QPPs with longer periods produced by the same processes? What can we learn from the analysis of QPPs? Possible answers to these questions will be presented and discussed.

Flipped @ SBU: Student Satisfaction and the College Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gross, Benjamin; Marinari, Maddalena; Hoffman, Mike; DeSimone, Kimberly; Burke, Peggy

2015-01-01

In this paper, the authors find empirical support for the effectiveness of the flipped classroom model. Using a quasi-experimental method, the authors compared students enrolled in flipped courses to their counterparts in more traditional lecture-based ones. A survey instrument was constructed to study how these two different groups of students…

Capturing Urban Middle School Students' Voices on the Use of Science Inquiry in Their Classrooms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Osisioma, Irene U.; Onyia, Chidiebere R.

2009-01-01

The present study seeks to explore middle school students' perception of the kind of science instruction going on in their classrooms and its relevance to their daily lives outside the classroom. Data were collected using a five point Likert type survey instrument that was administered to 262 middle school (Grades 6, 7 & 8) students in six…

Affective Teaching: A Method to Enhance Classroom Management

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shechtman, Zipora; Leichtentritt, Judy

2004-01-01

The purpose of the study was to enhance classroom management in special education classrooms. "Affective teaching" was compared with "cognitive teaching" in 52 classrooms in Israel. Data was collected based on observations of three 90 minute lessons, equally divided into the two types of instruction. Results of MANOVA…

Effective Factors in Interactions within Japanese EFL Classrooms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maftoon, Parviz; Ziafar, Meisam

2013-01-01

Classroom interactional patterns depend on some contextual, cultural and local factors in addition to the methodologies employed in the classroom. In order to delineate such factors, the focus of classroom interaction research needs to shift from the observables to the unobservables like teachers' and learners' psychological states and cultural…

Associations between the Classroom Learning Environment and Student Engagement in Learning 1: A Rasch Model Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cavanagh, Rob

2012-01-01

This report is about one of two phases in an investigation into associations between student engagement in classroom learning and the classroom learning environment. Both phases applied the same instrumentation to the same sample. The difference between the phases was in the measurement approach applied. This report is about application of the…

Testing the Difference between School Level and Academic Mindset in the Classroom: Implications for Developing Student Psycho-Social Skills in Secondary School Classrooms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hanson, Janet

2017-01-01

This study explored the relationship between school level and the psychosocial construct of an academic mindset operationalized on the Likert-style Project for "Educational Research That Scales" (PERTS) instrument; widely used in testing academic mindset interventions at the classroom level. Analyses were conducted using existing school…

Measuring Practicing and Prospective Elementary Teachers' Efficacy for Classroom Management: A Preliminary Development and Validation Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Putman, S. Michael

2013-01-01

Research has shown efficacy exerts a powerful influence on behavior. Classroom management represents one vehicle for demonstrations of these behaviors, yet few instruments focus solely on the measurement of this domain-specific form of efficacy. This research explored the relationship between teacher self-efficacy and classroom management through…

Development of a Short-Form Version of the Physical Education Classroom Instrument: Measuring Secondary Pupils' Disruptive Behaviours

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Krech, Paul R.; Kulinna, Pamela H.; Cothran, Donetta

2010-01-01

Background: Effective classroom management is the cornerstone of successful teaching. Behavioural issues affect the classroom climate as well as the time available for learning. Pupil misbehaviours can also contribute to teacher stress and burn out resulting in teachers leaving the profession. It is important for us to understand more about pupil…

"Can You Make "Historiography" Sound More Friendly?": Towards the Construction of a Reliable and Validated History Teaching Observation Instrument

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

van Hover, Stephanie; Hicks, David; Cotton, Stephen

2012-01-01

While the field of history education elucidates a clear and ambitious vision of high-quality history instruction, a current challenge for history educators (including teacher educators, curriculum specialists, and school-based history and social science supervisors) becomes how to illuminate and capture this when observing classrooms to research…

Mathematical Observations: The Genesis of Mathematical Discovery in the Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Beaugris, Louis M.

2013-01-01

In his "Proofs and Refutations," Lakatos identifies the "Primitive Conjecture" as the first stage in the pattern of mathematical discovery. In this article, I am interested in ways of reaching the "Primitive Conjecture" stage in an undergraduate classroom. I adapted Realistic Mathematics Education methods in an…

Resistance to Classroom Observation in the Context of Teacher Evaluation: Teachers' and Department Heads' Experiences and Perspectives

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

de Lima, Jorge Ávila; Silva, Maria João Tavares

2018-01-01

This paper reports the main findings of a study that sought to understand how teachers and department heads perceived and experienced the implementation of a classroom observation system in a teacher evaluation context. The data was collected through a teacher and department head survey and interviews with department heads who were responsible for…

A Cross-Cultural Comparison of Teachers' Expressed Beliefs about Music Education and Their Observed Practices in Classroom Music Teaching

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wong, Marina

2005-01-01

Through interviews and observing day-to-day classroom practice, this study explores the beliefs of 10 music teachers in elementary schools in Vancouver and Hong Kong. The results demonstrate that the music teachers of the two localities hold similar cognitive beliefs about the essential elements of music education. However, they hold different…

An Observation of Classroom Assessment Practices among Lecturers in Selected Malaysian Higher Learning Institutions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Singh, Charanjit Kaur Swaran; Lebar, Othman; Kepol, Napisah; Rahman, Rafiah Abdul; Mukhtar, Kurotol Aini Muhammad

2017-01-01

Purpose: The study was aimed at exploring and analysing the current assessment practices of lecturers in selected Malaysian higher learning institution classrooms. The focus was the different modes of assessment used in the classroom and to make recommendations on using a variety of assessment modes that would be well-aligned with the intended…

Caregiver Cognition and Behavior in Day-Care Classrooms.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Holloway, Susan D.

A study examined the relationship between change in daycare children's classroom behavior and the teacher's socialization behavior. Various behaviors of 69 children in 24 classrooms were observed and coded in the fall and spring of the school year. Observers coded teacher behavior according to the Caregiver Interaction Scale, which assesses…

Remote Sensing of Aerosol Over the Land from the Earth Observing System MODIS Instrument

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kaufman, Yoram; Tanre, Didier; Remer, Lorraine; Einaudi, Franco (Technical Monitor)

2000-01-01

On Dec 18, 1999, NASA launched the Moderate-Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) instrument on the Earth Observing System (EOS) Terra mission, in a spectacular launch. The mission will provide morning (10:30 AM) global observations of aerosol and other related parameters. It will be followed a year later by a MODIS instrument on EOS Aqua for afternoon observations (1:30 PM). MODIS will measure aerosol over land and ocean with its eight 500 m and 250 m channels in the solar spectrum (0-41 to 2.2 micrometers). Over the land MODIS will measure the total column aerosol loading, and distinguish between submicron pollution particles and large soil particles. Standard daily products of resolution of ten kilometers and global mapped eight day and monthly products on a 1x1 degree global scale will be produced routinely and make available for no or small reproduction charge to the international community. Though the aerosol products will not be available everywhere over the land, it is expected that they will be useful for assessments of the presence, sources and transport of urban pollution, biomass burning aerosol, and desert dust. Other measurements from MODIS will supplement the aerosol information, e.g., land use change, urbanization, presence and magnitude of biomass burning fires, and effect of aerosol on cloud microphysics. Other instruments on Terra, e.g. Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR) and the Clouds and the Earth's Radiant Energy System (CERES), will also measure aerosol, its properties and radiative forcing in tandem with the MODIS measurements. During the Aqua period, there are plans to launch in 2003 the Pathfinder Instruments for Cloud and Aerosol Spaceborne Observations (PICASSO) mission for global measurements of the aerosol vertical structure, and the PARASOL mission for aerosol characterization. Aqua-MODIS, PICASSO and PARASOL will fly in formation for detailed simultaneous characterization of the aerosol three-dimensional field, which

The Identification of Children with Behavioural Manifestations of Inattention, Hyperactivity and Impulsivity, in Mainstream School: The Development of the Scope Classroom Observation Checklist

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Scope, Alison; Empson, Janet; McHale, Sue; Nabuzoka, Dabie

2007-01-01

The objective of this paper is to report the development and use of an observation checklist to identify typically developing children with behavioural manifestations associated with inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity. This measure is termed the Scope Classroom Observation Checklist (SCOC). The SCOC was developed, assessed for reliability…

Quantifying ADHD classroom inattentiveness, its moderators, and variability: a meta-analytic review.

PubMed

Kofler, Michael J; Rapport, Mark D; Alderson, R Matt

2008-01-01

Most classroom observation studies have documented significant deficiencies in the classroom attention of children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) compared to their typically developing peers. The magnitude of these differences, however, varies considerably and may be influenced by contextual, sampling, diagnostic, and observational differences. Meta-analysis of 23 between-group classroom observation studies using weighted regression, publication bias, goodness of fit, best case, and original metric analyses. Across studies, a large effect size (ES = .73) was found prior to consideration of potential moderators. Weighted regression, best case, and original metric estimation indicate that this effect may be an underestimation of the classroom visual attention deficits of children with ADHD. Several methodological factors-classroom environment, sample characteristics, diagnostic procedures, and observational coding schema-differentially affect observed rates of classroom attentive behavior for children with ADHD and typically developing children. After accounting for these factors, children with ADHD were on-task approximately 75% of the time compared to 88% for their classroom peers (ES = 1.40). Children with ADHD were also more variable in their attentive behavior across studies. The present study confirmed that children with ADHD exhibit deficient and more variable visual attending to required stimuli in classroom settings and provided an aggregate estimation of the magnitude of these deficits at the group level. It also demonstrated the impact of situational, sampling, diagnostic, and observational variables on observed rates of on-task behavior.

All Together Now: Measuring Staff Cohesion in Special Education Classrooms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kratz, Hilary E.; Locke, Jill; Piotrowski, Zinnia; Ouellette, Rachel R.; Xie, Ming; Stahmer, Aubyn C.; Mandell, David S.

2015-01-01

This study sought to validate a new measure, the Classroom Cohesion Survey (CCS), designed to examine the relationship between teachers and classroom assistants in autism support classrooms. Teachers, classroom assistants, and external observers showed good inter-rater agreement on the CCS and good internal consistency for all scales. Simple…

All Together Now: Measuring Staff Cohesion in Special Education Classrooms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kratz, Hilary E.; Locke, Jill; Piotrowski, Zinnia; Ouellette, Rachel R.; Xie, Ming; Stahmer, Aubyn C.; Mandell, David S.

2014-01-01

This study sought to validate a new measure, the Classroom Cohesion Survey (CCS), designed to examine the relationship between teachers and classroom assistants in autism support classrooms. Teachers, classroom assistants, and external observers showed good inter-rater agreement on the CCS and good internal consistency for all scales. Simple…

A Confirmatory Factor Analysis of Preservice Teachers' Responses to the Attitudes and Beliefs on Classroom Control Inventory.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Henson, Robin K.; Roberts, J. Kyle

This study examined the factorial invariance of scores from the Attitudes and Beliefs on Classroom Control Inventory (ABCC) (Martin and others, 1998) for 243 undergraduate preservice teachers. Although the original ABCC was developed with inservice teachers, use of the instrument to study the classroom beliefs of preservice teachers had not been…

Classroom Management Styles: The Differences among Traditionally-Licensed Teachers Who Were Formally Paraprofessionals and Alternatively-Licensed Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Payton, Caterria Beasley

2012-01-01

The purpose of this study was to determine if there was a difference in the attitudes and beliefs of traditionally certified teachers who were previously assistant teachers and alternatively certified teachers regarding classroom management. The instrument used in the study was the Attitudes and Beliefs on Classroom Control Inventory-Revised and…

Developing an Observation Instrument to Support Authentic Independent Reading Time during School in a Data-Driven World

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Williams, Lunetta M.; Hall, Katrina W.; Hedrick, Wanda B.; Lamkin, Marcia; Abendroth, Jennifer

2013-01-01

The purpose of the present study was to develop an instrument to measure reading during in-school independent reading (ISIR). Procedures to establish validity and reliability of the instrument included videotaping and observing students during ISIR, gathering feedback from literacy experts, establishing interrater reliability, crosschecking…

The Lions Quest Program in Turkey: Teachers' Views and Classroom Practices

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gol-Guven, Mine

2016-01-01

This is a pilot study to explore the classroom implementation of the Lions Quest Program in Turkey. Teachers of first through eighth grades at two elementary schools who applied the program were interviewed about the program and their classroom practices while they were also observed and their classrooms were also observed. Considerable program…

Asking Questions in the Classroom: An Exploration of Tools and Techniques Used in the Library Instruction Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Whitver, Sara Maurice; Lo, Leo S.

2017-01-01

This study explores the tools and techniques used within the library instruction classroom to facilitate a conversation about teaching practices. Researchers focused on the questioning methods employed by librarians, specifically the number of questions asked by librarians and students. This study was comprised of classroom observations of a team…

The Relationships between Childhood Depression, Perceptions of Family Functioning and Perceptions of Classroom Social Climate: Implications for School Counselors.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Russell, Todd T.; Russell, Debra K.

This study investigated the relationships between children's levels of depression, their perceptions of their classroom social climate, and their perceptions of their families' functioning. The three self-report instruments employed were the Reynolds Child Depression Scale (RCDS), the relationship dimension of the Classroom Environment Scale…

Continuous Classroom Assessment at Primary Level

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ali, Imtiaz; Shah, Syed Manzoor Hussein; Gujjar, Aijaz Ahmed

2014-01-01

This study was designed to analyze the continuous classroom assessment at primary level in Pakistan. Findings of the study revealed that the students' achievement of single class teacher in the subject of English, General science, Urdu and mathematics were almost on average and rubric observation during continuous classroom assessment ranked…

Classroom Management in Diverse Classrooms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Milner, H. Richard, IV; Tenore, F. Blake

2010-01-01

Classroom management continues to be a serious concern for teachers and especially in urban and diverse learning environments. The authors present the culturally responsive classroom management practices of two teachers from an urban and diverse middle school to extend the construct, culturally responsive classroom management. The principles that…

Should Supervisors Intervene during Classroom Visits?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marshall, Kim

2015-01-01

Real-time coaching has become the go-to supervisory model in some schools (especially charters), with supervisors routinely jumping in during teacher observations and sometimes taking over the class to model a more effective approach. The author sets out goals and guidelines for impromptu classroom visits that include visiting each classroom at…

[Survey on microclimatic condition of classroom].

PubMed

Grillo, O C; La Scala, R; Sindoni, L; Anzalone, C

2003-01-01

The results of a research, in winter and spring, on the microclimatic parameters and lighting in eighteen classrooms of primary schools in the town of Messina, are exposed. In a significant number of classrooms values of temperature and relative humidity are registered not in accordance with Italian standards. Thermal indices (PMV and PPD) showed, in both seasons, discomfort conditions in many rooms. A percentage of dissatisfied persons, significantly higher the 10% (56.8% in winter and 70.3% in spring), has been obtained. We used, also, a questionnaire modified by Fanger to evaluate the thermal subjective sensations of the students. The results point out that the thermal subjective sensations expressed by the students are often in disagreement with the Fanger thermal comfort indices obtained by instrument. The authors believe that the Fanger's indices do not reflect the effective environmental conditions.

The Teaching with Technology Instrument: Effectively Measuring Where Teachers Are and Planning for Staff Development.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Atkins, Nancy E.; Vasu, Ellen S.

1998-01-01

Presents an instrument for planning for staff development to help identify how much teachers know about technology and its integration into the classroom. The Teaching with Technology Instrument's (TTI's) 46 items are grouped in three areas: writing and communication skills, information access and management, and construction and multimedia. The…

Science Teacher Beliefs and Classroom Practice Related to Constructivism in Different School Settings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Savasci, Funda; Berlin, Donna F.

2012-02-01

Science teacher beliefs and classroom practice related to constructivism and factors that may influence classroom practice were examined in this cross-case study. Data from four science teachers in two schools included interviews, demographic questionnaire, Classroom Learning Environment Survey (preferred/perceived), and classroom observations and documents. Using an inductive analytic approach, results suggested that the teachers embraced constructivism, but classroom observations did not confirm implementation of these beliefs for three of the four teachers. The most preferred constructivist components were personal relevance and student negotiation; the most perceived component was critical voice. Shared control was the least preferred, least perceived, and least observed constructivist component. School type, grade, student behavior/ability, curriculum/standardized testing, and parental involvement may influence classroom practice.

Explorations into Pedagogy within Mathematics Classrooms: Insights from Contemporary Inquiries

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Walshaw, Margaret

2013-01-01

Pedagogy within mathematics classrooms is of keen interest in any educational discussion. On a wider scale, pedagogical practice that produces desirable outcomes is considered a major instrument for achieving national objectives. Circumstance and setting may vary, but the question relating to how mathematics teachers construct their practice is as…

Creativity in the Early Childhood Classroom: Perspectives of Preservice Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Eckhoff, Angela

2011-01-01

This study examined how preservice teachers view the nature and role of creativity in light of the complexities of contemporary early childhood classrooms. A multiple methods approach was utilized and data were collected with the Questionnaire Examining Student Teachers' Beliefs about Creativity (Diakidoy & Kanari, 1999) survey instrument and…

The Columbia Classroom Environments Project...Fourth Progress Report, December 1971.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Grannis, Joseph C.

The Columbia Classroom Environments Project (CCEP) report discusses a number of questions about a set of dimensions of learning and development as well as the instruments the project was developing for the analysis of behavior in learning environments. Joseph C. Grannis examines The Argument, Assumptions, Definitions, Hypothesis; Rochelle Mayer…

New Platforms for Suborbital Astronomical Observations and In Situ Atmospheric Measurements: Spacecraft, Instruments, and Facilities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rodway, K.; DeForest, C. E.; Diller, J.; Vilas, F.; Sollitt, L. S.; Reyes, M. F.; Filo, A. S.; Anderson, E.

2014-12-01

Suborbital astronomical observations have over 50 years' history using NASA's sounding rockets and experimental space planes. The new commercial space industry is developing suborbital reusable launch vehicles (sRLV's) to provide low-cost, flexible, and frequent access to space at ~100 km altitude. In the case of XCOR Aerospace's Lynx spacecraft, the vehicle design and capabilities work well for hosting specially designed experiments that can be flown with a human-tended researcher or alone with the pilot on a customized mission. Some of the first-generation instruments and facilities that will conduct solar observations on dedicated Lynx science missions include the SwRI Solar Instrument Pointing Platform (SSIPP) and Atsa Suborbital Observatory, as well as KickSat sprites, which are picosatellites for in situ atmospheric and solar phenomena measurements. The SSIPP is a demonstration two-stage pointed solar observatory that operates inside the Lynx cockpit. The coarse pointing stage includes the pilot in the feedback loop, and the fine stage stabilizes the solar image to achieve arcsecond class pointing. SSIPP is a stepping-stone to future external instruments that can operate with larger apertures and shorter wavelengths in the solar atmosphere. The Planetary Science Institute's Atsa Suborbital Observatory combines the strengths of ground-based observatories and space-based observing to create a facility where a telescope is maintained and used interchangeably with either in-house facility instruments or user-provided instruments. The Atsa prototype is a proof of concept, hand-guided camera that mounts on the interior of the Lynx cockpit to test target acquisition and tracking for human-operated suborbital astronomy. KickSat sprites are mass-producible, one inch printed circuit boards (PCBs) populated by programmable off the shelf microprocessors and radios for real time data transmission. The sprite PCBs can integrate chip-based radiometers, magnetometers

Psychological Effects of Classroom Noise in Early Childhood Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Grebennikov, Leonid; Wiggins, Mark

2006-01-01

The aim of this research was to examine the relationship between exposure to classroom noise and the psychological well-being of full-time teaching staff in 14 preschool settings located across Western Sydney. The participants comprised 25 teachers, each of whom was administered a range of instruments. The results indicated that 40% of teachers…

A Day in Third Grade: A Large-Scale Study of Classroom Quality and Teacher and Student Behavior

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Elementary School Journal, 2005

2005-01-01

Observations of 780 third-grade classrooms described classroom activities, child-teacher interactions, and dimensions of the global classroom environment, which were examined in relation to structural aspects of the classroom and child behavior. 1 child per classroom was targeted for observation in relation to classroom quality and teacher and…

Master Classrooms: Classroom Design with Technology in Mind.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Conway, Kathryn

Technology is changing the classroom requiring new design features and considerations to make the classroom flexible and interactive with the teaching process. The design of a Master Classroom, a product of the Classroom Improvement Project at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, is described. These classrooms are specially-equipped to…

Mapping Science in Discourse-based Inquiry Classrooms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yeneayhu, Demeke Gesesse

Abstract The purpose of this study was to investigate how discourse-based inquiry science lessons provided opportunities for students to develop a network of semantic relations among core ideas and concepts in science. It was a naturalistic inquiry classroom lessons observation study on three science teachers--- a middle school science teacher and two high school physics teachers in an urban school district located in the Western New York region. Discourse and thematic analysis drawn from the theory of Systemic Functional Linguistics were utilized as guiding framework and analysis tools. Analysis of the pre-observation and post-observation interviews of the participant teachers revealed that all of the three teachers participated in at least one inquiry-based science teaching teacher professional development program and they all thought their classroom teaching practice was inquiry-based. Analysis of their classroom lesson videos that each participant teacher taught on a specific science topic revealed that the middle school teacher was found to be a traditional teacher-dominated classroom whereas the two high school physics teachers' classroom teaching approach was found to be discourse-based inquiry. One of the physics teachers who taught on a topic of Magnetic Interaction used relatively structured and guided-inquiry classroom investigations. The other physics teacher who taught on a topic of Color Mixing utilized open-ended classroom investigations where the students planned and executed the series of classroom science investigations with minimal guidance from the teacher. The traditional teacher-based classroom communicative pattern was found to be dominated by Triadic Dialogue and most of the science thematics were jointly developed by the teacher and the students, but the students' role was limited to providing responses to the teacher's series questions. In the guided-inquiry classroom, the common communicative pattern was found to be True Dialogue and most

Teacher Awareness of Classroom Dyadic Interactions.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Martin, Roy; Keller, Albert

Dyadic interactions between teachers and students were recorded in 30 classrooms with each classroom being observed for one day. At the end of the day teachers were told the number of contacts they had with individual students and were asked to estimate the percentages that were a) response opportunities, in which the child attempts to answer a…

Observations over Hurricanes from the Ozone Monitoring Instrument

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Joiner, J.; Vasilkov, A.; Yang, K.; Bhartia, P. K.

2006-01-01

There is an apparent inconsistency between the total column ozone derived from the total ozone mapping spectrometer (TOMS) and aircraft observations within the eye region of tropical cyclones. The higher spectral resolution, coverage, and sampling of the ozone monitoring instrument (OMI) on NASA s Aura satellite as compared with TOMS allows for improved ozone retrievals by including estimates of cloud pressure derived simultaneously using the effects of rotational Raman scattering. The retrieved cloud pressures from OM1 are more appropriate than the climatological cloud-top pressures based on infrared measurements used in the TOMS and initial OM1 algorithms. We find that total ozone within the eye of hurricane Katrina is significantly overestimated when we use climatological cloud pressures. Using OMI-retrieved cloud pressures, total ozone in the eye is similar to that in the surrounding area. The corrected total ozone is in better agreement with aircraft measurements that imply relatively small or negligible amounts of stratospheric intrusion into the eye region of tropical cyclones.

All Together Now: Measuring Staff Cohesion in Special Education Classrooms

PubMed Central

Kratz, Hilary E.; Locke, Jill; Piotrowski, Zinnia; Ouellette, Rachel R.; Xie, Ming; Stahmer, Aubyn C.; Mandell, David S.

2015-01-01

This study sought to validate a new measure, the Classroom Cohesion Survey (CCS), designed to examine the relationship between teachers and classroom assistants in autism support classrooms. Teachers, classroom assistants, and external observers showed good inter-rater agreement on the CCS and good internal consistency for all scales. Simple factor structures were found for both teacher- and classroom assistant–rated scales, with one-factor solutions for both scales. Paired t tests revealed that on average, classroom assistants rated classroom cohesion stronger than teachers. The CCS may be an effective tool for measuring cohesion between classroom staff and may have an important impact on various clinical and implementation outcomes in school settings. PMID:26213443

Simplified Interval Observer Scheme: A New Approach for Fault Diagnosis in Instruments

PubMed Central

Martínez-Sibaja, Albino; Astorga-Zaragoza, Carlos M.; Alvarado-Lassman, Alejandro; Posada-Gómez, Rubén; Aguila-Rodríguez, Gerardo; Rodríguez-Jarquin, José P.; Adam-Medina, Manuel

2011-01-01

There are different schemes based on observers to detect and isolate faults in dynamic processes. In the case of fault diagnosis in instruments (FDI) there are different diagnosis schemes based on the number of observers: the Simplified Observer Scheme (SOS) only requires one observer, uses all the inputs and only one output, detecting faults in one detector; the Dedicated Observer Scheme (DOS), which again uses all the inputs and just one output, but this time there is a bank of observers capable of locating multiple faults in sensors, and the Generalized Observer Scheme (GOS) which involves a reduced bank of observers, where each observer uses all the inputs and m-1 outputs, and allows the localization of unique faults. This work proposes a new scheme named Simplified Interval Observer SIOS-FDI, which does not requires the measurement of any input and just with just one output allows the detection of unique faults in sensors and because it does not require any input, it simplifies in an important way the diagnosis of faults in processes in which it is difficult to measure all the inputs, as in the case of biologic reactors. PMID:22346593

Changes in student teachers' agency beliefs during a teacher education year, and relationships with observed classroom quality, and day-to-day experiences.

PubMed

Malmberg, Lars-Erik; Hagger, Hazel

2009-12-01

Conceptualizations of teachers' agency beliefs converge around domains of support and instruction. We investigated changes in student teachers' agency beliefs during a 1 year teacher education course, and related these to observed classroom quality and day-to-day experiences in partnership schools during the practicum. Out of a sample of 66 student teachers who had responded to at least two out of four times to a questionnaire (18 men 48 women; mean age 26.4 years), 30 were observed during teaching, and 20 completed a 4-day short form diary. Confirmatory factor analysis validated two agency belief constructs. Multi-level models for change investigated individual differences in change over time. Multi-level path models related observation and diary responses to agency beliefs. Supportive agency belief was high and stable across time. Instructional agency belief increased over time, suggesting a beneficial effect of teacher education. This increase was predicted by observed classroom quality (emotional support and student engagement) and daily positive affect and agency beliefs. Teacher education is successful in creating a context in which student teachers' supportive agency beliefs can be maintained and instructional agency beliefs can increase during the course.

The Delaware Function Rater: A Method of Quantifying Classroom Behavior.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gaynor, John F.; Gaynor, Mary F.

Developed was a student behavior rating system for use by teachers in identifying and assessing behavior problems and as an aid in classroom management. A time coding instrument was used, with behavior expressed as relative frequencies of a hierarchy of four mutually exclusive, exhaustive categories of behavior--relevent, unproductive, disruptive,…

Teaching and Learning Science in Authoritative Classrooms: Teachers' Power and Students' Approval in Korean Elementary Classrooms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Jeong-A.; Kim, Chan-Jong

2017-09-01

This study aims to understand interactions in Korean elementary science classrooms, which are heavily influenced by Confucianism. Ethnographic observations of two elementary science teachers' classrooms in Korea are provided. Their classes are fairly traditional teaching, which mean teacher-centered interactions are dominant. To understand the power and approval in science classroom discourse, we have adopted Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA). Based on CDA, form and function analysis was adopted. After the form and function analysis, all episodes were analyzed in terms of social distance. The results showed that both teachers exercised their power while teaching. However, their classes were quite different in terms of getting approval by students. When a teacher got students' approval, he could conduct the science lesson more effectively. This study highlights the importance of getting approval by students in Korean science classrooms.

Earth observing system instrument pointing control modeling for polar orbiting platforms

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Briggs, H. C.; Kia, T.; Mccabe, S. A.; Bell, C. E.

1987-01-01

An approach to instrument pointing control performance assessment for large multi-instrument platforms is described. First, instrument pointing requirements and reference platform control systems for the Eos Polar Platforms are reviewed. Performance modeling tools including NASTRAN models of two large platforms, a modal selection procedure utilizing a balanced realization method, and reduced order platform models with core and instrument pointing control loops added are then described. Time history simulations of instrument pointing and stability performance in response to commanded slewing of adjacent instruments demonstrates the limits of tolerable slew activity. Simplified models of rigid body responses are also developed for comparison. Instrument pointing control methods required in addition to the core platform control system to meet instrument pointing requirements are considered.

Observation of classroom social communication: do children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders spend their time differently than their typically developing peers?

PubMed

Olswang, Lesley B; Svensson, Liselotte; Astley, Susan

2010-12-01

In this research, the authors examined how social communication profiles during classroom activities differed between children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) and typically developing pair-matched peers. Twelve pairs of children were observed in their classrooms 20 min a day for 4 days across 2 weeks. Coders documented classroom social communication by recording performance on handheld computers using the Social Communication Coding System (L. B. Olswang, L. Svensson, T. E. Coggins, J. Beilinson, & A. L. Donaldson, 2006). The Social Communication Coding System consists of 6 behavioral dimensions (prosocial/engaged, passive/disengaged, irrelevant, hostile/coercive, assertive, and adult seeking) that account for all verbal and nonverbal productions during a specified timeframe. The frequency of occurrence and duration of each dimension (as measured by proportion of time and average length of time spent performing each dimension) were recorded. Children with FASD had significantly more occurrences of passive/disengaged and irrelevant behavior, and the proportion and average length of time in these behaviors were larger and longer than those of their peers. Further, children with FASD had significantly more occurrences of prosocial/engaged behavior; however, the proportion and average length of time that they spent being prosocial were smaller and shorter than those of their peers. Implications Results suggest children with mild FASD performed differently than their peers in regard to classroom social communication, which was consistent with parent and teacher behavioral reports.

Everyday Race-Making Pedagogies in the Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vass, Greg

2016-01-01

In this paper I examine the "pedagogies of positioning" performatively played out within the Australian high school classrooms I observed. The study aimed to develop a better understanding of how teachers pedagogically racialise the classroom in and through discursive encounters with students. The social analysis of these data accepts…

Classroom Interactions, Dyadic Teacher-Child Relationships, and Self-Regulation in Socially Disadvantaged Young Children.

PubMed

Cadima, Joana; Verschueren, Karine; Leal, Teresa; Guedes, Carolina

2016-01-01

This study examined the quality of the classroom climate and dyadic teacher-child relationships as predictors of self-regulation in a sample of socially disadvantaged preschool children (N = 206; 52 % boys). Children's self-regulation was observed in preschool at the beginning and at the end of the school year. At the middle of the preschool year, classroom observations of interactions were conducted by trained observers and teachers rated the quality of dyadic teacher-child relationships. Results from multilevel analyses revealed that teacher-child closeness predicted improvements in observed self-regulation skills. Children showed larger gains in self-regulation when they experienced closer teacher-child relationships. Moreover, a moderating effect between classroom instructional quality and observed self-regulation was found such that children with low initial self-regulation skills benefit the most from classrooms with higher classroom quality. Findings have implications for understanding the role of classroom social processes on the development of self-regulation.

An instrument for direct observations of seismic and normal-mode rotational oscillations of the Earth

PubMed Central

Cowsik, R.

2007-01-01

The rotations around the vertical axis associated with the normal mode oscillations of the Earth and those induced by the seismic and other disturbances have been very difficult to observe directly. Such observations will provide additional information for 3D modeling of the Earth and for understanding earthquakes and other underground explosions. In this paper, we describe the design of an instrument capable of measuring the rotational motions associated with the seismic oscillations of the Earth, including the lowest frequency normal mode at ν ≈ 3.7 × 10−4 Hz. The instrument consists of a torsion balance with a natural frequency of ν0 ≈ 1.6 × 10−4 Hz, which is observed by an autocollimating optical lever of high angular resolution and dynamic range. Thermal noise limits the sensitivity of the apparatus to amplitudes of ≈ 1.5 × 10−9 rad at the lowest frequency normal mode and the sensitivity improves as ν−3/2 with increasing frequency. Further improvements in sensitivity by about two orders of magnitude may be achieved by operating the balance at cryogenic temperatures. Alternatively, the instrument can be made more robust with a reduced sensitivity by increasing ν0 to ≈10−2 Hz. This instrument thus complements the ongoing effort by Igel and others to study rotational motions using ring laser gyroscopes and constitutes a positive response to the clarion call for developments in rotation seismology by Igel, Lee, and Todorovska [H. Igel, W.H.K. Lee and M.I. Todorovska, AGU Fall Meeting 2006, Rotational Seismology Sessions: S22A,S23B, Inauguration of the International Working Group on Rotational Seismology (IWGoRS)]. PMID:17438268

The Science Management Observation Protocol: Using Structured Observations to Improve Teachers' Management of Inquiry-Based Classrooms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sampson, Victor

2004-01-01

With the publication of the National Science Education Standards and the Benchmarks for Science Literacy, people now have a thorough idea of what an inquiry-based teacher is, and what he or she needs to do within a classroom in order to be successful. However, one major barrier in learning how to become an effective inquiry-based science teacher…

Emotions and Classroom Talk: Toward a Model of the Role of Affect in Students' Experiences of Classroom Discussions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Do, Seung Lee; Schallert, Diane Lemonnier

2004-01-01

To understand the role of affect in classroom discussion, the authors asked 16 students taking a 3-hr seminar to participate in a semester-long grounded theory inquiry. Coding of classroom observations, stimulated recall interviews, and self-ratings from each class meeting resulted in a model of affect as a catalyst in students' experience of…

A randomized controlled trial of the impact of a teacher classroom management program on the classroom behavior of children with and without behavior problems.

PubMed

Hutchings, Judy; Martin-Forbes, Pam; Daley, David; Williams, Margiad Elen

2013-10-01

This randomized controlled trial (RCT) evaluated the efficacy of the Incredible Years (IY) Teacher Classroom Management (TCM; Webster-Stratton & Reid, 2002) program to assess whether training teachers in IY-TCM principles improve teacher behavior, whether any observed improvements impact pupil behavior classroom-wide, and whether these effects can be demonstrated with children at risk of developing conduct problems. Six intervention and six control classrooms comprising 12 teachers and 107 children (aged 3 to 7years) were recruited. Children were screened for high or low behavior problems using the cut-off points of the teacher-rated Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (Goodman, 1997). The primary outcome measure was independent classroom observations using the Teacher-Pupil Observation Tool (Martin et al., 2010). Multilevel modeling analyses were conducted to examine the effect of the intervention on teacher, classroom, and child behavior. Results showed a significant reduction in classroom off-task behavior (d=0.53), teacher negatives to target children (d=0.36), target child negatives towards the teacher (d=0.42), and target child off-task behavior (d=0.48). These preliminary results demonstrate the potential impact of IY-TCM on both teacher and child behavior. Copyright © 2013 Society for the Study of School Psychology. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

After an Earthquake: Accessing Near Real-Time Data in the Classroom

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bravo, T. K.; Coleman, B.; Hubenthal, M.; Owens, T. J.; Taber, J.; Welti, R.; Weertman, B. R.

2010-12-01

One of the best ways to engage students in scientific content is to give them opportunities to work with real scientific instruments and data and enable them to experience the discovery of scientific information. In addition, newsworthy earthquakes can capture the attention and imagination of students. IRIS and collaborating partners provide a range of options to leverage that attention through access to near-real-time earthquake location and waveform data stored in the IRIS Data Management System and elsewhere via a number of web-based tools and a new Java-based application. The broadest audience is reached by the Seismic Monitor, a simple Web-based tool for observing near-real-time seismicity. The IRIS Earthquake Browser (IEB) allows users to explore recent and cataloged earthquakes and aftershock patterns online with more flexibility, and K-12 classroom activities for understanding plate tectonics and estimating seismic hazards have been designed around its use. Waveforms are easily viewed and explored on the web using the Rapid Earthquake Viewer (REV), developed by the University of South Carolina in collaboration with IRIS E&O. Data from recent well-known earthquakes available via REV are used in exercises to determine Earth’s internal structure and to locate earthquakes. Three component data is presented to the students, allowing a much more realistic analysis of the data than is presented in most textbooks. The Seismographs in Schools program uses real-time data in the classroom to interest and engage students about recent earthquakes. Through the IRIS website, schools can share event data and 24-hr images. Additionally, data is available in real-time via the API. This API allows anyone to extract data, re-purpose it, and display it however they need to, as is being done by the British Geological Survey Seismographs in Schools program. Over 350 schools throughout the US and internationally are currently registered with the IRIS Seismographs in Schools

Make-Keep-Use: Bringing Historical Instruments into the Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Heering, Peter

2015-01-01

This paper describes a new approach towards the implementation of history of physics in physics education. Reconstructed historical instruments are given to secondary school students. These students are requested to analyze these devices with the aim of collecting sufficient information in order to build their own working version of this device.…

First NuSTAR Observations of Mrk 501 within a Radio to TeV Multi-Instrument Campaign

DOE PAGES

Furniss, Amy

2015-10-08

We report on simultaneous broadband observations of the TeV-emitting blazar Markarian 501 between 2013 April 1 and August 10, including the first detailed characterization of the synchrotron peak with Swift and NuSTAR. During the campaign, the nearby BL Lac object was observed in both a quiescent and an elevated state. The broadband campaign includes observations with NuSTAR, MAGIC, VERITAS, the Fermi Large Area Telescope, Swift X-ray Telescope and UV Optical Telescope, various ground-based optical instruments, including the GASP-WEBT program, as well as radio observations by OVRO, Metsähovi, and the F-Gamma consortium. Some of the MAGIC observations were affected by amore » sand layer from the Saharan desert, and had to be corrected using event-by-event corrections derived with a Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) facility. This is the first time that LIDAR information is used to produce a physics result with Cherenkov Telescope data taken during adverse atmospheric conditions, and hence sets a precedent for the current and future ground-based gamma-ray instruments. The NuSTAR instrument provides unprecedented sensitivity in hard X-rays, showing the source to display a spectral energy distribution (SED) between 3 and 79 keV consistent with a log-parabolic spectrum and hard X-ray variability on hour timescales. None (of the four extended NuSTAR observations) show evidence of the onset of inverse-Compton emission at hard X-ray energies. We apply a single-zone equilibrium synchrotron self-Compton (SSC) model to five simultaneous broadband SEDs. We find that the SSC model can reproduce the observed broadband states through a decrease in the magnetic field strength coinciding with an increase in the luminosity and hardness of the relativistic leptons responsible for the high-energy emission.« less

FIRST NuSTAR OBSERVATIONS OF MRK 501 WITHIN A RADIO TO TeV MULTI-INSTRUMENT CAMPAIGN

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Furniss, A.; Noda, K.; Boggs, S.

2015-10-10

We report on simultaneous broadband observations of the TeV-emitting blazar Markarian 501 between 2013 April 1 and August 10, including the first detailed characterization of the synchrotron peak with Swift and NuSTAR. During the campaign, the nearby BL Lac object was observed in both a quiescent and an elevated state. The broadband campaign includes observations with NuSTAR, MAGIC, VERITAS, the Fermi Large Area Telescope, Swift X-ray Telescope and UV Optical Telescope, various ground-based optical instruments, including the GASP-WEBT program, as well as radio observations by OVRO, Metsähovi, and the F-Gamma consortium. Some of the MAGIC observations were affected by amore » sand layer from the Saharan desert, and had to be corrected using event-by-event corrections derived with a Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) facility. This is the first time that LIDAR information is used to produce a physics result with Cherenkov Telescope data taken during adverse atmospheric conditions, and hence sets a precedent for the current and future ground-based gamma-ray instruments. The NuSTAR instrument provides unprecedented sensitivity in hard X-rays, showing the source to display a spectral energy distribution (SED) between 3 and 79 keV consistent with a log-parabolic spectrum and hard X-ray variability on hour timescales. None (of the four extended NuSTAR observations) show evidence of the onset of inverse-Compton emission at hard X-ray energies. We apply a single-zone equilibrium synchrotron self-Compton (SSC) model to five simultaneous broadband SEDs. We find that the SSC model can reproduce the observed broadband states through a decrease in the magnetic field strength coinciding with an increase in the luminosity and hardness of the relativistic leptons responsible for the high-energy emission.« less

Children's self-allocation and use of classroom curricular time.

PubMed

Ingram, J; Worrall, N

1992-02-01

A class of 9-10 year-olds (N = 12) in a British primary school were observed as it moved over a one-year period through three types of classroom environment, traditional directive, transitional negotiative and established negotiative. Each environment offered the children a differing relationship with curricular time, its control and allocation, moving from teacher-allocated time to child allocation. Pupil self-report and classroom observation indicated differences in the balance of curricular spread and allocated time on curricular subject in relation to the type of classroom organisation and who controlled classroom time. These differences were at both class and individual child level. The established negotiative environment recorded the most equitable curricular balance, traditional directive the least. While individual children responded differently within and across the three classroom environments, the established negotiative where time was under child control recorded preference for longer activity periods compared to where the teacher controlled time allocations.

Equity Analytics: A Methodological Approach for Quantifying Participation Patterns in Mathematics Classroom Discourse

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reinholz, Daniel L.; Shah, Niral

2018-01-01

Equity in mathematics classroom discourse is a pressing concern, but analyzing issues of equity using observational tools remains a challenge. In this article, we propose equity analytics as a quantitative approach to analyzing aspects of equity and inequity in classrooms. We introduce a classroom observation tool that focuses on relatively…

The Elephant in the Classroom: The Impact of Misbehavior on Classroom Climate

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ratcliff, Nancy J.; Jones, Cathy R.; Costner, Richard H.; Savage-Davis, Emma; Hunt, Gilbert H.

2010-01-01

The research discussed here is based on a one year study of 34 second and fourth grade teachers and their 588 students. Data were collected in 40 minute observational segments; six unannounced observations took place in each teacher's classroom for a total of 240 minutes per teacher. The data were analyzed in SPSS as quantitative data. Half of the…

Airglow studies using observations made with the GLO instrument on the Space Shuttle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alfaro Suzan, Ana Luisa

2009-12-01

Our understanding of Earth's upper atmosphere has advanced tremendously over the last few decades due to our enhanced capacity for making remote observations from space. Space based observations of Earth's daytime and nighttime airglow emissions are very good examples of such enhancements to our knowledge. The terrestrial nighttime airglow, or nightglow, is barely discernible to the naked eye as viewed from Earth's surface. However, it is clearly visible from space - as most astronauts have been amazed to report. The nightglow consists of emissions of ultraviolet, visible and near-infrared radiation from electronically excited oxygen molecules and atoms and vibrationally excited OH molecules. It mostly emanates from a 10 km thick layer located about 100 km above Earth's surface. Various photochemical models have been proposed to explain the production of the emitting species. In this study some unique observations of Earth's nightglow made with the GLO instrument on NASA's Space Shuttle, are analyzed to assess the proposed excitation models. Previous analyses of these observations by Broadfoot and Gardner (2001), performed using a 1-D inversion technique, have indicated significant spatial structures and have raised serious questions about the proposed nightglow excitation models. However, the observation of such strong spatial structures calls into serious question the appropriateness of the adopted 1-D inversion technique and, therefore, the validity of the conclusions. In this study a more rigorous 2-D tomographic inversion technique is developed and applied to the available GLO data to determine if some of the apparent discrepancies can be explained by the limitations of the previously applied 1-D inversion approach. The results of this study still reveal some potentially serious inadequacies in the proposed photochemical models. However, alternative explanations for the discrepancies between the GLO observations and the model expectations are suggested. These

Design and testing of classroom and clinical teaching evaluation tools for nursing education.

PubMed

Emerson, Roberta J; Records, Kathie

2007-01-01

Student evaluations of teaching provide administrators an overall picture of the effectiveness of personnel and contribute data for promotion and merit decisions. These evaluations must be assessed for their relevance, validity, and reliability. This paper describes the development process and psychometric testing for clinical (n = 149) and didactic (n = 148) student evaluation of teaching forms for undergraduate and graduate courses in one college of nursing. Validity and reliability results were quite strong for the instruments, both of which evidenced a one-factor solution with factor loadings ranging from .68-.88 and Cronbach's alphas of .96 (Classroom) and .95 (Clinical). The clinical and classroom evaluation tools are relatively short, decreasing the burden on students who need to complete the instruments for multiple instructors in any one semester. Initial testing of the psychometric properties of the tools supports their continued use in colleges of nursing.

Teaching Practices and Elementary Classroom Peer Ecologies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gest, Scott D.; Rodkin, Philip C.

2011-01-01

Teachers and students in 39 1st, 3rd and 5th grade classrooms participated in a study of teaching practices and classroom peer networks. Teachers reported on their attitudes towards aggression and withdrawal, provided rationales for their seating arrangements, and were observed on patterns of emotional and instructional support and classroom…

Exclusively Visual Analysis of Classroom Group Interactions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tucker, Laura; Scherr, Rachel E.; Zickler, Todd; Mazur, Eric

2016-01-01

Large-scale audiovisual data that measure group learning are time consuming to collect and analyze. As an initial step towards scaling qualitative classroom observation, we qualitatively coded classroom video using an established coding scheme with and without its audio cues. We find that interrater reliability is as high when using visual data…

Citizen Science participation in the NASA CERES Students' Cloud Observations Online Project (S'COOL)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lewis, P. M.; Moore, S.; Crecelius, S.; Rogerson, T.; Chambers, L. H.

2012-12-01

ground truth data for CERES the 3 satellites currently carrying those instruments provide several options for scheduling. Should the citizen scientist be of school age, the student will be able to take the skills learned with the S'COOL project from the backyard to the classroom - or vice versa. S'COOL has attracted some unique citizen scientists over the years, providing ground truth observations from several unique locations. These include a group that circumnavigated the American continents, a woman who has rowed solo across all the world's oceans, and planned participation this fall from several Pacific research cruises. Classroom students turn ROVER observers, or citizen scientists that observe from varying locations, help over summer breaks and vacations. This is the case with a dedicated Connecticut elementary classroom that observes clouds as a class and is assigned summer work as roving observers to continue the data collection over their break. Outcomes: This paper will summarize the S'COOL project's experience with a variety of citizen scientists over the course of activities to date.

Developing a Multimedia Instrument for Technical Vocabulary Learning: A Case of EFL Undergraduate Physics Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rusanganwa, Joseph Appolinary

2015-01-01

The aim of the present study is to investigate the process of constructing a Multimedia Assisted Vocabulary Learning (MAVL) instrument at a university in Rwanda in 2009. The instrument is used in a one-computer classroom where students were taught in a foreign language and had little access to books. It consists of video clips featuring images,…

How to Analyze Verbal and Nonverbal Classroom Communication.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Heger, Herbert K.

Based upon the communications process model of teaching and learning, the Miniaturized Total Interaction Analysis System (Mini-TIA) establishes a conceptual framework for observing symptomatic classroom behaviors. It provides a means for the evaluation of classroom communication. Interpersonal communication is defined as either verbal (using…

The Identity, Second Language, and the Classroom Dynamic: Participant Observation in a Beginning Korean as a Second Language Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Diamond, Joel S.

2010-01-01

The goal of this qualitative study was to explore the nexus between second language acquisition, identity, and the beginning second language classroom. Using a social constructionist framework, the study utilizes ethnographic methodology incorporating both narrative and autoethnographic elements. Specifically the author acted as a participant…

A Guide to Parent Observation in the Primary Class

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Battle, Judy Shepps

2016-01-01

Just as the classroom guide must prepare for observation in the classroom, so too should parents prepare themselves for classroom observation. What is the purpose of their observation? What is the procedure? What should they note? What points of awareness should they keep in mind? Using the format of a letter to parents preparing to observe in a…

Predicting First Graders' Social Competence from Their Preschool Classroom Interpersonal Context

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Spivak, Asha Leah; Farran, Dale C.

2016-01-01

Research Findings: This study investigates contributions of the preschool classroom interpersonal environment to students' social competence in 1st grade. Participants were 862 ethnically/racially diverse children who attended public preschool classrooms serving low-income families. Systematic observations of 60 classrooms occurred across the…

Classrooms.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Butin, Dan

This paper addresses classroom design trends and the key issues schools should consider for better classroom space flexibility and adaptability. Classroom space design issues when schools embrace technology are discussed, as are design considerations when rooms must accommodate different grade levels, the importance of lighting, furniture…

Preservice Music Teachers' Attitudes toward Popular Music in the Music Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Springer, D. Gregory; Gooding, Lori F.

2013-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine preservice music educators' attitudes toward popular music in the music classroom. On a survey instrument designed by the investigators, participants ("N" = 82) rated (a) the effectiveness of popular music in addressing the National Standards for Music Education, (b) the appropriateness of popular…

The Classroom Animal: Mealworms.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kramer, David C., Ed.

1985-01-01

Describes appearance, longevity, and changes in each step of the mealworm life cycle. Guidelines for starting a classroom colony are given with housing and care instructions. Suggested observations, activities, and questions for students are included. (DH)

Canal preparation with nickel-titanium or stainless steel instruments without the risk of instrument fracture: preliminary observations.

PubMed

Yared, Ghassan

2015-02-01

This report introduces a novel technique that allows a safe and predictable canal negotiation, creation of a glide path and canal preparation with reciprocating nickel-titanium or stainless steel engine-driven instruments in canals where the use of rotary and the newly developed reciprocating instruments is contraindicated. In this novel technique, the instruments are used in reciprocating motion with very small angles. Hand files are not used regardless of the complexity of the canal anatomy. It also allows achieving predictable results in canal negotiation and glide path creation in challenging canals without the risk of instrument fracture.

Canal preparation with nickel-titanium or stainless steel instruments without the risk of instrument fracture: preliminary observations

PubMed Central

2015-01-01

This report introduces a novel technique that allows a safe and predictable canal negotiation, creation of a glide path and canal preparation with reciprocating nickel-titanium or stainless steel engine-driven instruments in canals where the use of rotary and the newly developed reciprocating instruments is contraindicated. In this novel technique, the instruments are used in reciprocating motion with very small angles. Hand files are not used regardless of the complexity of the canal anatomy. It also allows achieving predictable results in canal negotiation and glide path creation in challenging canals without the risk of instrument fracture. PMID:25671218

Flipped classroom improves student learning in health professions education: a meta-analysis.

PubMed

Hew, Khe Foon; Lo, Chung Kwan

2018-03-15

The use of flipped classroom approach has become increasingly popular in health professions education. However, no meta-analysis has been published that specifically examines the effect of flipped classroom versus traditional classroom on student learning. This study examined the findings of comparative articles through a meta-analysis in order to summarize the overall effects of teaching with the flipped classroom approach. We focused specifically on a set of flipped classroom studies in which pre-recorded videos were provided before face-to-face class meetings. These comparative articles focused on health care professionals including medical students, residents, doctors, nurses, or learners in other health care professions and disciplines (e.g., dental, pharmacy, environmental or occupational health). Using predefined study eligibility criteria, seven electronic databases were searched in mid-April 2017 for relevant articles. Methodological quality was graded using the Medical Education Research Study Quality Instrument (MERSQI). Effect sizes, heterogeneity estimates, analysis of possible moderators, and publication bias were computed using the COMPREHENSIVE META-ANALYSIS software. A meta-analysis of 28 eligible comparative studies (between-subject design) showed an overall significant effect in favor of flipped classrooms over traditional classrooms for health professions education (standardized mean difference, SMD = 0.33, 95% confidence interval, CI = 0.21-0.46, p < 0.001), with no evidence of publication bias. In addition, the flipped classroom approach was more effective when instructors used quizzes at the start of each in-class session. More respondents reported they preferred flipped to traditional classrooms. Current evidence suggests that the flipped classroom approach in health professions education yields a significant improvement in student learning compared with traditional teaching methods.

Planetary Science and Spacecraft Analogs in the Classroom

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Edberg, S. J.; McConnell, S. L.

2000-12-01

The Cassini Program Outreach Team has developed a number of classroom demonstrations and activities that present science investigation techniques and spacecraft flight operations. These activities and demonstrations include analogs to planetary magnetic field orientations, ring particle and atmospheric scattering, thermal inertia studies, body-mounted vs. scan platform-mounted instrument operations on spacecraft, gravity assist, and many others. These curriculum supplements utilize inexpensive, commonly available materials that can be found in household kitchens, backyards, and hardware and variety stores. While designed for middle school classrooms, these activities are easily modified for use in both elementary and high school classes. We will demonstrate several of our activities and present information on others. This research was carried out at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, under a contract with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

Planetary Science and Spacecraft Analogs in the Classroom

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Edberg, S. J.; McConnell, S. L.

2000-10-01

The Cassini Program Outreach Team has developed a number of classroom demonstrations and activities that present science investigation techniques and spacecraft flight operations. These activities and demonstrations include analogs to planetary magnetic field orientations, ring particle and atmospheric scattering, thermal inertia studies, body-mounted vs. scan platform-mounted instrument operations on spacecraft, gravity assist, and many others. These curriculum supplements utilize inexpensive, commonly available materials that can be found in household kitchens, backyards, and hardware and variety stores. While designed for middle school classrooms, these activities are easily modified for use in both elementary and high school classes. We will demonstrate several of our activities and present information on others. This research was carried out at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, under a contract with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

Examination of Classroom Observations and Educator Perceptions of Classroom Interventions of Middle School Gifted Students Exhibiting Unhealthy Perfectionist Tendencies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Drawdy, LaTease

2013-01-01

Unhealthy perfectionist tendencies plague many gifted middle school students, and this type of perfectionism can lead to a lack of classroom success. Identifying effective interventions that educators can utilize is important in assisting middle school gifted students who demonstrate these maladaptive tendencies in their achievement in the…

Understanding Children's Self-Regulation within Different Classroom Contexts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Timmons, Kristy; Pelletier, Janette; Corter, Carl

2016-01-01

In this study, children's self-regulation was observed, along with other social and academic activities in kindergarten classrooms during whole group, small group, transition and play contexts. We examined how children's self-regulation and engagement differed among classroom grouping, play and transition contexts. Results showed that students…

Science Teacher Beliefs and Classroom Practice Related to Constructivism in Different School Settings

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Savasci, Funda; Berlin, Donna F.

2012-01-01

Science teacher beliefs and classroom practice related to constructivism and factors that may influence classroom practice were examined in this cross-case study. Data from four science teachers in two schools included interviews, demographic questionnaire, Classroom Learning Environment Survey (preferred/perceived), and classroom observations and…

The Effectiveness of Internet-Controlled Astronomical Research Instrumentation for Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pratap, Preethi; Salah, Joseph

2004-01-01

Over the last decade, remote instruments have become widely used in astronomy. Educational applications are more recent. This paper describes a program to bring radio astronomy into the undergraduate classroom through the use of a remote research-grade radio telescope, the MIT Haystack Observatory 37 m telescope. We examine the effectiveness of…

Classroom Observations: Documenting Shifts in Instruction for Districtwide Improvement. Formative Evaluation Cycle Report for the Math in Common Initiative, Volume 2

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Perry, Rebecca R.; Seago, Nanette M.; Burr, Elizabeth; Broek, Marie; Finkelstein, Neal D.

2015-01-01

Math in Common® (MiC) is a five-year initiative that supports a formal network of 10 California school districts as they implement the Common Core State Standards in Mathematics (CCSS-M) across grades K-8. This research brief explores how best to select or develop and use classroom observation systems in order to document instructional shifts and…

A Discussion of Gunther Schuller's Approach to Conducting: Implications for the Instrumental Music Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Waldron, Janice

2008-01-01

What professional musicians say and do affects the attitudes and actions of music educators in the classroom. One example comes from influential conductor/composer, Gunther Schuller, who, in his controversial 1997 book, "The Compleat Conductor", defines, espouses, and recommends his own "philosophy of conducting." An examination of his ideas and,…

A Study of Classroom Inquiry and Reflection among Preservice Teachers Candidates

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Duquette, Cheryll; Dabrowski, Leah

2016-01-01

The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of four preservice teachers who used classroom inquiry and reflection to solve problems when implementing differentiated instruction in elementary classrooms during a practicum. Data from classroom observations, individual reflections, and discussions with a teacher educator were analyzed…

Mind the Gap: Accountability, Observation and Special Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Crowe, Christina C.; Rivers, Susan E.; Bertoli, Michelle C.

2017-01-01

There is an absence of observation-based tools designed to evaluate teaching in special education classrooms. Evaluations derived from classroom observations are integral to the accountability process, adding value to understanding teaching and learning by providing a lens into the classroom that test scores cannot capture. The present paper…

Bringing ocean observations to the classroom - integrating research infrastructure into education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Proctor, R.; Hoenner, X.; Mancini, S.; Tattersall, K.; Everett, J. D.; Suthers, I. M.; Steinberg, P.; Doblin, M.; Moltmann, T.

2016-02-01

For the past 4 years the Sydney Institute of Marine Science, a partnership of four Australian Universities (Macquarie University, the University of NSW, the University of Sydney and the University of Technology Sydney) has been running a Master's degree course called Topics in Australian Marine Science (TAMS). This course is unique in that the core of the course is built around research infrastructure - the Integrated Marine Observing System (IMOS). IMOS, established in 2007, is collecting unprecedented volumes of multi-disciplinary oceanographic data in the ocean and on the continental shelf which is made freely available across the web; IMOS frequently runs `data user workshops' throughout Australia to introduce scientists and managers to the wealth of observations available at their fingertips. The Masters course gives students an understanding of how different measurement platforms work and they explore the data that these platforms collect. Students combine attending seminars and lectures with hands on practicals and personal assignments, all built around access to IMOS data and the many tools available to visualise and analyse. The course attracts a diverse class with many mature students (i.e. > 25 years old) from a range of backgrounds who find that the ease of discovering and accessing data, coupled with the available tools, enables them to easily study the marine environment without the need for high level computational skills. Since its inception the popularity of the course has increased with 38 students undertaking the subject in 2014. The consensus from students and lecturers is that integrating `real' observations into the classroom is beneficial to all, and IMOS is seeking to extend this approach to other university campuses. The talk will describe the experiences from the TAMS course and highlight the IMOS approach to data discovery, availability and access through course examples.

Reading Instruments: Objects, Texts and Museums

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anderson, Katharine; Frappier, Mélanie; Neswald, Elizabeth; Trim, Henry

2013-05-01

Science educators, historians of science and their students often share a curiosity about historical instruments as a tangible link between past and present practices in the sciences. We less often integrate instruments into our research and pedagogy, considering artefact study as the domain of museum specialists. We argue here that scholars and teachers new to material culture can readily use artefacts to reveal rich and complex networks of narratives. We illustrate this point by describing our own lay encounter with an artefact turned over for our analysis during a week-long workshop at the Canada Science and Technology Museum. The text explains how elements as disparate as the military appearance of the instrument, the crest stamped on its body, the manipulation of its telescopes, or a luggage tag revealed the object's scientific and political significance in different national contexts. In this way, the presence of the instrument in the classroom vividly conveyed the nature of geophysics as a field practice and an international science, and illuminated relationships between pure and applied science for early twentieth century geologists. We conclude that artefact study can be an unexpectedly powerful and accessible tool in the study of science, making visible the connections between past and present, laboratory and field, texts and instruments.

The Birth and Slow Death of the Ontario Assessment Instrument Pool.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Raphael, Dennis

1993-01-01

Describes the development of the Ontario Assessment Instrument Pool (OAIP), a curriculum-based item bank for use in Ontario schools. The nearly $10,000,000 project, lacking implementation and evaluation activities, resulted in limited classroom use. The objective-based assessment also contradicted a child-centered educational philosophy. (KS)

The Instrument for the Observation of Teaching Activities (IOTA) and Alternative Approaches to Remediation of Teacher Weaknesses.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Richardson, Donald C.; Hatley, Richard V.

1980-01-01

Comparing the effectiveness of different strategies for remediating teacher weaknesses, as measured by the Instrument for Observation of Teaching Activities (IOTA), 99 elementary and junior high school teachers were observed. The study revealed that combining IOTA feedback with structured inservice workshops focusing on narrow specific weaknesses…

Prisoners or Volunteers: Developing Mutual Respect in the Elementary Science Classroom.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Huber, Richard A.; And Others

This study was conducted to investigate how teacher educators might help preservice teachers enrolled in a science methods course understand the need for mutual respect rather than coercion between pupil and teacher in an elementary classroom. An evaluation instrument was developed that consisted of a pre and post open-ended response to a…

Teaching strategies in inclusive classrooms with deaf students.

PubMed

Cawthon, S W

2001-01-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate teacher speech and educational philosophies in inclusive classrooms with deaf and hearing students. Data were collected from language transcripts, classroom observations, and teacher interviews. Total speech output, Mean Length Utterance, proportion of questions to statements, and proportion of open to closed questions were calculated for each teacher. Teachers directed fewer utterances, on average, to deaf than to hearing students but showed different language patterns on the remaining measures. Inclusive philosophies focused on an individualized approach to teaching, attention to deaf culture, advocacy, smaller class sizes, and an openness to diversity in the classroom. The interpreters' role in the classroom included translating teacher speech, voicing student sign language, mediating communication between deaf students and their peers, and monitoring overall classroom behavior.

Early Adjustment, Gender Differences, and Classroom Organizational Climate in First Grade

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ponitz, Claire Cameron; Rimm-Kaufman, Sara E.; Brock, Laura L.

2009-01-01

We examined gender differences in the first-grade transition, exploring child and classroom contributions to self-control and achievement in a rural sample. Teachers (n = 36) reported on children's (n = 172) initial adjustment difficulty and end-of-year self-control. Observed classroom organization and teacher-reported classroom chaos measured…

Everyday classroom assessment practices in science classrooms in Sweden

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gómez, María del Carmen; Jakobsson, Anders

2014-12-01

The focus of this study is to examine to what extent and in what ways science teachers practice assessment during classroom interactions in everyday activities in an upper-secondary school in Sweden. We are science teachers working now with a larger research project on assessment in science education that seeks to examine teachers' assessment practices in the upper-secondary school. Framing questions include: are teachers performing an integrated assessment of students' skills as the national curriculum mandates? If so, what do the instructional discourses look like in those situations and what are students' experiences regarding their agency on learning and assessment? We emphasize the social, cultural and historic character of assessment and sustain a situated character of learning instead of the notion that learning is "stored inside the head". Teacher led lessons in three science classrooms were video-recorded and analyzed by combining ethnographic and discourse methods of analysis. Both methods are appropriate to the theoretical foundation of our approach on learning and can give some answers to questions about how individuals interact socially, how their experience is passed on to next generations through language and how language use may reveal cultural changes in the studied context. Making the study of action in a classroom the focal point of sociocultural analysis supports the examination of assessment processes and identification of the social roles in which teachers and students are immersed. Such an approach requires observations of how teachers act in authentic teaching situations when they interact with their students in classroom making possible to observe negotiation processes, agencies when both teachers and students are involved in every-day activities. Our study showed that teachers mostly ignored students' questions and that students solved their own problems by helping each other. Teachers did not provide opportunities for students to discuss

Calories in the classroom: celebration foods offered and consumed during classroom parties at an elementary school in a low-income, urban community.

PubMed

Isoldi, Kathy K; Dalton, Sharron

2012-08-01

The school food environment is an important area of exploration in investigating the potential for schoolchildren to consume foods and beverages containing excess calories on school grounds. Several venues offer schoolchildren access to lownutrient, calorie-dense foods and beverages. Classroom celebrations offer such a venue; however, little is known about current practices during these events. Trained observers recorded foods and beverages offered, activities engaged in, and goody bag distribution during six separate classroom celebrations. Additionally, foods and beverages consumed by 24 individual students were recorded in detail for calorie estimation. The majority of food items offered during classroom celebrations were low-nutrient, calorie-dense items. The mean caloric contribution for all 24 students was 444 ± 221 calories, with a range of 130–905 calories, and a median intake of 386 calories. Mean total estimated calorie intake per grade level was 225 ± 90, 286 ± 105, and 550 ± 212 calories for students in prekindergarten, kindergarten, and 1st grade, respectively. Only one-third of all the parties observed included activities other than eating. Our observations reveal that food items offered during classroom celebrations offer children opportunities to consume low-nutrient, calorie-dense foods and beverages on the school campus. More research is needed to support these findings, and to identify the best practice to implement for effective school wellness policies aimed at regulating classroom celebrations.

Observations of Jupiter thermal emission made by the Infrared Telescope Facility and the Galileo NIMS instrument

NASA Image and Video Library

1998-03-26

These observations of Jupiter equator in thermal heat emission were made by NASA Infrared Telescope Facility top panel within hours of the Near-Infrared Mapping Spectrometer NIMS instrument image middle inset and the spectra bottom.

The Application of Instructional Reform in Classrooms: Benchmarking Effective Teacher Behavior.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

van Tassel-Baska, Joyce; Avery, Linda D.

This paper describes the Classroom Observation Form (COF), which was used to evaluate elementary and secondary school gifted education programs in Virginia and South Carolina. The study examined the nature of classroom practice and developed a database on the nature of classroom practice in multiple settings serving high ability learners across…

Socialising Multilingualism: Determinants of Codeswitching in Kenyan Primary Classrooms.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Merritt, Marilyn; And Others

1992-01-01

Using ethnographic observations of classroom interaction in three primary schools, determinants of teachers' language choice and codeswitching among English, Swahili, and mother-tongue were explored: official school policy, cognitive concerns, classroom management concerns, values and attitudes about societal multilingualism. (36 references)…

What Is Classroom Discussion? A Look at Teachers' Conceptions.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Larson, Bruce E.; Parker, Walter C.

1996-01-01

Explores three social-studies teachers' conceptions of classroom discussion, focusing on discussion's defining characteristics and purpose and influences on usage. Data included interview and think-aloud responses and classroom observations. Teachers view discussion as recitation, teacher-directed conversation, open-ended exploration, a…

Discipline and Rules in Four Hong Kong Kindergarten Classrooms: A Qualitative Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ho, Joyce; Grieshaber, Susan Jane; Walsh, Kerryann

2017-01-01

Classroom discipline is a topic of international interest and teachers are bombarded with advice regarding how to and why they should manage children's behaviour in their classrooms. This paper draws on data related to classroom discipline gathered from a detailed classroom observation schedule, teacher interviews, and field notes with four…

The role of interpreters in inclusive classrooms.

PubMed

Antia, S D; Kreimeyer, K H

2001-10-01

The roles of interpreters in an inclusive classroom were examined through a qualitative, 3-year case study of three interpreters in an inclusive school. Interviews were conducted with interpreters, classroom teachers, special education teachers, and administrators. The interview data were supplemented with observations and field notes. Results indicate that in addition to sign interpreting between American Sign Language and speech, the interpreters clarified teacher directions, facilitated peer interaction, tutored the deaf children, and kept the teachers and special educators informed of the deaf children's progress. The interpreter/aides and the classroom teachers preferred this full-participant interpreter role, while the special educators and administrators preferred a translator role. Classroom teachers were more comfortable with full-time interpreters who knew the classroom routine, while the special educators and administrators feared that full-time interpreters fostered child and teacher dependence. These issues are discussed in terms of congruence with the Registry of Interpreters code of ethics and how integration of young children might be best facilitated.

Assessing Classroom Learning: How Students Use Their Knowledge and Experience to Answer Classroom Achievement Test Questions in Science and Social Studies.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nuthall, Graham; Alton-Lee, Adrienne

1995-01-01

Observational studies of student learning from classroom experience in science and social studies in elementary and middle school classrooms were carried out with 14 students. A model is described that explains how students use multilayered episodic and semantic memory for learning experience and related knowledge to answer achievement test items.…

The Relationship between Teachers' Trust in Students and Classroom Discipline Beliefs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Arslan, Yaser; Polat, Soner

2016-01-01

This study was aimed to identify the relationship between teachers' trust in students and their classroom discipline beliefs. Correlational research design was used in this study. Participants of the study were 255 teachers who worked in Kocaeli, a city from the Marmara region of Turkey. Data were gathered with trust instrument which was developed…

Swedish Religious Education at the End of the 1960s: Classroom Observations, Early Video Ethnography and the National Curriculum of 1962

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Flensner, K. Kittelmann; Larsson, G.

2014-01-01

The aim of this article is to present a unique corpus of film-recorded classroom observations of sixth-grade classes (age 12-13) in the Swedish cities of Gothenburg, Partille and Trollhättan in the late 1960s. The material documents how RE could be taught in Swedish schools in line with the curriculum of Lgr 62 which internationally was an early…

Sources of Invalidity When Comparing Classroom Behaviors Across Cultures and Nations.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pfau, Richard H.

Focusing on the use of category systems in classroom observation, this report summarizes factors that may significantly affect the validity of cross-national and cross-cultural comparisons of classroom behaviors. Category systems measure well-defined behaviors by recording events observed at specific intervals or as they begin and end. Areas of…

Differential effects of the classroom on African American and non-African American's mathematics achievement.

PubMed

Schenke, Katerina; Nguyen, Tutrang; Watts, Tyler W; Sarama, Julie H; Clements, Douglas H

2017-08-01

We examined whether African American students differentially responded to dimensions of the observed classroom-learning environment compared with non-African American students. Further, we examined whether these dimensions of the classroom mediated treatment effects of a preschool mathematics intervention targeted at students from low-income families. Three observed dimensions of the classroom (teacher expectations and developmental appropriateness; teacher confidence and enthusiasm; and support for mathematical discourse) were evaluated in a sample of 1,238 preschool students in 101 classrooms. Using multigroup multilevel mediation where African American students were compared to non-African American students, we found that teachers in the intervention condition had higher ratings on the observed dimensions of the classroom compared with teachers in the control condition. Further, ratings on teacher expectations and developmental appropriateness had larger associations with the achievement of African American students than for non-African Americans. Findings suggest that students within the same classroom may react differently to that learning environment and that classroom learning environments could be structured in ways that are beneficial for students who need the most support.

One-to-One Assistant Engagement in Autism Support Classrooms

PubMed Central

Azad, Gazi F.; Locke, Jill; Downey, Margaret Mary; Xie, Ming; Mandell, David S.

2015-01-01

Classroom assistants and one-to-one assistants are an important part of the staffing structure of many autism support classrooms. Limited studies, however, have examined how one-to-one assistants spend their time in the classroom. The purpose of this article was to examine the percentage of time one-to-one assistants were engaged in instruction or support of students with autism and to determine the factors associated with their engagement. Direct observations were conducted in 46 autism support classrooms. Teachers and classroom assistants were engaged in instruction or support 98% and 91% of the time, respectively. One-to-one assistants were engaged in instruction or support 57% of the time. Classroom assistants’ and one-to-one assistants’ engagement was significantly correlated. The low rate of one-to-one assistants’ engagement suggests an inefficient use of an important resource. PMID:26807003

Design, Validation, and Use of an Evaluation Instrument for Monitoring Systemic Reform.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Scantlebury, Kathryn; Boone, William; Kahle, Jane Butler; Fraser, Barry J.

2001-01-01

Describes the design, development, validation, and use of an instrument that measures student attitudes and several environmental dimensions (i.e., standards-based teaching, home support, and peer support). Indicates that the classroom environment (standards-based teaching practices) was the strongest independent predictor of both achievement and…

The Structured Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ljusberg, Anna-Lena

2011-01-01

The aim of this article is to highlight the organisation of the remedial classroom. The data were collected from observations and semi-structured interviews with 10 teachers in remedial classes for children seen and treated as having concentration deficits. The teachers use primarily compensatory language that places the deficits in the pupils.…

Parent-rated externalizing behavior in preschoolers: the predictive utility of structured interviews, teacher reports, and classroom observations.

PubMed

Doctoroff, Greta L; Arnold, David H

2004-12-01

This study investigated multiple forms of home and school assessment as predictors of parent-rated behavior problems across a preschool year. Participants were a community sample of 79 preschool children, their parents, and their teachers. Parent ratings of behavior problems were obtained toward the beginning of the school year and approximately 6 months later. Behavior problems were also assessed early in the school year using parent structured interviews, teacher-rating scales, and classroom observations of problem and prosocial behavior. Consistent with hypotheses, each assessment method significantly predicted year-end parent ratings of behavior problems, even above initial ratings.

The Culturally Responsive Classroom Management Self-Efficacy Scale: Development and Initial Validation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Siwatu, Kamau Oginga; Putman, S. Michael; Starker-Glass, Tehia V.; Lewis, Chance W.

2017-01-01

This article reports on the development and initial validation of the Culturally Responsive Classroom Management Self-Efficacy Scale. Data from 380 preservice and inservice teachers were used to examine the psychometric properties of the instrument. Exploratory factor analysis results suggested a one-factor structure consisting of 35 items and the…

Sunspot observations from the SOUP instrument on Spacelab 2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shine, R. A.; Title, A. M.; Tarbell, T. D.; Acton, L.; Duncan, D.; Ferguson, S. H.; Finch, M.; Frank, Z.; Kelly, G.; Lindgren, R.

1987-09-01

A series of white light images obtained by the SOUP instrument on Spacelab 2 of active region 4682 on August 5, 1985 were analyzed in the area containing sunspots. Although the umbra of the spot is underexposed, the film is well exposed in the penumbral regions. These data were digitally processed to remove noise and to separate p-mode oscillations from low velocity material motions. The results of this preliminary investigation include: (1) proper motion measurements of a radial outflow in the photospheric granulation pattern just outside the penumbra; (2) discovery of occasional bright structures (streakers) that appear to be ejected outward from the penumbra; (3) broad dark clouds moving outward in the penumbra in addition to the well known bright penumbral grains moving inward; (4) apparent extensions and contractions of penumbral filaments over the photosphere; and (5) observation of a faint bubble or loop-like structure which seems to expand from two bright penumbral filaments into the photosphere.

Sunspot observations from the SOUP instrument on Spacelab 2

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shine, R. A.; Title, A. M.; Tarbell, T. D.; Acton, L.; Duncan, D.; Ferguson, S. H.; Finch, M.; Frank, Z.; Kelly, G.; Lindgren, R.

1987-01-01

A series of white light images obtained by the SOUP instrument on Spacelab 2 of active region 4682 on August 5, 1985 were analyzed in the area containing sunspots. Although the umbra of the spot is underexposed, the film is well exposed in the penumbral regions. These data were digitally processed to remove noise and to separate p-mode oscillations from low velocity material motions. The results of this preliminary investigation include: (1) proper motion measurements of a radial outflow in the photospheric granulation pattern just outside the penumbra; (2) discovery of occasional bright structures (streakers) that appear to be ejected outward from the penumbra; (3) broad dark clouds moving outward in the penumbra in addition to the well known bright penumbral grains moving inward; (4) apparent extensions and contractions of penumbral filaments over the photosphere; and (5) observation of a faint bubble or loop-like structure which seems to expand from two bright penumbral filaments into the photosphere.

Constraining the temperature history of the past millennium using early instrumental observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brohan, P.; Allan, R.; Freeman, E.; Wheeler, D.; Wilkinson, C.; Williamson, F.

2012-05-01

The current assessment that twentieth-century global temperature change is unusual in the context of the last thousand years relies on estimates of temperature changes from natural proxies (tree-rings, ice-cores etc.) and climate model simulations. Confidence in such estimates is limited by difficulties in calibrating the proxies and systematic differences between proxy reconstructions and model simulations. As the difference between the estimates extends into the relatively recent period of the early nineteenth century it is possible to compare them with a reliable instrumental estimate of the temperature change over that period, provided that enough early thermometer observations, covering a wide enough expanse of the world, can be collected. One organisation which systematically made observations and collected the results was the English East-India Company (EEIC), and their archives have been preserved in the British Library. Inspection of those archives revealed 900 log-books of EEIC ships containing daily instrumental measurements of temperature and pressure, and subjective estimates of wind speed and direction, from voyages across the Atlantic and Indian Oceans between 1789 and 1834. Those records have been extracted and digitised, providing 273 000 new weather records offering an unprecedentedly detailed view of the weather and climate of the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. The new thermometer observations demonstrate that the large-scale temperature response to the Tambora eruption and the 1809 eruption was modest (perhaps 0.5 °C). This provides a powerful out-of-sample validation for the proxy reconstructions - supporting their use for longer-term climate reconstructions. However, some of the climate model simulations in the CMIP5 ensemble show much larger volcanic effects than this - such simulations are unlikely to be accurate in this respect.

Constraining the temperature history of the past millennium using early instrumental observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brohan, P.; Allan, R.; Freeman, E.; Wheeler, D.; Wilkinson, C.; Williamson, F.

2012-10-01

The current assessment that twentieth-century global temperature change is unusual in the context of the last thousand years relies on estimates of temperature changes from natural proxies (tree-rings, ice-cores, etc.) and climate model simulations. Confidence in such estimates is limited by difficulties in calibrating the proxies and systematic differences between proxy reconstructions and model simulations. As the difference between the estimates extends into the relatively recent period of the early nineteenth century it is possible to compare them with a reliable instrumental estimate of the temperature change over that period, provided that enough early thermometer observations, covering a wide enough expanse of the world, can be collected. One organisation which systematically made observations and collected the results was the English East India Company (EEIC), and their archives have been preserved in the British Library. Inspection of those archives revealed 900 log-books of EEIC ships containing daily instrumental measurements of temperature and pressure, and subjective estimates of wind speed and direction, from voyages across the Atlantic and Indian Oceans between 1789 and 1834. Those records have been extracted and digitised, providing 273 000 new weather records offering an unprecedentedly detailed view of the weather and climate of the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. The new thermometer observations demonstrate that the large-scale temperature response to the Tambora eruption and the 1809 eruption was modest (perhaps 0.5 °C). This provides an out-of-sample validation for the proxy reconstructions - supporting their use for longer-term climate reconstructions. However, some of the climate model simulations in the CMIP5 ensemble show much larger volcanic effects than this - such simulations are unlikely to be accurate in this respect.

Actual curriculum development practices instrument: Testing for factorial validity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Foi, Liew Yon; Bakar, Kamariah Abu; Hamzah, Mohd Sahandri Gani; Alwi, Nor Hayati

2014-09-01

The Actual Curriculum Development Practices Instrument (ACDP-I) was developed and the factorial validity of the ACDP-I was tested (n = 107) using exploratory factor analysis procedures in the earlier work of [1]. Despite the ACDP-I appears to be content and construct valid instrument with very high internal reliability qualities for using in Malaysia, the accumulated evidences are still needed to provide a sound scientific basis for the proposed score interpretations. Therefore, the present study addresses this concern by utilising the confirmatory factor analysis to further confirm the theoretical structure of the variable Actual Curriculum Development Practices (ACDP) and enrich the psychometrical properties of ACDP-I. Results of this study have practical implication to both researchers and educators whose concerns focus on teachers' classroom practices and the instrument development and validation process.

Predictive validity of the classroom strategies scale-observer form on statewide testing scores: an initial investigation.

PubMed

Reddy, Linda A; Fabiano, Gregory A; Dudek, Christopher M; Hsu, Louis

2013-12-01

The present study examined the validity of a teacher observation measure, the Classroom Strategies Scale--Observer Form (CSS), as a predictor of student performance on statewide tests of mathematics and English language arts. The CSS is a teacher practice observational measure that assesses evidence-based instructional and behavioral management practices in elementary school. A series of two-level hierarchical generalized linear models were fitted to data of a sample of 662 third- through fifth-grade students to assess whether CSS Part 2 Instructional Strategy and Behavioral Management Strategy scale discrepancy scores (i.e., ∑ |recommended frequency--frequency ratings|) predicted statewide mathematics and English language arts proficiency scores when percentage of minority students in schools was controlled. Results indicated that the Instructional Strategy scale discrepancy scores significantly predicted mathematics and English language arts proficiency scores: Relatively larger discrepancies on observer ratings of what teachers did versus what should have been done were associated with lower proficiency scores. Results offer initial evidence of the predictive validity of the CSS Part 2 Instructional Strategy discrepancy scores on student academic outcomes. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2013 APA, all rights reserved.

SERVQUAL-Based Measurement of Student Satisfaction with Classroom Instructional Technologies: A 2001 Update.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kleen, Betty; Shell, L. Wayne

The researchers, using a variation of the SERVQUAL instrument, repeated a 1999 study to measure students' satisfaction with instructional technology tools used in their classrooms. Student satisfaction varied by course discipline, by instructional technology, by anticipated grade, and by frequency of use. Female respondents were less satisfied…

Implementation of an Integrated, Portable Transformer Condition Monitoring Instrument in the Classroom and On-Site

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chatterjee, B.; Dey, D.; Chakravorti, S.

2010-01-01

The development of integrated, portable, transformer condition monitoring (TCM) equipment for classroom demonstrations as well as for student exercises conducted in the field is discussed. Demonstrations include experimentation with real-world transformers to illustrate concepts such as polarization and depolarization current through oil-paper…

Instrument Design of the Large Aperture Solar UV Visible and IR Observing Telescope (SUVIT) for the SOLAR-C Mission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Suematsu, Y.; Katsukawa, Y.; Shimizu, T.; Ichimoto, K.; Takeyama, N.

2012-12-01

We present an instrumental design of one major solar observation payload planned for the SOLAR-C mission: the Solar Ultra-violet Visible and near IR observing Telescope (SUVIT). The SUVIT is designed to provide high-angular-resolution investigation of the lower solar atmosphere, from the photosphere to the uppermost chromosphere, with enhanced spectroscopic and spectro-polarimetric capability in wide wavelength regions from 280 nm (Mg II h&k lines) to 1100 nm (He I 1083 nm line) with 1.5 m class aperture and filtergraphic and spectrographic instruments.

A Follow-Up Study of "Teacher Beliefs Survey": A Psychometric Investigation of the Instrument and Its Educational Implications.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Benjamin, Jane; Petersen, Naomi Jeffery; Sink, Chris; Walker, Brenda

The construct validity of the revised Teacher Beliefs Survey (TBS) (S. Woolley and A. Woolley, 1999) was examined, and the populations that can use this instrument reliably were explored in this study. The TBS was designed to identify the dimensions of classroom practices. The revised instrument, which contained additional subscale items, was…

Teacher Logs: A Tool for Gaining a Comprehensive Understanding of Classroom Practices

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Glennie, Elizabeth J.; Charles, Karen J.; Rice, Olivia N.

2017-01-01

Examining repeated classroom encounters over time provides a comprehensive picture of activities. Studies of instructional practices in classrooms have traditionally relied on two methods: classroom observations, which are expensive, and surveys, which are limited in scope and accuracy. Teacher logs provide a "real-time" method for…

Laptop Computers in the Elementary Classroom: Authentic Instruction with At-Risk Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kemker, Kate; Barron, Ann E.; Harmes, J. Christine

2007-01-01

This case study investigated the integration of laptop computers into an elementary classroom in a low socioeconomic status (SES) school. Specifically, the research examined classroom management techniques and aspects of authentic learning relative to the student projects and activities. A mixed methods approach included classroom observations,…

Preschool classroom processes as predictors of children's cognitive self-regulation skills development.

PubMed

Fuhs, Mary Wagner; Farran, Dale C; Nesbitt, Kimberly Turner

2013-12-01

This research focuses on the associations between interactive processes of early childhood classrooms and gains in children's cognitive self-regulation (CSR) across the preschool year. Data from 803 children (45.8% female; M = 54 months; 39.1% Caucasian, 26.3% African American, 24.6% Hispanic, 9.9% Other) were collected at fall and spring of the preschool year, and classroom observations were conducted three times throughout the year. Multilevel models tested associations between classroom behaviors of teachers and students using the Classroom Observation in Preschool and the Teacher Observation in Preschool and gains children made in a CSR composite score (Dimensional Change Card Sort, Peg Tapping, Head Toes Knees Shoulders, Copy Design, and Corsi Blocks) across the preschool year. After controlling for demographic covariates and children's pretest scores, both affective and cognitive classroom processes were associated with gains. More teacher behavior approving, less disapproving, and more positive emotional tone were associated with gains. The proportion of observed time teachers spent delivering instruction as well as the proportion of time children were involved with mathematics and literacy were also related to CSR gains, as was the quality of teacher instruction. Although exploratory, these results highlight the potential for modifications in classroom practices to aid in children's CSR development. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2013 APA, all rights reserved.

Connellys' Classroom Cutaway

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Connelly, John; Connelly, Marilyn

2008-01-01

This article aims to help classroom teachers use the educational tool of student-produced media to meet their curriculum objectives. It has been the authors' experience in three decades of utilizing this tool personally and observing other teachers utilizing this tool, across nearly all grades and course content areas, that it is very effective.…

An Empirical Development of an Instrument To Assess Mathematics Anxiety and Apprehension.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ikegulu, T. Nelson

The development and psychometric properties of the Mathematics Anxiety-Apprehension Survey (MAAS), a measure of instructional and/or classroom mathematics phobia are discussed. This instrument was designed to assess levels of mathematics anxiety and apprehension in students with varying levels of education and socio-demographic factors. The highly…

Tracking Immanent Language Learning Behavior Over Time in Task-Based Classroom Work

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kunitz, Silvia; Marian, Klara Skogmyr

2017-01-01

In this study, the authors explore how classroom tasks that are commonly used in task-based language teaching (TBLT) are achieved as observable aspects of "local educational order" (Hester & Francis, 2000) through observable and immanently social classroom behaviors. They focus specifically on students' language learning behaviors,…

Integrating Quantitative and Ethnographic Methods to Describe the Classroom. Report No. 5083.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Malitz, David; And Others

The debate between proponents of ethnographic and quantitative methodology in classroom observation is reviewed, and the respective strengths and weaknesses of the two approaches are discussed. These methodologies are directly compared in a study that conducted simultaneous ethnographic and quantitative observations on nine classrooms. It is…

Good News in Inclusive String Music Education: Adaptive Strategies for the Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bugaj, Kasia

2016-01-01

There has been a paradigm shift in the field of string instrument instruction and working with students with disabilities over the past 25 years. The previously reported lack of educational preparation for teachers in including students with disabilities in string classrooms and ensembles seems to have been improved upon through teacher training…

Distributions of δD observations from IASI/MetOp across the globe and intercomparison with other instruments/measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lacour, Jean-Lionel; Clarisse, Lieven; Hurtmans, Daniel; Clerbaux, Cathy; Worden, John; Schneider, Matthias; Risi, Camille; Coheur, Pierre-François

2014-05-01

The Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer (IASI) onboard MetOp, through its observations of the water isotopologues, has great potential to support research on hydrological processes responsible for the moistening/drying of the atmosphere. The instrumental characteristics of the spectrometer (low radiometric noise and good spectral resolution) combined with its high sampling (global coverage twice a day) make it particularly suitable for providing numerous observations of the isotopologues ratio (δD) of water vapour in the troposphere. Retrieving isotopologues ratios at the required accuracy is, however, a challenging task. To get meaningful results, the retrieval needs to be well constrained. This can be achieved, with the optimal estimation method, by using an a priori probability density function containing correlation information between HDO and H2O. In this presentation, first, we will show that the measurements are mainly sensitive to δD in the troposphere between 3 and 6 km. We will illustrate the capabilities of IASI to provide δD observations at high spatio-temporal resolution with some distributions across the globe and we will discuss their added values to constrain hydrological processes. Second, we will document how IASI observations compare to other remote sounding observations of δD in the troposphere. Comparisons of IASI observations with the TES sounder and with three ground-based NDACC FTIR (Izaña, Kalsruhe and Kiruna, data generated within the project MUSICA) will be presented. The differences between the instruments as well as the methodology to compare them will be exposed. We will show that the different instruments agree within their own uncertainties and vertical sensitivities, asserting the use of IASI δD observations for scientific purposes.

Multi-instrument observation on co-seismic ionospheric effects after great Tohoku earthquake

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hao, Y. Q.; Xiao, Z.; Zhang, D. H.

2012-02-01

In this paper, evidence of quake-excited infrasonic waves is provided first by a multi-instrument observation of Japan's Tohoku earthquake. The observations of co-seismic infrasonic waves are as follows: 1, effects of surface oscillations are observed by local infrasonic detector, and it seems these effects are due to surface oscillation-excited infrasonic waves instead of direct influence of seismic vibration on the detector; 2, these local excited infrasonic waves propagate upwards and correspond to ionospheric disturbances observed by Doppler shift measurements and GPS/TEC; 3, interactions between electron density variation and currents in the ionosphere caused by infrasonic waves manifest as disturbances in the geomagnetic field observed via surface magnetogram; 4, within 4 hours after this strong earthquake, disturbances in the ionosphere related to arrivals of Rayleigh waves were observed by Doppler shift sounding three times over. Two of the arrivals were from epicenter along the minor arc of the great circle (with the second arrival due to a Rayleigh wave propagating completely around the planet) and the other one from the opposite direction. All of these seismo-ionospheric effects observed by HF Doppler shift appear after local arrivals of surface Rayleigh waves, with a time delay of 8-10 min. This is the time required for infrasonic wave to propagate upwards to the ionosphere.

Seeing Eye to Eye: Predicting Teacher-Student Agreement on Classroom Social Networks

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Neal, Jennifer Watling; Cappella, Elise; Wagner, Caroline; Atkins, Marc S.

2011-01-01

This study examines the association between classroom characteristics and teacher-student agreement in perceptions of students' classroom peer networks. Social network, peer nomination, and observational data were collected from a sample of second through fourth grade teachers (N = 33) and students (N = 669) in 33 classrooms across five…

Religion in the Elementary Classroom.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kirman, Joseph M.

2001-01-01

Discusses the teaching of religion in the elementary classroom. Suggests activities and discusses cautions and concerns, dealing with absolutism, using religious literature, and parental rights. Compares teaching about religion with teaching for religious observance. (CMK)

Measuring Instructional Interactions in Kindergarten Mathematics Classrooms through a Direct Observation System

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Doabler, Christian T.

2010-01-01

There is convincing evidence that many students struggle to learn mathematics proficiently. One plausible contributor to the low math achievement is the quantity and quality of learning opportunities provided in classrooms. These opportunities may fall short of addressing the learning needs of students, especially those at risk for failure in…

Classroom Management and Students' Perceptions of Classroom Climate

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ratzburg, Susan A.

2010-01-01

The impact of classroom management and the impact of classroom climate on student academic achievement has been independently documented by scholars. Less is currently know regarding the relationship linking classroom management and climate. Therefore, the purpose of this quasi experimental study was to explore the influence of classroom…

Classroom Teachers and Classroom Research. JALT Applied Materials.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Griffee, Dale T., Ed.; Nunan, David, Ed.

This collection of papers leads classroom language teachers through the process of developing and completing a classroom research project. Arranged in four sections, they include: "Language Teaching and Research" (David Nunan); "Where Are We Now? Trends, Teachers, and Classroom Research" (Dale T. Griffee); "First Things First: Writing the Research…

Exploring the Amount and Type of Writing Instruction during Language Arts Instruction in Kindergarten Classrooms

PubMed Central

Puranik, Cynthia S.; Al Otaiba, Stephanie; Sidler, Jessica Folsom; Greulich, Luana

2014-01-01

The objective of this exploratory investigation was to examine the nature of writing instruction in kindergarten classrooms and to describe student writing outcomes at the end of the school year. Participants for this study included 21 teachers and 238 kindergarten children from nine schools. Classroom teachers were videotaped once each in the fall and winter during the 90 minute instructional block for reading and language arts to examine time allocation and the types of writing instructional practices taking place in the kindergarten classrooms. Classroom observation of writing was divided into student-practice variables (activities in which students were observed practicing writing or writing independently) and teacher-instruction variables (activities in which the teacher was observed providing direct writing instruction). In addition, participants completed handwriting fluency, spelling, and writing tasks. Large variability was observed in the amount of writing instruction occurring in the classroom, the amount of time kindergarten teachers spent on writing and in the amount of time students spent writing. Marked variability was also observed in classroom practices both within and across schools and this fact was reflected in the large variability noted in kindergartners’ writing performance. PMID:24578591

Exploring the Amount and Type of Writing Instruction during Language Arts Instruction in Kindergarten Classrooms.

PubMed

Puranik, Cynthia S; Al Otaiba, Stephanie; Sidler, Jessica Folsom; Greulich, Luana

2014-02-01

The objective of this exploratory investigation was to examine the nature of writing instruction in kindergarten classrooms and to describe student writing outcomes at the end of the school year. Participants for this study included 21 teachers and 238 kindergarten children from nine schools. Classroom teachers were videotaped once each in the fall and winter during the 90 minute instructional block for reading and language arts to examine time allocation and the types of writing instructional practices taking place in the kindergarten classrooms. Classroom observation of writing was divided into student-practice variables (activities in which students were observed practicing writing or writing independently) and teacher-instruction variables (activities in which the teacher was observed providing direct writing instruction). In addition, participants completed handwriting fluency, spelling, and writing tasks. Large variability was observed in the amount of writing instruction occurring in the classroom, the amount of time kindergarten teachers spent on writing and in the amount of time students spent writing. Marked variability was also observed in classroom practices both within and across schools and this fact was reflected in the large variability noted in kindergartners' writing performance.

Posters that Foster Cognition in the Classroom: Multimedia Theory Applied to Educational Posters

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hubenthal, Michael; O'Brien, Thomas; Taber, John

2011-01-01

Despite a decline in popularity within US society, posters continue to hold a prominent place within middle and high school science classrooms. Teachers' demand is satisfied by governmental and non-profit science organizations that produce and disseminate posters as tangible products resulting from their research, and instruments to communicate…

Survey of Physical Activity in Elementary School Classrooms in the State of Virginia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Elmakis, Gail Smith

2010-01-01

Elementary school age children engage in levels of physical activity that are well below recommended guidelines. It has been suggested that classroom teachers can assist in remedying the problem by providing physical activity breaks and physical activity embedded in instruction. This study utilized the instrument, Physical Activity in the…

"Periscope": Looking into Learning in Best-Practices Physics Classrooms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Scherr, Rachel E.; Goertzen, Renee Michelle

2018-01-01

"Periscope" is a set of lessons to support learning assistants, teaching assistants, and faculty in learning to notice and interpret classroom events the way an accomplished teacher does. "Periscope" lessons are centered on video episodes from a variety of best-practices university physics classrooms. By observing, discussing,…

The current practice of using multiple representations in year 4 science classrooms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chuenmanee, Chanoknat; Thathong, Kongsak

2018-01-01

Multiple representations have been widely used as a reasoning tool for understanding complex scientific concepts. Thus this study attempted to investigate the current practice of using multiple representations on Year 4 science classrooms in terms of modes and levels which appear in curriculum documents, teaching plans, tasks and assessments, teaching practices, and students' behaviors. Indeed, documentary analysis, classroom observation, and interview were used as the data collection methods. First of all, Year 4 science documents were analyzed. Then classroom observation was used as a collecting method to seek what actually happen in the classroom. Finally, in-depth interviews were used to gather more information and obtain meaningful data. The finding reveals that many modes of verbal, visual, and tactile representations within three levels of representations are posed in Year 4 documents. Moreover, according to classroom observations and interviews, there are three main points of applying multiple representations into classrooms. First of all, various modes of representations were used, however, a huge number of them did not come together with the levels. The levels of representations, secondly, macroscopic and cellular levels were introduced into all classrooms while symbolic level was provided only in some classrooms. Finally, the connection of modes and levels pointed out that modes of representations were used without the considerations on the levels of them. So, it seems to be that teaching practice did not meet the aims of curriculum. Therefore, these issues were being considered in order to organize and design the further science lessons.

Classroom Listening Conditions in Indian Primary Schools: A Survey of Four Schools.

PubMed

Sundaravadhanan, Gayathri; Selvarajan, Heramba G; McPherson, Bradley

2017-01-01

Background noise affects the listening environment inside classrooms, especially for younger children. High background noise level adversely affects not only student speech perception but also teacher vocal hygiene. The current study aimed to give an overview of the classroom listening conditions in selected government primary schools in India. Noise measurements were taken in 23 classrooms of four government primary schools in southern India, using a type 2 sound level meter. In each classroom measurements were taken in occupied and unoccupied conditions. Teacher voice level was measured in the same classrooms. In addition, the classroom acoustical conditions were observed and the reverberation time for each classroom was calculated. The mean occupied noise level was 62.1 dBA and 65.6 dBC, and the mean unoccupied level was 62.2 dBA and 65 dBC. The mean unamplified teacher speech-to-noise ratio was 10.6 dBA. Both the occupied and unoccupied noise levels exceeded national and international recommended levels and the teacher speech-to-noise ratio was also found to be inadequate in most classrooms. The estimated reverberation time in all classrooms was greater than 2.6 seconds, which is almost double the duration of accepted standards. In addition, observation of classrooms revealed insufficient acoustical treatment to effectively reduce internal and external noise and minimize reverberation. The results of this study point out the need to improve the listening environment for children in government primary schools in India.

Factors Affecting the Implementation of Argument in the Elementary Science Classroom. A Longitudinal Case Study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martin, Anita M.; Hand, Brian

2009-01-01

This longitudinal case study describes the factors that affect an experienced teacher’s attempt to shift her pedagogical practices in order to implement embedded elements of argument into her science classroom. Research data was accumulated over 2 years through video recordings of science classes. The Reformed Teacher Observation Protocol (RTOP) is an instrument designed to quantify changes in classroom environments as related to reform as defined by the National Research Council ( National science education standards. Washington, DC: National Academy Press, 1996b) and the National Research Council ( Fulfilling the promise: Biology education in the nation’s schools, Washington, DC: National Academy Press, 1990) and was used to analyze videotaped science lessons. Analysis of the data shows that there was a significant shift in the areas of teacher questioning, and student voice. Several levels of subsequent analysis were completed related to teacher questioning and student voice. The data suggests a relationship between these areas and the implementation of scientific argument. Results indicate that the teacher moved from a traditional, teacher-centered, didactic teaching style to instructional practices that allowed the focus and direction of the lesson to be affected by student voice. This was accomplished by a change in teacher questioning that included a shift from factual recall to more divergent questioning patterns allowing for increased student voice. As student voice increased, students began to investigate ideas, make statements or claims and to support these claims with strong evidence. Finally, students were observed refuting claims in the form of rebuttals. This study informs professional development related to experienced teachers in that it highlights pedagogical issues involved in implementing embedded elements of argument in the elementary classroom.

Development and validation of an instrument to evaluate science teachers' assessment beliefs and practices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Genc, Evrim

The primary purpose of this study was to develop a valid and reliable instrument to examine science teachers' assessment beliefs and practices in science classrooms. The present study also investigated the relationship between teachers' beliefs and practices in terms of assessment issues in science, their perceptions of the factors that influenced their assessment practices and their feelings towards high-stakes testing. The participants of the study were 408 science teachers teaching at middle and high school levels in the State of Florida. Data were collected through two modes of administration of the instrument as a paper-and-pencil and a web-based form. The response rate for paper-and-pencil administration was estimated as 68% whereas the response for the web administration was found to be 27%. Results from the various dimensions of validity and reliability analyses revealed that the 24 item-four-factor belief and practice measures were psychometrically sound and conceptually anchored measures of science teachers' assessment beliefs and self-reported practices. Reliability estimates for the belief measure ranged from .83 to .91 whereas alpha values for the practice measure ranged from .56 to .90. Results from the multigroup analysis supported that the instrument has the same theoretical structure across both administration groups. Therefore, future researchers may use either a paper-and-pencil or web-based format of the instrument. This study underscored a discrepancy between what teachers believe and how they act in classroom settings. It was emphasized that certain factors were mediating the dynamics between the belief and the practice. The majority of teachers reported that instruction time, class size, professional development activities, availability of school funding, and state testing mandates impact their assessment routines. Teachers reported that both the preparation process and the results of the test created unbelievable tension both on students and

Trainee Teachers' Conceptions of Teaching and Learning, Classroom Layout and Exam Design

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Betoret, Fernando Domenech; Artiga, Amparo Gomez

2004-01-01

The objective of this study centres on identifying and classifying the conceptions of teaching and learning held by future secondary school teachers, and on analysing the relationship between these conceptions and the way classroom space is organized and exams are designed. The test instruments used were applied to a sample of 138 graduates, who…

Exploration of instruction, assessment, and equity in the middle school science classroom

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Szpyrka, Donna A.

2001-07-01

In order to determine equitable practices of middle school science teachers questionnaire responses, classroom observations, teacher interviews, and assessment artifacts were examined to discover relationships between classroom instruction, assessment practices, and equity. Teachers in middle school science classrooms in six different schools completed a National Center for Education Statistics questionnaire, offered assessment artifacts, and participated in interviews. Observers using a classroom observation protocol and an equity profile rated 22 lessons. The study found that a distinction could be made between teachers who were more equitable and those who were less equitable. Careful planning and organization; the incorporation of tasks, roles, and interactions consistent with investigative science; a collaborative approach to learning; and instruction that takes into account what transpired in previous lessons---appear to be characteristics of lesson design of the more equitable teachers. In addition, instructional strategies and activities that addressed access, equity, and diversity as well as, a classroom climate that was respectful of students' contributions were found to a greater extent in the more equitable teachers' classrooms. While all teachers used multiple methods of assessment, the more equitable teachers used assessment differently. They also provided written feedback to students, relied on more than one aspect of student performance for determining grades, and explicated clear and specific assessment practices.

The Classroom Animal: Daddy Longlegs.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kramer, David C.

1987-01-01

Describes some of the characteristics of the common harvestmen, or daddy longlegs, and the true spider. Provides information on harvestmen's habitats and life cycles and includes tips on housing and observing these organisms in science classrooms. (TW)

Improving college science teaching through peer coaching and classroom assessment

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sode, J.R.

Peer coaching involves the observation of one teacher by another. This observation is accompanied by open and honest reflective discussion. The three main components of peer coaching are pre conference (for setting observation guidelines and building trust), observation (the sytematic collection of classroom data), and post conference (a non evaluative examination and discussion of the classroom). The non-evaluative post conference involves an examination of the teaching/learning process that occurred during the observation phase. In effective assessment, information on what and how well students are learning is used to make decisions about overall program improvement and to implement continuous classroom improvement.more » During peer coaching and assessment neither the instructor nor the students are formally evaluated. This session presents a sequential process in which the peer coaching steps of pre conference, observation, and post conference are combined with assessment to provide instructional guidance. An actual cast study, using the student complaint, {open_quotes}Lectures are boring and useless,{close_quotes} is used to demonstrate the process.« less

Preliminary Lessons about Supporting Participation and Learning in Inclusive Classrooms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Morningstar, Mary E.; Shogren, Karrie A.; Lee, Hyunjoo; Born, Kiara

2015-01-01

This descriptive study examined observational data collected in inclusive classrooms from six schools that were operating schoolwide inclusive policies and practices. Illustrative evidence of classroom practices supporting learning and participation of all students, including students with significant disabilities, adds to an understanding of…

Helium and Sulfur Hexafluoride in Musical Instruments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Forinash, Kyle; Dixon, Cory L.

2014-11-01

The effects of inhaled helium on the human voice were investigated in a recent article in The Physics Teacher.1 As mentioned in that article, demonstrations of the effect are a popular classroom activity. If the number of YouTube videos is any indication, the effects of sulfur hexafluoride on the human voice are equally popular. However, there appears to be little information available on the effects of either of these gases on musical instruments.2 We describe here the results of a student project that involved measuring the frequency shifts in an organ pipe, a trumpet, and a trombone as the result of filling the instruments with these two gases. The project was one of several possible end-of-semester projects required in an elective science of sound course for non-science majors.

The Inclusive Classroom Profile (ICP) Preliminary Findings of Demonstration Study in North Carolina

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Soukakou, E.; Winton, P.; West, T.

2012-01-01

The Inclusive Classroom Profile (ICP) was developed in response to a lack of validated instruments designed specifically to measure the quality of inclusive practices, and it is based on research evidence on the effectiveness of specialized instructional strategies for meeting the individual needs of children in inclusive settings (Odom, 2004;…

CIMEX: a prototype Instrument to observe from space the amazon forest In the near and shortwave infrared

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guerin, François; Dantes, Didier; Savaria, Eric; Selingardi, Mario Luis; Montes, Amauri Silva

2018-04-01

This paper, "CIMEX: a prototype Instrument to observe from space the amazon forest In the near and shortwave infrared," was presented as part of International Conference on Space Optics—ICSO 1997, held in Toulouse, France.

Automation of processing and photometric data analysis for transiting exoplanets observed with ESO NIR instrument HAWK-I

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Blažek, M.; Kabáth, P.; Klocová, T.; Skarka, M.

2018-04-01

Nowadays, when amount of data still increases, it is necessary to automatise their processing. State-of-the-art instruments are capable to produce even tens of thousands of images during a single night. One of them is HAWK-I that is a part of Very Large Telescope of European Southern Observatory. This instrument works in near-infrared band. In my Master thesis, I dealt with developing a pipeline to process data obtained by the instrument. It is written in Python programming language using commands of IRAF astronomical software and it is developed directly for "Fast Photometry Mode" of HAWK-I. In this mode, a large number of data has been obtained during secondary eclipses of exoplanets by their host star. The pipeline was tested by a data set from sorting of the images to making a light curve. The data of WASP-18 system contained almost 40 000 images observed by using a filter centered at 2.09 μm wavelength and there is a plan to process other data sets. A goal of processing of WASP-18 and the other data sets is consecutive analysis of exoplanetary atmospheres of the observed systems.

Children's Behavioral Regulation and Literacy: the Impact of the First Grade Classroom Environment

PubMed Central

Day, Stephanie; Connor, Carol; McClelland, Megan

2015-01-01

Classroom learning environments are an important source of influence on children's development, particularly with regard to literacy achievement and behavioral regulation, both which requires the coordination of task inhibition, attention, and working memory. Classroom observations were conducted in 18 schools and 51 first grade classrooms for 500 children. The non-instructional activities were recorded for each student in the classroom. Hierarchical linear modeling revealed that children with weaker fall behavioral regulation were more likely to attend classrooms where more time was spent in disruptions and wasted instructional time over the course of the school year, such as waiting for the teacher to gather materials before beginning instruction. For literacy outcomes, children who were in classrooms where more time in disruptions, transitions, and waiting was observed showed weaker literacy skill gains in the spring compared to children in classrooms with lesser amounts of such unproductive non-instructional time and this effect was generally greater for students with initial weaker skills. These results also reveal that the classroom environment and the incoming characteristics of the students themselves influence students' development of behavioral regulation and literacy. PMID:26407837

Children's behavioral regulation and literacy: The impact of the first grade classroom environment.

PubMed

Day, Stephanie L; Connor, Carol McDonald; McClelland, Megan M

2015-10-01

Classroom learning environments are an important source of influence on children's development, particularly with regard to literacy achievement and behavioral regulation, both of which require the coordination of task inhibition, attention, and working memory. Classroom observations were conducted in 18 schools and 51 first grade classrooms for 500 children. The non-instructional activities were recorded for each student in the classroom. Hierarchical linear modeling revealed that children with weaker fall behavioral regulation were more likely to attend classrooms where more time was spent in disruptions and wasted instructional time over the course of the school year, such as waiting for the teacher to gather materials before beginning instruction. For literacy outcomes, children who were in classrooms where more time in disruptions, transitions, and waiting was observed showed weaker literacy skill gains in the spring compared to children in classrooms with lesser amounts of such unproductive non-instructional time and this effect was generally greater for students with initial weaker skills. These results also reveal that the classroom environment and the incoming characteristics of the students themselves influence students' development of behavioral regulation and literacy. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Construction and psychometric characteristics of the self-concept scale of interaction in the classroom.

PubMed

Lobos Peña, Karla; Díaz Mújica, Alejandro; Bustos Navarrete, Claudio; Pérez Villalobos, María Victoria

2015-01-01

Both construction and psychometric characteristics of a self-concept scale associated with observable behaviors by students and teacher, useful to guide a pedagogic intervention in the classroom are presented. A total of 1,385 primary school students, aged between 8 and 12 years, from 24 high-social vulnerability schools of the Province of Concepción, Chile, participated in the study. The scale was constructed, including a theoretical review of the construct, pilot application with students and interjudge reliability. For the study of psychometric characteristics, exploratory factorial analysis (EFA), confirmatory factorial analysis (CFA), factorial invariance and recurrent validity were performed. A self-report instrument with 22 items shows a three-factor structure, with an explained variance of 44.71% and a high level of fi t for the model. CFA in two different samples showed fi t indicators for configural invariance. It also has concurrent validity. The scale has good psychometric properties to assess the academic self-concept in the dimensions of Capacity, Work Procedure, and Participation in class. This can be useful to guide an educational intervention in the context of the teacher-student interaction in the classroom, in primary schools with high socio-economic vulnerability.

Transforming Ways of Enhancing Foreign Language Acquisition in the Spanish Classroom: Experiential Learning Approaches

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moreno-López, Isabel; Ramos-Sellman, Aida; Miranda-Aldaco, Citlali; Gomis Quinto, Maria Teresa

2017-01-01

The researchers used qualitative and quantitative instruments to measure students' linguistic gains and their opinions and attitudes toward intercultural awareness while studying Spanish as a foreign language under four different pedagogical models: a traditional face-to-face classroom, face-to-face classes with a community-based learning…

The Involvement Instrument.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roderick, Jessie A.

The Involvement Instrument, an observational technique for examining children's interaction patterns and degree of involvement within the school setting, is presented in this paper. Training protocols for obtaining skill in using the Involvement Instrument, methods of analyzing data obtained by using the instrument, and criteria for determining…

Methods of Analysis and Overall Mathematics Teaching Quality in At-Risk Prekindergarten Classrooms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McGuire, Patrick R.; Kinzie, Mable; Thunder, Kateri; Berry, Robert

2016-01-01

Research Findings: This study analyzed the quality of teacher-child interactions across 10 videotaped observations drawn from 5 different prekindergarten classrooms delivering the same mathematics curriculum: "MyTeachingPartner-Math." Interactions were coded using 2 observational measures: (a) a general measure, the Classroom Assessment…

An Empirical Investigation of the Dimensionality of the Physical Literacy Environment in Early Childhood Classrooms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dynia, Jaclyn M.; Schachter, Rachel E.; Piasta, Shayne B.; Justice, Laura M.; O'Connell, Ann A.; Yeager Pelatti, Christina

2016-01-01

This study investigated the dimensionality of the physical literacy environment of early childhood education classrooms. Data on the classroom physical literacy environment were collected from 245 classrooms using the Classroom Literacy Observation Profile. A combination of confirmatory and exploratory factor analysis was used to identify five…

An Empirical Investigation of the Dimensionality of the Physical Literacy Environment in Early Childhood Classrooms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dynia, Jaclyn M.; Schachter, Rachel E.; Piasta, Shayne B.; Justice, Laura M.; O'Connell, Ann A.; Yeager Pelatti, Christina

2018-01-01

This study investigated the dimensionality of the physical literacy environment of early childhood education classrooms. Data on the classroom physical literacy environment were collected from 245 classrooms using the Classroom Literacy Observation Profile. A combination of confirmatory and exploratory factor analysis was used to identify five…

Factors Influencing Hearing Aid Use in the Classroom: A Pilot Study.

PubMed

Gustafson, Samantha J; Davis, Hilary; Hornsby, Benjamin W Y; Bess, Fred H

2015-12-01

This pilot study examined factors influencing classroom hearing aid use in school-age children with hearing loss. The research team visited classrooms of 38 children with mild-to-moderate hearing loss (Grades 1-7) on 2 typical school days, twice per day, to document hearing aid use. In addition, parents reported the number of hours their children used hearing aids at school. Nearly 24% of children were observed not wearing their hearing aids in the classroom on either observation day. Both grade level and degree of hearing loss appeared to affect hearing aid use. Children in Grades 5-7 and those with milder hearing losses were less likely to wear hearing aids. Overall, parents accurately reported classroom hearing aid use; however, those with children in Grades 5-7 were less accurate than those with children in earlier grades. These preliminary results suggest that children with milder hearing loss and those in Grades 5-7 are at increased risk for reduced hearing aid use in the classroom. Also, parents of school-age children in these later grades are less accurate reporters of classroom hearing aid use compared to parents of children in earlier grades.

Toward Better Classroom Teaching.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Grew, James H.

1964-01-01

Designed for the inexperienced language teacher, this summary of effective language teaching techniques is based on observations made in high school French classes, but is applicable also to elementary school and beginning college language programs. Consideration is given to maintaining interest and classroom control, using realia, and giving each…

Capturing Communication Supporting Classrooms: The Development of a Tool and Feasibility Study