The effectiveness of alternative training activities in changing teaching practices

The relationships between types ofinservice training activities and changes in teaching behavior were investigated. Three groups of junior high teachers (N = 19) attended five workshops on effective teaching. Group I received no extra activities, Group IIparticipated in peer observations, and Group III was coached by the trainer. Pre- and posttraining observations, questionnaires, and interviews were used to assess behavior change and attitudes. Profiles of day-to-day variations in teaching practices were examined for stability of teaching behavior. Of the teachers needing to improve, three Group I teachers, six Group II teachers, and two Group III teachers approached or exceeded the criterion level of performance on aca-demic interactions. Peer observation appeared to be more efiective than trainer-provided coaching in boosting workshop effectiveness. Further study of the context features related to the effectiveness of peer observations in district-based programs is required. In the past 10 years great strides have been made in identifying teaching practices that positively influence student learning of basic skills. Teachers' management practices, instructional techniques, and expectancies have been found to be associated with (and, in some cases, to cause) significant gains in pupil learning (Gage, 1985). Yet teachers, administrators, and parents still complain about the inadequate acquisition of basic skills by our nation's children. How can these relatively recent findings be used to improve student learning