Observational Research in U.S. Classrooms: New Approaches for Understanding Cultural and Linguistic Diversity

The present national reform agendas stress that rigorous content and high expectations be accessible to all students, including students from groups whose achievement has traditionally lagged behind that of the majority culture students. Improving the achievement in US schools, important for both social and economic stability, will require that instruction be responsive to our nation's increasingly diverse student population. This book includes theoretical frameworks as well as substantive research findings and provides examples of recently developed classroom observation instruments based on research of effective teaching practices for culturally and linguistically diverse students. Each chapter represents a new aspect of classroom observation research that will assist educators in their endeavors to improve US schools.