Research Needs in Teacher Activities: Results of a National Survey

Abstract

The extent to which members of the National Middle School Association felt that teacher classroom activities should be researched was investigated through a national sample. The respondents, predominately school principals at either the middle school or junior high level ranked sixteen areas of research in three categories: (a) classroom management, (b) instructional design, and (c) effective interpersonal relationships. Data reveal four areas of high research priority. They are: (1) student motivation, (2) teacher/student interpersonal relationships, (3) classroom climate, and (4) structuring instruction for individual differences. In all, 90 percent of the respondents indicated a research need in 15 of the 16 areas investigated. Even though the sample is dominated by public school principals (77 percent of the respondents), the need for effective research of actual teacher classroom practices is indicated.