Abstract
An evaluation of the validity of direct observation measures of pupil classroom behaviors is presented. The evaluation is based on a survey of analyses bearing on their construct, criterion-related, and treatment validities. Three types of measures are discussed. These include molar measures, where the focus is on broad dimensions of classroom behavior (e.g., “on-task” vs. “off-task”), molecular measures, where the focus is on more specific dimensions of behavior, and molecular-composite measures, where the data are collected in terms of molecular units but scored in terms of composite categories. Consistent support for the validity of molar and molecular-composite types of measures was revealed, but support for the molecular schedules was less consistent. The paper also contains a set of recommendations for users of these instruments and some suggestions for future research on the measures.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.