This paper describes a new method, which uses a model for teaching strategies, for sequencing learning tasks. This model presents combinations of concepts such as task applicability, fundamental necessity and relativity. This method makes it possible to automatically develop learning task sequences and quantitatively simulate optimum teaching strategies.

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This study was designed to develop stimulated-recall techniques for capturing the cognitive and affective processes of sixth-grade students during science instruction, and to, from the viewpoint of procedures, time and content, identify one or more optimum techniques of instruction. The results included : 1. Videotaing students from the back of the classroom during instruction is appropriate as a stimulated-recall procedure. 2. There were almost no quantitative or qualitative differences between the results from using interviews with stimulated-recall or using questionnires. 3. The best technique as far as economy of time was concerned was for the teacher to decide what lesson segments should involve stiumulated-recall combined with questionnaires to prompt students' reports. 4. When the students were permitted to choose freely from a number of lesson segments for use in stimulated-recall, more than half of the segments were selected in common. This segments included questions from the teacher, presentation of subject matter and student experiments.

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The authors analyzed the effects of the timing of practice teaching and teacher trainee gender on the perceptions of teacher trainees towards their students. An analysis of the data obtained from a preliminary survey of teacher trainees located six factors related to student attitudes and behavioral attributes. For three of these factors, "self-centeredness," "creativity and gumption" and "defiance and realism," it was found that while teacher trainees are positive (optimistic) before the start of their practice teaching, they become negative (pessimistic and severe) at the end of the second week of practice teaching, but then again become positive (re-evaluation and re-recognition) later on. This points out that such psychological fluctuations in teacher trainees are an essential part of the practice teaching experience. Teacher trainee gender made a difference in two other factors, those of "demands for fairness," "the ability to see through facts," with male teacher trainees perceiving that children are "sensitive to unfairness and favoritism" and "so smart that things can not be easily explained away." This made the authors believe that the students themselves vary their responses in response to teacher trainee gender. In summary, it appears that there is a need for further analysis of the relationships between teacher trainee gender and student reactions.

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