Table 7 Exploratory factor analysis of RTOP measures (n = 484) (factor loadings >|0.3| included)

Lesson Design & Implementation

The instructional strategies and activities respected students’ prior knowledge and the preconceptions inherent therein

0.80

The lesson was designed to engage students as members of a learning community

0.90

-0.33

In this lesson, student exploration preceded formal presentation

0.84

This lesson encouraged students to seek and value alternative modes of investigation or of problem solving

0.84

The focus and direction of the lesson was often determined by ideas originating with students

0.83

Propositional Knowledge

The lesson involved fundamental concepts of the subject

0.51

0.30

The lesson promoted strongly coherent conceptual understanding

0.69

0.39

The teacher had a solid grasp of the subject matter content inherent in the lesson

0.56

0.35

Elements of abstraction (i.e., symbolic representations, theory building) were encouraged when it was important to do so

0.70

0.37

Connections with other content disciplines and/or real-world phenomena were explored and valued

–

Procedural Knowledge

Students used a variety of means (models, drawings, graphs, symbols, concrete materials, manipulatives, etc.) to represent phenomena

0.81

Students made predictions, estimations and/or hypotheses and devised means for testing them

0.86

Students were actively engaged in thought-provoking activity that often involved the critical assessment of procedures

0.90

Students were reflective about their learning

0.82

Intellectual rigor, constructive criticism, and the challenging of ideas were valued

0.89

Communicative Interactions

Students were involved in the communication of their ideas to others using a variety of means and media

0.91

The teacher’s questions triggered divergent modes of thinking

0.83

There was a high proportion of student talk and a significant amount of it occurred between and among students

0.87

-0.40

Student questions and comments often determined the focus and direction of classroom discourse

0.82

There was a climate of respect for what others had to say

0.89

Student Teacher Relationships

Active participation of students was encouraged and valued

0.92

Students were encouraged to generate conjectures, alternative solution strategies, and/or different ways of interpreting evidence

0.76

0.31

In general, the teacher was patient with students

0.90

The teacher acted as a resource person, working to support and enhance student investigations

0.89

The metaphor “teacher as listener” was very characteristic of this classroom

0.91