The purpose of this 5-year research project is to develop a comprehensive model of the reciprocal exchanges that occur between general education teachers and their learning disabled (LD) and non-learning disabled (NLD) students. To this end, this project will employ teacher rating scales and direct observations to identify teacher and student variables which contribute to teacher- student exchanges. Further, it will describe the instructional and managerial content of those exchanges with LD and NLD students and relate the content to student outcome variables such as attention to task and academic productivity as measured by classroom observations and achievement data. From these data, we propose to develop and validate a model of risk for ineffective classroom exchanges leading to poor student outcomes. From such a model, it would be possible to identify student teacher-dyads at risk based on characteristics of child behavior and teacher attitudes and behavior. Finally, from sequential analyses of teacher-student exchanges, an operational definition of reciprocal teacher-LD student relationships would be developed which would specify the nature and relative contributions of students and teachers to teacher-LD student reciprocity. This research will contribute substantially to the understanding of the complex interactions which characterize teaching and learning exchanges. The project will draw together information from two fields characterized by similar concerns but little communication. Child development researchers have pioneered in the development of methodologies and models for studying adult-child exchanges without investigating the nature of those exchanges in educational settings. Educational researcher, on the other hand, have tended to interpret educational exchanges from an unidirectional perspective. As increasing numbers of handicapped children spend more of their school days in general education settings, it becomes increasingly more important to understand the complexity of educational exchanges.
