To determine approaches in the design of classroom instruction, and how these differences compared to those observed under simulated teaching conditions, 12 fifth and sixth grade field-dependent (n = 6) and field-independent (n = 6) teachers were observed for 96 hr. in regular elementary classrooms. Over-all, the results supported several instructional principles associated with differences in teachers' cognitive style obtained under simulated teaching conditions. Statistically significant differences were obtained for 8 out of 10 instructional behaviors observed between field-dependent and field-independent teachers. The findings support certain aspects of Witkin's perceptual differentiation theory as they relate to how teachers teach.
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