Structured Observation Instruments Assessing Instructional Practices With Gifted and Talented Students: A Review of the Literature

Teaching and learning are part of a complex interaction between teachers and students. Educational leaders cannot improve the teaching and learning process without quality measurement of effective teaching. One way to capture this complex interaction is by using structured observations. However, the extant literature on classroom observation instruments in the field of gifted education is limited. For that reason, a systematic search was undertaken to identify the observation instruments for assessing instructional practices used with gifted and talented students. In this article, eight observation instruments were identified: (a) Rating Scale of Significant Behaviors in Teachers of the Gifted, (b) Kulieke’s adaptation of the Rating Scale of Significant Behaviors in Teachers of the Gifted, (c) Teaching Observation Form (TOF; also known as Purdue Observation Form), (d) Classroom Practices Record (CPR), (e) Classroom Practices Record–Form VA (CPR-Form VA), (f) Classroom Instructional Practices Scale (CIPS), (g) Classroom Observation Scales–Revised (COS-R), and (h) Differentiated Classroom Observation Scale (DCOS). The instruments are described in terms of developmental process, purpose, and any reliability and validity evidence reported. This systematic search has shown the need for a new observation instrument that is comprehensive and closely tied to professional standards.