Teacher‐student mediation of content area texts

Sitting in classrooms observing how teachers teach and students learn from their content area texts has been a focus of researchers for some time (Mathews & Toepfer, 1936; McCallister, 1930). Not until Durkin's (1978-79) study of reading comprehension instruction during basal reading and elementary social studies lessons, however, have researchers begun to concentrate on verbal interactions between teachers and students engaged in textbook learning. Studies at the secondary level that deal with textbook related teacher-student in-