This approach involves applying the results of empirical or experimental research to teaching.
In this approach, “a view of good teaching is developed through logical reasoning
and previous research; good teaching is defined in terms of specific acts” (Zahorik, 1986,
p. 21). An example of research of this kind which has been used to develop theories of good
teaching across both regular and ESL classrooms is research on teachers’ question patterns
and wait time. Long (1984) argued that research had established the contribution of these
to the quality of classroom interaction in second language classrooms. In applying this
research to teacher preparation, a simple training model was developed in which teachers
were taught the differences between display questions (those for which answers are known
in advance) and referential questions (those for which answers are not known) and the
advantages of providing longer wait-time after questions. Teachers’ question use and wait
time before and after training were measured, and “it was found that the training modules
affected teaching behaviors, and that the new behaviors affected student participation patterns
in ways believed to be significant for these students’ language acquisition”