ABSTRACT
Beyond elementary school, lecturing is a dominant form of transmitting instruction in
U.S. classrooms. In a study by Putnam, Deshler, and Schumaker (1993) 60 Grade 7 and
60 Grade 10 teachers from eight school districts in three states were interviewed about
their instructional practices. Results of the study included the finding that the teachers
spend about 50% of their class periods lecturing, with slight increases in the amount of
time spent lecturing from 7th to 10th grade. In college, lecturing becomes an even more
pervasive instructional tool. As Carrier, Williams, and Dalgaard (1988) observed, “The
lecture method remains a ‘sacred cow’ among most college and university instructors” (p.
223). Anderson and Armbruster (1986) reported that college students typically spend at
