In the 1960s suicide was the fifth leading cause of death among adolescents. In the 1980s suicide is second only to accidents as a cause of adolescent death. In their 1966 study of 50 adolescents who had attempted suicide, Teicher and Jacobs conceptualized suicide as the end product of progressive isolation from meaningful relationships. From…

The report describes a program to improve students social skills and level of responsibility. The targeted eighth and ninth grade students are located in two communities in northwestern Illinois. The problem of students exhibiting a lack of social skills and responsibility had been documented by student discipline referrals, anecdotal records,…

The purpose of this action research project is to improve student social skills through the use of cooperative learning, in order to develop a positive classroom environment that is conducive to learning. The action research project will involve approximately 95 students, 95 parents, and 200 teachers. It is the intent of the teacher researchers to…

Inappropriate social skills exhibited early in elementary school can interfere with cooperative group work, completion of academic tasks on time, and academic growth. This action research project evaluated the impact of a program for improving social behavior in a cooperative group setting to reduce inappropriate interactions and increase positive…

This research project devised and evaluated a program for improving primary grade students' interpersonal skills to reduce their inappropriate behaviors when interacting with others. Teacher surveys, journals and observations of children's behavior were used to document poor interpersonal skills in kindergartners through third graders in four…

This action research project evaluated the impact of a program for enhancing interpersonal problem-solving skills on academic achievement in elementary students in an industrial, urban Illinois community. The lack of social skills and inability to think critically were documented through office referrals and teacher observations of kindergarten,…

This action research project implemented and evaluated a program to address the academic needs of all students in a heterogeneous classroom. The targeted population consisted of middle school students in a rural western Illinois community. Evidence of academic underachievement was documented by teacher observation, surveys, test scores, and…

The study was conducted to identify occupational survival skills--the basic knowledges, traits, and competencies necessary to maintain a job. A list of 27 basic occupational survival skills was developed, involving the following areas: interpersonal relations and communications; personal characteristics; decision making and problem solving; job…

When elementary and middle level students lack effective problem-solving skills, they may make poor behavior choices in social conflicts, contributing to a negative learning and instructional environment. This action research project evaluated the impact of using social skills instruction to improve students' ability to solve problems related to…

This Master's project was designed to implement and evaluate classroom intervention and training in conflict resolution for elementary school students. Subjects were first and third graders from a rural community in north central Illinois. To document the extent of existing student conflict, a teacher survey and journal, playground behavior…

Poor social skills among young elementary school students can result in lack of cooperation with others and an inability to resolve conflicts. This action research project examined the impact of a program for improving social competence through improving listening skills, cooperation, respect for others, and respect for authority. Participating in…

This action research project implemented and evaluated an intervention for increasing student engagement in learning to improve academic success. The targeted population consisted of students in four separate schools: pre-kindergarten and eighth graders in a large metropolitan area and fifth and eighth graders in a rural community. The lack of…

This study was designed to determine the effectiveness of 18 selected lessons from Dupont's Toward Affective Development (TAD) program for creating an awareness in students of alternatives to psycho-social situations. Using a sample of 60 subjects randomly selected from 111 sixth-grade students in northwest Wisconsin, two experimental and two…

This action research project implemented and evaluated a program to enhance students' prosocial behaviors. The targeted population consisted of students in two second and one third-grade classrooms in a declining urban area of a large midwestern city. The problem of inappropriate behaviors was documented through discipline reports, anecdotal…