This study was concerned with the development, implementation and assessment of an in-service program for teaching fellows in the chemistry department at The University of Michigan. The in-service program focused on the interpersonal aspect of teaching. A total of fifteen teaching fellows were involved in different aspects of the program, with…

This action research project implemented and evaluated a program for enhancing students' social skills in order to increase their ability to work cooperatively and to resolve conflict. The targeted population consisted of kindergarten students in a lower income urban school, located in a medium-sized Midwestern city. The problem of insufficient…

The purpose of this study was to research the effectiveness of a skill building course upon the educational and social survival of black students at a predominantly white middle class suburgan high achool. The subjects involved were two groups of students (N=50) who volunteered for the skill building course. These subjects were identified from…

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 a program to improve students' ability to resolve conflicts. Many students of the targeted third-, fourth-, and fifth-grade classrooms lacked a well-defined sense of classroom community as well as the ability to resolve conflicts peaceably. Research indicated that specific skills needed to be taught. For this…

This action research project implemented and evaluated a program for improving social development of elementary school students in order to lessen disruptive behavior in physical education class. The targeted population consisted of elementary school children in second, fourth, and fifth grades in a growing rural, middle class community. Anecdotal…

Noting that poor social and emotional skills can interfere with academic growth of elementary school students, this action research project examined the impact of an intervention to improve students' emotional and social skills. Participating in the study were students from one fifth-grade public school class, one fifth-grade class in a private…

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…

Identifying low self-esteem as the underlying factor contributing to poor school attitudes, negative self feelings, difficulty making friends, and difficulty in working independently and completing assignments, this action research project evaluated the effectiveness of an intervention incorporating cooperative learning and teaching to the…

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…