To assist the North Carolina League of Middle/Junior High Schools, this paper briefly surveys the literature on developmental characteristics of early adolescents and the characteristics of effective teachers and also discusses the implications of the findings for instruction and the curriculum. The authors first define early adolescence as the…

Describes a study that compared the effects of cooperative and individual learning on fifth and sixth grade student performance and attitudes during interactive videodisc instruction for science. The use of heterogeneous ability groups is discussed, time on task is examined, and further research is suggested. (22 references) (LRW)