This research aimed to explore (1) the characteristics and patterns of student interactions on online discussion boards throughout a course using social network analysis (SNA) and (2) the mediating effect of social presence, as the underlying mechanism, on the relationship between these interactions and students' learning outcomes. Eighty-four…

This study presents findings from analyses of naturally occurring literacy events, where children jointly focus on reading and writing letters of the alphabet, illustrating social constructions of learning created through language and embodied action. Video recorded data from two different families living in an urban low-income area in Tanzania is…

This article is about experimentation in both practical and mental activity and uses data from a series of studies with preschool children. The article focuses on personal experimentation, which is aimed at discovering relations, rather than the more utilitarian experimentation that is aimed at solving practical tasks. Personal experimentation…

This article describes how 2 classrooms of 4-year-old children incorporated popular media (cartoons, television shows, video games, movies, and music) into their conversations with peers during writing. The findings assert that (a) children naturally incorporate popular culture into their writing, (b) children include popular culture in their…

Computer based Interaction Analysis (IA) for the support of the participants' self-regulation in technology based learning activities (individualised or social) is a new direction of research that has emerged during the last years. Its main purpose is to offer a cognitive and metacognitive support to learning environment participants (e.g.…

The focus of this article is on the analysis of reflection and peer learning in the pedagogical environment. The research draws on findings from a three-year Australian study, which aimed to develop and critically evaluate a model of vocal pedagogy influenced by sociocultural theories. The model sought to position Vygotsky's theories in the…

The purpose of the current study was to investigate child and teacher characteristics associated with closeness and conflict in prekindergarten teacher-child relationships. Child gender and temperament were significantly associated with closeness and conflict. Specifically, higher levels of shyness correlated with closer relationships for boys…

An extension of inoculation theory, controverted belief, was investigated by manipulating previous attack as part of a group discussion situation in which actual defense of an issue was considered essential for having an inoculating effect. The experimental groups were equally immunized against verbal attacks. (Author)

Addressing the general problem of inferring the causal structure underlying the relationship among deviant behavior, attitudes, and associations, this paper examines four causal structures and seven patterns of deviance (cheating). (Author/JC)

The study investigated the reactions of social agents to the hyperactivity-associated behaviors of 82 nondiagnosed preschool children. Observational data were collected during structured, learning periods and unstructured, free time periods. Results showed that not only did intrusive vocal noise attract teacher attention in the same type of…

A competence paradigm may provide communication scholars with a theoretical framework for the study of interpersonal communication. The study of ritualistic behavior is a study of competence in its most basic form. Turn-taking in conversations--an example of ritualistic behavior--not only helps us apportion the floor, but also serves a symbolic…

This paper reports the results of an empirical examination of the effects of personal experience and social interaction on individual knowledge and performance in a specific decision making task context. The study revealed a differential effect of increased experience on the quality of participants decisions. In particular, increased experience…

This study investigated comparative perceptions of counselor behavior. There was greater agreement between clients and observers than between clients and counselors and counselors and observers on four dimensions. The data suggested the existence of a common factor of perceived counselor behavior. (Author)

Interactions between three styles of supervisory and three styles of subordinate behavior were studied. Cross cultural similarities in the relationships due to supervisory-subordinate interactions were found, but there were differences when each style was considered separately. (DB)