A quality circle is a problem-solving method with emphasis on analytic thought, a task-structured group process, school and community issues, implementation of an action plan, and evaluation of results. Circles develop not only the gifted students' analytic thinking skills but also their responsibility and leadership skills. (Author/CL)

This article presents the author's response to "An Experiment in Method" by J.L.J. Wilson. In 1960-61 Wilson was invited to give lectures on "modern techniques in adult education" as part of a training school for those involved in the work of developing "Co-operatives for Aborigines" which were sponsored by the…

Two projects of individualized instruction are reported in this document. These projects were carried out in small high schools in Colorado and are reported by the instructors involved. Included in the reports are the rationale, objectives, description of student groups, extensive procedural description, and results and recommendations. The…

Written to meet the affective need of adolescent students to share their feelings and concerns with supportive listeners, this document contains 50 guided discussions on various topics relating to three focus areas: the self, the self and others, and stress. Under the focus of the self topics include: personal strengths and limitations; behind the…

This discussion guide will help groups of teachers, parents, and high school students learn about the importance of values and the role of education in the study of values. Several techniques are presented by which educators can design classroom experiences around the process of valuing. A major objective of the guide is to assure parents of the…

Discusses results of an action research study of second-grade students' group work which indicated that, when students were not given sample solutions for problems, they were more likely to use higher order thinking, take ownership of strategies, discuss solutions longer, and be more accepting of other views. (MKR)

This facilitator's guide explains how to lead a series of five sessions (study circles) designed to foster public dialogue and problem solving among citizens interested in meeting the challenges of community growth and development. The document begins with an introduction to the concept of study circles that examines the following: definition of…

Sporadically, across the country, experimental day care centers for the very young child (eight weeks to three years of age) are coming into existence. Some authorities in the child development and child welfare field advocate this move because they believe that infant day care is the head start deprived children need; and that the present head…

This document is intended to create an opportunity for teens and adults to talk together and find ways to make their community a place where young people can grow up successfully. The discussion guide begins with a brief statement of purpose and a brief explanation of study circles and their objectives. The remainder of the guide consists of…

This research study examines the role of digital media, more specifically online forums, in the development of academic literacy and language learning in English as a Second Language (ESL) college writing. Studies in Second Language Acquisition suggest that participation in online forum discussions can potentially foster collaboration,…

The purpose of this study is to investigate how cooperative learning approach supports teachers to design an effective teaching for promoting the students learning to construct knowledge in practice. Quantitative and qualitative research methods such as surveys and case studies were employed for data collection. A High School which challenges face…

It is important to use rich problem-solving tasks to develop students' understanding of important mathematical ideas (NCTM 2000). Rich tasks are complex, nonalgorithmic, and nonroutine, requiring reasoning, problem solving, and communication of thinking. Evidence has shown that using rich tasks in student-centered classrooms is especially…

In this article knowledge productivity, a process that creates conceptual artifacts, is used as a way to investigate the outcomes of collaborative and enquiry-oriented activity by teaching professionals. It is an outcome of the motivation to learn (self-regulation) in that it studies the issues from different professional perspectives (reflection…

Teaching children to ask and answer questions is critically important if they are to engage in reasoned argumentation, problem-solving and learning. This study describes how teachers can be taught to challenge children's cognitive and metacognitive thinking during cooperative learning and the affect this has on children's discourse and follow-up…

Students often voice computations during group discussions of mathematics problems. Yet, this type of private speech has received little attention from mathematics educators or researchers. In this article, we use excerpts from middle school students' group mathematical discussions to illustrate and describe "computational private…