This collection of abstracts is part of a continuing series providing information on recent doctoral dissertations. The 12 titles deal with the following topics: (1) identifying problem formation behaviors within the process of organizational change; (2) using the communication audit to determine decision style, satisfaction, and communication…

This booklet is designed to help individuals develop their own problem-solving skills in their personal or professional life. The development process includes four sequenced steps: (1) self-assessment, (2) goal setting, (3) working to meet a goal, and (4) evaluation. Four self-assessment tools are included to help individuals decide the areas of…

The products in this catalogue are programs and publications designed to help schools with staff development programs that are aimed at improving organizational functioning and communication (organization development), or at conducting needs assessment. The organization development products and publications reviewed are designed to help schools…

The present study compared learning in individual and small group settings, accounting for differences between conditions as partly a function of student ability and group process. The study had two parts. Part One provided a comparison of learning in individual and group settings. Students in Part Two performed two tasks, both in individual…

The need for classroom materials which encourage total student involvement served as the basis for the manual. Four games related to the development of human relations skills are presented. In the first game, participants compete as members of a team in performing a task under three types of communication situations: (1) one-way communication, (2)…

Provides a checklist of 40 criteria for an effective child care organization. Criteria involve the areas of planning and evaluation, motivation and control, group functioning, staff development, decision making and problem solving, financial management, and environmental interaction. (BB)

A small group program designed to improve social interaction between children and their autistic siblings is evaluated. Problem solving, role playing, rehearsal, homework projects, and contingency management procedures are used in group sessions. Results of the observational assessment confirm the feasibility of successful interactional training…

Describes a method for helping autonomous groups work effectively on problem solving without a facilitator. Application in a British part-time course for tutors working with adult learners is described; group dynamics are discussed; evaluation methods are explained; and detailed instructions for using this method are provided in the appendixes.…

Investigated relationships among confidence and competence and performance in variable collaborative groups of preservice elementary educators who worked to solve four mathematical problems that permitted several solutions and had varying degrees of difficulty. Results indicated that their confidence was relatively unaffected by problem difficulty…

Reports on student and faculty perceptions of group dynamics in problem-based learning situations. Gender differences were demonstrated in interpretation of over 50% of the questionnaire items. Contains 18 references. (DDR)

A social worker and a psychologist, working with troubled youth in a day treatment setting, describe unique ways to use the concepts of Positive Peer Culture (PPC) to facilitate groups from the elementary to high school levels. The authors have adapted the well-known PPC concepts and incorporated them into their strength-based program, SPLASH, to…

Site-based management is a concept whose time has come. This book was designed to introduce the concept of teaming, elaborate the decision-making process, and describe the skills and processes needed for a variety of decision-making situations. Chapter 1 introduces the concept of teaming and discusses the decision-making process in depth. Chapters…

The purpose of the peer support training workshop for which this notebook was produced was to develop peer leadership groups as a way of dealing with student problems connected with school desegregation. The first quarter of the notebook is divided into three sections. Section I gives an overview of workshop goals and development. The meaning and…

This pamphlet discusses group problem solving in schools. Its point of departure is that teachers go at problems from a number of different directions and that principals need to capitalize on those differences and bring a whole range of skills and perceptions to the problem-solving process. Rather than trying to get everyone to think alike,…

This training guide and reference manual helps educational leaders learn to be facilitators in the program called "Improving the Human Environment of Schools" (IHES), a participative problem-solving method designed to improve a school's "quality of life." An introductory chapter reviews the history of IHES and outlines IHES…