Background: Online collaborative learning has been widely adopted in the field of education. However, learners often find it difficult to engage in collaboratively building knowledge and jointly regulating online collaborative learning. Objectives: The study compared the impacts of the three learning approaches on collaborative knowledge building,…

This article focuses on the link between social norms and behavioral development as presented in research on norms regarding bullying and aggression. The aim is to present a conceptual framework for how classroom norms may explain children's decisions to defend others or refrain from defending. Norms emerge from group consensus about what is…

The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between the personality traits (i.e., neuroticism, extroversion, openness, compatibleness and conscientiousness) and social loafing behaviors of candidate teachers. A correlational survey model was used. The sample consisted of 166 students who attend faculty of education and 155 students…

Drawing on social identity theory, this study explored the impact of the peer group on childhood bullying. Participants were 351 students, aged 8 to 13 years. Involvement in bullying, friendship group membership, norms of particular groups, and intra-group positions (prototypical vs. peripheral) were determined using peer reports. Results revealed…

A social dynamics perspective of aggression in school is presented. This framework focuses on the role of natural social processes in the establishment and maintenance of aggressive behavior in the school context. The five articles in this special issue are briefly reviewed and a synthesis of their contributions for understanding the social…

To determine (1) sociometric group structure, (2) acceptance, rejection, and isolate interaction patterns, and (3) terms most frequently associated with perceived personality impressions of the sociometric isolate, seating choice questionnaires were administered to 337 Chicago sixth graders. An attempt was made to codify and classify perceived…

Moshing (intense crowd dancing) and other physical activities common at youth and rock concerts are discussed from the perspectives of safety and of the responsibility of sponsoring organizations, especially colleges and universities. Considerations in creating a safe environment at student events, planning the logistics of such an event, and…

This study examined member behaviors, distribution of performed behaviors, and development-shaping forces in order to identify group development patterns of virtual learning teams. Participants of this study were 7 newly formed virtual learning teams working on a final group project in a 12-week online graduate-level course. Examining the group…

This study evaluated the impact of a program for improving group functioning through reducing the frequency of inappropriate student behavior. Participating were 160 students in grades 3, 7, 10, and 11 from a primary school, a junior high, and 3 high schools. All of the subject schools were in low- to upper-middle class communities located in five…

Research conducted in the United States has found that people exert more effort when they perform a task individually than when they do so in a group. This phenomenon has been labeled social loafing. To examine the transcultural generality of social loafing, 20 male and 20 female Chinese school children in Taiwan were selected from grades 2, 3, 6,…

The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of assigning students to a version of an instructional program (cooperative learning version or individual version) that either matched or did not match their pre-assessed preferences for cooperative and individual learning. Students' preferences for cooperative and individual learning were…

Reports on an action research study by a classroom teacher with 24 12-year-old students to determine whether they can work effectively in cooperative groups without training. Recommends that teachers take time to discover interpersonal relationships and factors in the students' social framework. (CFR)

Describes social behaviors of preschool children in relation to second-language development observed in a multicultural preschool program. The discussion includes examples of behaviors observed early in the year and of early stages of cooperative and sociodramatic play, and observations on the children's cultural adjustments and individual…

Suggests looking at group dynamics when managing conflicts between children in the classroom. Uses an example from the classroom to demonstrate how teachers can facilitate safe and fair conflict management, increase cooperative behavior, and, as a result, contribute to children's self-esteem. Discusses careful observation in the classroom,…

The IADIS CELDA 2012 Conference intention was to address the main issues concerned with evolving learning processes and supporting pedagogies and applications in the digital age. There had been advances in both cognitive psychology and computing that have affected the educational arena. The convergence of these two disciplines is increasing at a…