This 2-year qualitative research study examined the decisions teachers (n=32) made about their teaching practices in an inclusive elementary school. Findings indicate the individual school community mutually negotiated a common definition of inclusion that was fundamentally grounded in students' active participation in classroom settings.…

Outlines the procedures of the Patchwork Text coursework assignment format, discussed in the articles of this special issue, and presents a general justification of their current educational importance. Reviews current literature on assessment processes in higher education and discusses work on the nature of "academic literacies." Compares the…

Describes challenges as a web-supported professional development system is integrated into elementary science methods courses. Discusses the difficulties encountered while attempting to develop and sustain effective inquiry-based teaching. Recommends the implementation of a web-based professional development system into elementary methods science…

This article presents a rationale for matching social skills intervention strategies to the skill and comfort levels that typically developing children show toward their peers with special needs and provides teachers with guidance on how to accomplish this match. Environmental manipulations that facilitate interactions and peer-mediated strategies…

Describes and evaluates the Mathematics Workshop Program (MWP), which recruits first-year students of all races but typically enrolls primarily minority students. Data clearly suggest that MWP has succeeded in promoting high levels of academic performance among African American mathematics students. (AF)

Reports on an exploratory study examining the conditions that contribute to the frequency with which social studies teachers use groupwork. Uses both quantitative and qualitative methods. Finds that the factors contributing to use of groupwork are school and classroom factors, and teaching objectives. (SLM)

Two field experiments were conducted to compare the effects of a cooperative learning group method to a whole-class method on acquisition of selected social-environmental studies problem-solving skills by 342 fourth graders. Both methods outperformed the control, but the cooperative strategy was less effective than was the whole-class method. (TJH)

Summarizes a paper prepared for the Office of Technology Assessment (OTA) on the evolution of distance learning which begins by describing technological, the demographic, economic, political, and pedagogical forces involved. A new field is proposed called technology-mediated interactive learning (TMIL), which synthesizes distance learning,…

Pairs of friends and pairs of classmates were observed to determine effects of existing social relationships on interactions during cooperative learning. No significant differences between observed interactions were found for 60 third and 70 seventh graders, but friends reported that they engaged in more activities outside the experimental…

Suggests the use of cooperative learning in social studies as a way of giving meaning to current international events. Lists six benefits researchers attribute to cooperative learning. Outlines a cooperative learning activity designed to introduce students to the media and its impact on their perception of the world. (KO)

Argues that despite positive student interaction associated with cooperative learning, group work in heterogeneously mixed classrooms can create a condition of unequal contribution based on status. Suggests that cooperative learning is more effective if unequal status interaction is treated. Gives examples of assignments which will lead to this…

This article describes efforts to help prospective teachers take a reflective approach to the translation of theory into practice through a practicum experience in a social studies methods course. Also described are the knowledge base and procedures for the course. An assessment of the outcomes is related. (IAH)

A course at De Montfort University (Great Britain) in industrial analysis with 111 students was taught using small student teams to research specific industries. It emphasized the relationship between theory, research, and industrial applications. The experiment provided students with insight into effective research methods and cooperative work.…

An innovative introductory course in clinical dentistry is described and evaluated. The course uses a cooperative-learning technique to exploit prior knowledge and encourage collaboration. Major components include didactic readings, clinical exercises, and related group activities. Performance results and student evaluations strongly support use…

Student behaviors that best predicted mathematics learning in peer-directed small groups among students who needed help were studied with 166 seventh graders. Tape recordings of student interaction confirmed that receiving explanations and carrying out constructive activity were predictors of achievement. (SLD)