Discusses the goals and purposes of history instruction as reported in a survey of historians. Presents and discusses four goals for history instruction in a private college's history department. Asserts that the use of collaborative groups and discussion is preferable to the lecture method. (CFR)

Shared are personal experiences in the development and implementation of cooperative learning methods in the mathematics classroom. Presented are methods to begin team building, teach social skills, and promote improved learning results. Benefits include greater student participation, interstudent communication, higher-order thinking, and teacher…

Reviews theory and research on the relationship between classroom climate and citizenship outcomes in elementary settings. Compares democratic learning environments described by three studies. Suggests that free expression, peer interaction in cooperative activities, respect for diverse viewpoints, and student participation in decision making…

Reports on a project incorporating pragmatic analysis into the second language classroom. Cooperative learning groups of first-year ESL students in a composition class analyzed variation in the use of linguistic features across a set of texts. Exercises of this type are asserted to be useful in promoting awareness of the different potential uses…

This project was designed to encourage ninth and tenth grade minority women to develop scientific interests through a series of Saturday seminars and a 10-day summer residential program. Pedagogical and environmental keys to project success included cooperative learning models, computer skills, research skills, communication skills, networking,…

Discusses methods for promoting cooperative learning among preschoolers and the history of these methods. Describes class projects and activities at Dai-ichi Preschool in Japan, which uses group and individual activities to build a classroom group that fosters children's growth and creativity and supports children's efforts. (BB)

Reports the results of five contrasts between small-group learning and a more teacher-centered instructional style employed in junior high, high school, and college mathematics classes. In no case did the small-group class perform more poorly than the one led by a teacher; in one case, measuring long-term retention, the small-group class performed…

Two university professors describe how they train teachers to use cooperative learning (CL) in the classroom. The article discusses the historical development and present implementation of CL, teacher role, and the conceptual/essential components approach. It also explains how teachers can gain expertise and defines a cooperative school. (SM)

To promote successful cooperative learning in the classroom, preservice teachers need to learn to establish classroom environments emphasizing team goals and individual accountability. They must also examine their concept of classroom management style and the need for direct instruction of student social skills. (SM)

Outlines the views of three scholars on cooperative learning: cooperation in content areas (team-assisted individualization and cooperative integrated reading and composition); grading techniques (e.g., individual score plus group bonus points, group scores, and scoring only one member's paper); and structuring social interaction (round robin,…

Using a custom-designed hypercard program, 26 University of Iowa students collaborated to create an interpreter's annotated edition of "Paradise Lost." Successful use of these technical resources required teachers to consider student computer skills, specific learning tasks, social dynamics of collaborative, creative work, and ways to…

Describes an activity in which students utilize mathematical communication and reasoning skills to develop a class constitution. Students brainstorm rules for their classroom in cooperative-learning groups, classify them into categories, and justify their decision to the class. (MDH)

Presents an excerpt from the journal of a second grade teacher who reflected on the daily challenges and possibilities of learning in a child-centered, meaning-based classroom free of workbooks and standardized testing; an interview with author Nancie Atwell, a language specialist and veteran teacher; and suggestions for books and journals. (SM)

The author's personal experiences in overcoming mathematics anxiety provide insights into how teachers can create a classroom environment to help students develop self-confidence by assessing students' feelings, using cooperative-learning techniques, showing more patience, and having students write about their experiences. (MDH)

Discusses cooperative learning methods for promoting promoting students' peer interaction, self-esteem, interdependence, and academic advancement. Concentrates on the jigsaw method and peer interdependence. Includes discussion of prejudice and the encouragement of interracial contact. Concludes that working toward a common goal should help to…