Relationships among student achievement, class size, and mode of instruction were investigated using 225 fourth-grade students. Students were randomly assigned to teacher-led or seatwork assignments in groups of either one, three, five, or six, and results showed seatwork impervious to group size effects, while achievement varied. (Author/JMK)

This study compares the effects of two instructional techniques--traditional lecture-demonstration and small group self-study--using the Ford power train unit as an instructional aid. (JOW)

Discusses previous research on the potential of small-group activities in both research and instructional contexts, and considers the use of a science task as a context for group problem-solving. (MLH)

The authors discuss the development of a diagnostic-prescriptive teaching and learning program in the Youngstown public school system; give background material; describe organizational form and implementation; and conclude with a series of "points to ponder" for educators contemplating a similar venture. (MB)

Intended for primary teachers, this resource guide provides explanations of the theory underlying successful writing workshops, plus practical help for putting the ideas to work. With the guide, teachers can see how to implement writing workshop; how to recognize and teach target skills such as organization and revision; and how to enhance writing…

A focused exploration of research presented at the International Academy for Information Management (IAIM) in 1997, this study applies the structuring of student teams recommended by Mennecke and Bradley (1997), adapts the roles, and extends structure to group meetings. Students enrolled in two sections of a required course in Database Systems…

The past 20 years have seen a tremendous increase in the use of peer-directed collaborative group work both in classroom instruction and in assessments to give students an opportunity to learn from each other. Using examples drawn from a program of peer learning in middle school mathematics, this paper identifies a set of helping behaviors that…

An undergraduate small group communication course in "Great Group Breakdowns" is discussed, in which students wrote case studies describing dysfunction in historical and fictional groups, in groups in which they had personally participated, and in groups found in film and literature. This paper argues that this is a uniquely useful method that…

With the help of the teacher, students will read fairy tales and identify common elements. Choosing common situations and working in small groups, students will draw storyboards of their fairy tale and then write the fairy tale. Project will conclude with class presentations. During ten 50-minute lessons, grade 3-5 students will: listen and read…

The paper presents literature related to the problems and promises of interdisciplinary work. Important characteristics of effective work groups are described, and origins of difficulty in groups are discussed. Most work on groups has been based on research on groups that come together only in the laboratory. These groups are different from…

One advantage of writing center tutorial groups over individual tutoring is that in groups students have the opportunity to become readers of others' writing and to provide feedback to their peers. In such groups, it is assumed that the tutor as facilitator serves as an interactional and linguistic model for students. To test this hypothesis, over…

The commonest context for the use of word processors with primary school children is collaborative small group work. The two major reasons for this organizational decision are resource-based (i.e. due to the scarcity of computers in the classroom) and educational, stemming from an increased use of cooperative learning methods. In order to improve…

This study attempted to identify the use and importance of five organizational factors used in conjunction with teaching teams. (Author)