Relates a pilot test of an elementary band method book for group instruction in Brazilian music education. Focused on the amount of content taught within three one-hour classes per week and studied the quality of learning. Concludes that the group covered 17 pages of the book, learned outside material, and performed four concerts. (CMK)

A study involving 30 British elementary children investigated the relationship between reading and gender and attitudes towards the literacy hour. Findings indicate boys wanted shorter time spans of learning activities, preferred independent work, and liked computer work. Both sexes liked working in small groups and disliked sharing their work…

This review includes recent research that manipulated features of cooperative learning as well as studies of the relationship between interaction in small groups and outcomes. The analysis examines the kinds of discourse that are productive for different types of learning and moves toward studies of task and interaction. (SLD)

Describes a group work project designed for a large urban probation department. Targets 16- to 20-year-old African American and Latino men on probation at high risk of rearrest. Uses cognitive-behavioral approaches reflecting the culture of contemporary urban youths. A case example illustrates how officers help group members sort out personal…

Examines arguments for "focus on form," a term referring to the incorporation of implicit grammar instruction within communicative English-as-a-Second-Language lessons, and suggests ways to adapt this approach to English-as-a-foreign-language settings where grammar instruction has never left the classroom. Several types of form-focused activities…

Discusses the main dimensions of effective teaching as identified in research, as well as particular teaching strategies that are effective but rarely used in law school classes. These strategies include increasing clarity, increasing course and lesson organization, maintaining students' attention and concentration, and promoting a positive…

Describes SIDE-VIEW, a computer-supported collaborative learning environment, and evaluates its effects in relation to the productivity of CSCL (computer-supported collaborative learning) groups. Discusses social identity and group behavior and reports on a field trial on international groups of higher education students, contrasting the role of…

Discussion of computer-mediated communication in education focuses on online collaboration. Highlights include characteristics of a collaborative group, including participation, interaction, and interdependence; collaborative situations; non-collaborative groups, including cooperation without collaboration; factors that promote or inhibit…

Investigated interaction patterns of first graders working in three small groups to compose stories on the computer over a 5-month period. Found that several social goals guided children's actions. Differential status within partnerships was reflected in types of social behaviors displayed. Common interaction patterns included using one another as…

The present article examined 2 questions about the relation between kindergarten classroom processes (setting and quality) and children's engagement in activities, compliance with teachers' requests, and interactions with peers. First, how do children's engagement, compliance, and cooperation vary as a function of teachers' use of classroom…

The organisation of students into groups (or communities) for learning purposes is an established pedagogic method in higher education. Teachers are now using group methods in networked e-learning contexts, albeit without a full understanding of the dynamics of group work in these settings. This is a new and evolving arena in higher education. In…

Student progression and retention is an area of increasing social importance and concern around student non-completion rates is expressed in many arenas. Research suggests many reasons for student non-completion, including the balancing of social and academic integration into university life. The increasing diversity of the student body…

A change in curriculum permitted a direct and simultaneous comparison between first and second year responses to group project work while assuming similar prior experience with this method of learning. Responses were obtained by a survey form and by meetings with individual groups. Overall, there were no differences between first and second year…

The basis of this paper concerns a one-and-a-half year in-service training program ("In-service Training for Physics Teachers"; 40 ECTS credits) for physics teachers (Grades 7-12, n = 98) designed to enhance both their subject knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge. The role of laboratory experiments in physics education in particular was…

This case study of one elementary school describes an ongoing effort to close the gaps between literacy research and practice in order to promote the successful literacy transitions of all students. Jefferson Elementary School's reading program is a research-driven, school-wide program emphasizing prevention-based instruction, early…