This paper describes an ongoing project on the nature and effects of family structure and family interaction. The research presented involves the study of normal families, emphasizing the effects of system-level variables on the development of children within the family. A theoretical model is provided which focuses on the individuation process,…

The unprecedented development of self-help groups confirms their importance, but few studies have focused on prevention and self-help groups. Two methods for investigating preventive potential are outcome studies and process analysis. To assess the presence of helping processes in self-help group meetings, a process analysis was developed to…

Studies of successful beginning readers have suggested two factors--a responsive communication environment and the awareness of reading as communication--that contribute to early success in reading. In light of this, a study was conducted to identify and differentiate high communication and low communication classrooms and to explore the…

Effects of maternal-neonatal extended contact or separation were examined in 76 children (8 to 10 years old), five of whom were receiving special education services, and 28 who had been retained in their grade. Of the five Ss requiring special services, three were classified as slow learners and two as speech impaired, two conditions linked by…

Sixty-four fifth and sixth-grade pupils were taught number series extrapolation by either an algorithm, fully prescribed problem-solving method or a heuristic, less prescribed method. The trained problems were within categories of two degrees of complexity. There were 16 subjects in each cell of the 2 by 2 design used. Aptitude Treatment…

A study was conducted to test the hypothesis that Brunerian learning theory can provide the instructional designer with a framework for developing effective learning materials. To determine three levels of spatial ability, two standardized tests--the Spatial Visualization Test (SVT) of the Dailey Vocational Tests and part VI of the…

A study was carried on for 2 years in a predominantly Italian-American suburb near Boston. During the period of data-collection, the researchers observed both classroom interaction in a kindergarten/first grade and the interactions of two members of that class at home with their families. The analysis is an attempt to discover what factors in…

One important role performed by the hospital nurse is that of health teacher to elderly patients. Often nurses teach elderly patients the techniques of self-injection, how to monitor their dietary regimens, specialized hygiene techniques, and how to detect the physiological changes they may expect as a chronic disease advances. From the nurse's…

The Sims Image-Based Organizational Model (SIBOM) with reference to its use in evaluation of bilingual education programs is described. The technique elicits participant perceptions in metaphor-generating sessions. This is one step in a process whereby participants' perceptions can be organized to describe the system of problems and resources they…

The interaction of teacher, learner, content, and instruction is the process of teaching and learning, a single activity. The theoretical and the practical elements of this process are examined in the context of a model that explains the key elements of the process: identification, prescription, application and evaluation. These elements are…

The notion of symmetrical communication and its application in course teams at Deakin University, Australia, are considered. Symmetry in communications is evident in groups characterized by mutual recognition by members of one another as persons accepted and appreciated in their common striving for mutual understanding and consensus. The technique…

This paper describes the simultaneous effects, including interactions, of two controlled instructional management variables and two student aptitudes on student achievement using a class-means model. Management variables were time allocated for learning with two levels of 45 and 50 class periods, and source of direction with three levels of…

The five observational studies reported in this paper provide consistent and interlocking testimony for the view that moral events differ qualitatively from social conventional events, and that these two aspects of the social world are associated with qualitatively differing individual-environment interactions. Each of the five studies focuses on…

The Cellular Learning Theory Model is based on the premise that all formalized instruction and pedagogical strategies can be reduced to a common denominator: personal interactions with people, places, and things. The learning/teaching process consists of two unique, but interrelated variables: primary and secondary cells. Primary Learning Cells…

This study focused on social and cooperative behavior in traditional science classrooms. Students in 30 junior and senior high school science classes were observed in terms of the amount of time spent on task, or time spent concentrating on the lesson. The physical organization of the classroom, the instructional style of the teacher, and the…