A secondary teacher uses examples from his own experience to illustrate how instructors can help students improve learning by following advice about group dynamics given in Richard and Patricia Schmuck's book "Group Processes in the Classroom." (RM)

Contends that inability of groups to address conflict, encourage dissenting views, and face their negative characteristics can result in destructive behavior toward others that remains largely outside awareness of individual members. Examines regressive group characteristics; behavior of United States during Persian Gulf War is used to highlight…

We argue in this article that group work is a distinct methodology that rests upon a unique conceptual base. We suggest that an ecological perspective fits group work especially well, since it encompasses a comprehensive, interdependent, and contextual orientation. Teaching strategies addressing Best Practices in Group Work (ASGW, 1998) are…

How should groups make decisions? The authors provide an original evaluation of 9 group decision rules based on their adaptive success in a simulated test bed environment. When the adaptive success standard is applied, the majority and plurality rules fare quite well, performing at levels comparable to much more resource-demanding rules such as an…

This article discusses some strategies and principles of intervention that will lead to a more effective group behavior and enable the group to be proactive about improving its work. The author also discusses some of the common challenges and reliable interventions faced by a facilitator: (1) Redirect conversational altitudes; (2) Correct problems…

The purpose of this advisory is to assist academic staff members in avoiding conflict over ownership and authorship rights in collaborative academic work. When students, professors, librarians and other researchers work together in teams, they can create fundamental advances in knowledge. Unfortunately, these arrangements are also generating…

Originally developed in the context of family therapy, system constellations are introduced using an organisational learning and system theoretical framework. Constellations are systemic group interventions using a spatial representation of the system elements. They correspond to deutero-learning processes and use higher-order systemic thinking.…

This investigation examined faculty attitudes, beliefs, and practices with regard to students with learning disabilities (LD). An instrument was designed to measure attitudes and administered to all faculty in a large urban, private university. Responses from 192 faculty members were subjected to an exploratory factor analysis; results indicated…

Objectives: Referral to Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and Narcotics Anonymous (NA) is a common continuing care recommendation. Evidence suggests some youth benefit, yet, despite referrals, youth participation is low. Little is known about adolescents' experiences of AA/NA. Greater knowledge would inform and help tailor aftercare recommendations.…

This paper is driven by a simple question: what type of collective space is a classroom and how can it be imagined differently? Drawing on the social topography provided by Hardt and Negri, I suggest that schools have traditionally worked to produce either (a) a people; (b) a crowd; or (c) the masses. The problem with these forms of social…

More than five decades of research and development have focused on making the Creative Problem Solving process and tools accessible across a wide range of ages and contexts. Recent evidence indicates that when individuals, in both school and corporate settings, understand their own style of problem solving, they are able to learn and apply process…

The struggles and often compelling social dramas of middle school may be either long-forgotten or intentionally blocked by adulthood, but many middle schoolers could benefit from guidance during this difficult period of their lives. This article presents the rationale, along with the basic contours, of a six-session program that has been developed…

This study interconnects developmental psychology of fair and moral behavior with economic game theory. One hundred eighty-nine 9- to 17-year-old students shared a sum of money as individuals and groups with another anonymous group (dictator game). Individual allocations did not differ by age but did by gender and were predicted by participants'…

Two experimental studies test the effect of group mirrors upon quantitative and qualitative aspects of participation in collaborative problem solving. Mirroring tools consist of a graphical representation of the group's actions which is dynamically updated and displayed to the collaborators. In addition, metacognitive tools display a standard for…

This qualitative within-case study explored how planned educational change in universities can be facilitated through academic professional development strategies. Thus this study attempted to shed some light on the dynamics of educational planned change in universities and their implications for academic professional development of faculty. The…