Management by spontaneity shuns job descriptions, supervisory duties, needs assessment, strategic planning, group process, and problem solving. Not for the fainthearted, MBS requires knowledge of psychology, lawyerly skills, and philosophic wisdom. MBS remains untested, as current job descriptions have confined authors to MBO and TQM. (MLH)

This qualitative study examined the role of discourse (verbal elements of language) and Discourse (nonverbal elements related to the use of language, such as ways of thinking, valuing, and using tools and technologies) in the process of group knowledge construction of mechanical engineering students. Data included interviews, participant…

The purpose of this study was to examine if and how participation in a journaling workshop influenced the content of student journals. A total of 59 post secondary students from two university programs in North America participated in this study and were randomly assigned to either an experimental (n = 21) or control (n = 38) group. Before their…

The aim of the study was to explore characteristics of 5- to 6-year-old kindergartners' peer dynamics during a seven week learning experience in a computer-based technology-rich classroom in the US. The children (9 boys and 9 girls) were placed in pairs by the classroom teacher, based on her perception of the their friendships. Measures of each…

One of the most commonly used instructional methods in adult education is the small group. Small group learning is a staple of the adult education enterprise. Small groups are used in higher education, adult literacy and basic education, and many forms of training (Taylor, Marienau, & Fiddler, 2000). Some write solely about it (Brookfield…

Much has been written in recent decades about the importance of community in education. According to some of the literature, a solution to the lack of community in preservice education might lie in the creation of "cohort programs," in which a relatively small number of student teachers engage in their coursework and (insofar as possible) their…

Small group work in EFL classrooms has been largely accepted as an effective strategy in the development of students' communicative proficiency in English. This acceptance has occurred despite a lack of research in key areas about what actually happens when students work in groups in real classrooms. This study examines both quantitative and…

This article describes a project that simulates the interplay between management and development project teams in a business environment. Each student team was assigned a management role supervising one project and a development role implementing another project. Results indicate that teams that communicate regularly and interact socially outside…

This article describes a 2-hour experiential simulation that helps students understand (a) the challenge of even simple organizational changes, (b) the importance of communication between change agents and organizational members, and (c) the source of resistance to organizational change efforts. Teams of students compete to process the most…

Previous research indicates that brief motivational interventions for college student drinkers may be less effective in group settings than individual settings. Social psychological theories about counterproductive group dynamics may partially explain this finding. The present study examined potential problems with group motivational interventions…

The time and effort spent during the first days of a new semester are key to the success of the class that lies ahead. What happens during these first days can set a tone that inspires students to work actively and cooperatively to achieve success in the new semester, or to sit back and assume a "here we go again" attitude. In this article, the…

In designing materials for use in a contructivist learning environment, instructional designers still have a role in selecting the situations that may provide a stimulus for knowledge construction and providing features that support students and teachers in using these materials. This paper describes the process of designing a series of case-based…

This document applies theories of participatory management to a proposal for a model that uses a team approach to staffing university library reference centers. In particular, the Ward Edwards Library at Central Missouri State University is examined in terms of the advantages and disadvantages of its current approach. Special attention is given to…

This study attempted to describe and interpret informal staff development among 23 first grade and kindergarten teachers, and a counselor working together to create a new language arts curriculum. This report of the research includes data from 11 participants. The paper begins with a review of relevant literature covering research on staff…

The socialization processes occurring in the Japanese elementary school classroom are analyzed, particularly the processes that are implicit, teaching children to be competent members of society by participating in detail routines. A perspective is that the specific participation structure of Japanese classrooms serves as a major socialization…