The development of community in educational settings is now recognized as a social and collaborative process that is an integral part of learning. As classrooms and communities extend beyond the traditional four walls, research related to online community development across media is of vital importance to teachers. The study reported in this paper…

The purpose of this study is to investigate teachers' learning improvement through participation in study groups. In particular, this study examined how two second grade active participant teachers' classroom practice changed over time and how their changes were related to changes in their study group meetings, which they called Professional…

This study, conducted in 2005 in a New Zealand tertiary institution, examines Asian students' perceptions of the much-promulgated cooperative learning concepts in the form of group work and group assignments. Twenty-two Asian students participated in one-hour individual face-to-face semi-structured interviews. The study found that Asian students…

Genetically modified (GM) crops such as maize (Zea mays L.), cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.), soybean [Glycine max (L.) Moench], and canola (Brassica rapa L.) have been widely adopted by American farmers. In spite of their use in the United States, the European Union (EU) imposed a 6-year de facto moratorium (1998-2004) on the cultivation/import of…

This study investigated whether providing preservice teachers with opportunities to discuss common observations would have an impact on their observations and reflections. Twelve preservice secondary mathematics teachers in the early stages of their teacher education program were divided into 3 treatment groups based on their orientation towards…

A study examined discussions on an instructional listserv, an open forum with several hundred subscribers across the world. The study investigated the coherence of a group of electronic mail (e-mail) messages taken from an academic listserv under one topic. Coherence is important as it contributes to the comprehension of a text. Participants on…

In an effort to foster group work, encourage critical thinking, and assist students in understanding the costs and benefits of being a critical thinker, a classroom activity was developed for use in an introductory psychology course. In the activity, students are divided into groups and presented with a taxonomy of cognitive objectives,…

Undergraduate students are routinely assigned a long research paper--surely the most complex intellectual skill ever expected from them--and expected to write it with a minimum of teacher and library interference and with thorough faith in the end product. More than anything else, the traditional approach to directing research papers focused on…

This critical review examines 18 books available to the general public about learning disabilities (LD) and offers guidelines for use of these books by professionals. Books are grouped into three categories: those written from the perspective of parents and individuals with learning disabilities, those written from an LD professional's…

The Foundational Approaches in Science Teaching (FAST) project, which began under the sponsorship of the Hawaii Science Curriculum Council, contains a series of interdisciplinary science courses that emphasize the foundational concepts and methods of the physical, biological, and earth sciences. By directly involving students in investigating…

Science and technology are often presented and taught as two separate essences. When this is done, students as well as teachers are forced to attempt to develop the appropriate linkages. This book is one of a series designed to help teachers develop their science and technological education in ways that are both satisfying to themselves and…

The "focus group discussion," a qualitative technique often used in market research, has been a useful tool in corporate exploration of employee child care needs and preferences and has led to the development of management policy regarding child care. The child care focus group has helped the employer learn more about employees' child care…

This article considered the presentations, discussions, and group directions that focused on both methods and content of instruction and curriculum, for both the special educator and the art educator. (Author/RK)

The author describes a program involving group discussion, role playing and other procedures that aim at prompting senior high school girls to consider careers that are traditionally identified as typical for males. (SE)

Defines interpersonal communicative behavior as behavior serving to increase immediate feelings of satisfaction, and investigates the relationships between this behavior and self-concepts. (MH)