This article tells the story of a group of teachers who experienced change in the face of a newly formed professional development school--one that loosely implemented many of the principles associated with the Holmes Group model. Specifically, these teachers became active participants on the Steering Committee, a group formed within the context of…

This paper presents tips for educators to integrate and facilitate virtual learning teams within online courses. The techniques are grounded in current research and theoretical foundations of systems theory and group dynamics. Tips emphasize facilitation of virtual learning teams, assembled for the purpose of formal education and supported by…

This study tested M. Deutsch's theory of cooperation and conflict resolution using an intervention project at an inner city alternative high school in New York City. The study was designed to test the theory by confirmatory structural modeling and by evaluating the intervention. The procedure involved a pre- and post-test procedure administered…

This paper argues that collaborative learning is possible within graduate education and examines the process whereby a classroom can develop into a unified learning community of shared experiences. Using excerpts of student writings and dialogue, three aspects surrounding the creation of a learning community are explored: (1) the risk of trust,…

The purpose of this study was to examine the potential of asynchronous discussion forums (ADFs) as a medium to facilitate reflective thinking among preservice teachers. Of particular interest was the extent and manner in which this potential varies with respect to (a) the structure of the ADF, (b) the focus of the ADF, and (c) group dynamics.…

The Ninth Grade Teacher Advisor Program (TAP) of Cambridge (Massachusetts) Rindge and Latin School assists students in making the transition from grammar school to high school. The curriculum presented in this manual is a revised version of the materials used by TAP groups in the first year of the Ninth Grade Program. The two major themes of the…

This case study offers an account of the processes of program development. Specifically, it reports on the experiences of a faculty team that developed a preservice program to prepare students for teaching pupils from diverse backgrounds, with the ultimate goal of fostering equity in educational institutions. An analysis is made of written…

An evaluation of the Honolulu (Hawaii) District Instructional Assistance and Assessment Component involved the assignment of part-time teachers to six specific learning disabilities classrooms in elementary schools to work with the special education teacher in instructional and mainstreaming activities. Five other classrooms were used as…

A comparative analysis of the process by which conflicting interests are implemented in the higher education systems of the United States, England, Sweden, and France is presented. Attention is also directed to differentiation in these systems, and to the systems' receptiveness to such differentiation (i.e., splitting up existing functions, or…

The dynamics of hosting foreign exchange students were studied by means of a longitudinal documentation of the experiences and feelings of 15 U.S. families before, during, and after the 10 months when they hosted an American Field Service (AFS) exchange student. Data were gathered by means of semistructured, open-ended, audio-taped interviews…

This paper will provide readers with insight into "Team Building and Decision-Making" curriculum methods and strategies utilized in leadership for our administrators. The content is based on "The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable" by Lencioni (2002). The writer is working on developing a unique cascade of…

Conventional accounting systems provide no indication as to what conditions and events lead to reported outcomes, since they traditionally do not include measurements of the human organization and its relationship to events at the outcome stage. Human resources accounting is used to measure these additional types of data. This research is…

The relationship between class size and students' evaluations was examined in two experiments conducted at a public and a private university. Results indicated that the relationship between course enrollment and students' evaluations--with the exception of the quality of Group Interaction factor score--tended to be small, with both very small and…

This collection of abstracts is part of a continuing series providing information on recent doctoral dissertations. The 15 titles deal with the following topics: (1) communication interaction pattern training, (2) the relationship between cognitive switching and the nonverbal form complexity of a televised newscast, (3) the behavioral repertoire…

The development of two new rating scales, a classroom observation schedule and a comparable student self-report questionnaire, is described. Both instruments are designed to measure group self-concept, defined as a social structure exhibiting interactions which indicate values, attitudes, and beliefs that determine the self-perception of a group,…