Elementary, middle, and high school teachers from several school districts in California and Georgia share their experiences with designing and using study groups. Teachers report that the study groups identified educational and school needs, promoted teacher empowerment, increased collegiality, and kept teachers up on current issues and research…

Investigates how discussion influences young children's preferences for science texts. Finds that discussion can result in the preference for a science text that students may initially find of limited interest or even unappealing. (SR)

This essay describes the use of I Ching hexagrams as a focus to improve the ability of college student groups to evolve creative solutions and improve decision-making skills. The philosophy of I Ching is briefly explained, and examples are given of hexagram interpretations which are applicable to group discussion and problem solving. (DB)

Cooperative learning can help teach children to write because (1) it raises consciousness and encourages decision making; (2) its accepting social environment helps students seek worthwhile experiences; and (3) mutual concern and discussion of differing viewpoints rely on dialogue to enhance personal and intellectual growth. (SM)

Describes how public libraries can plan, fund, and implement scholar-led, library-based, humanities book discussion programs using the example of the Southern Connecticut Library Council. Key steps in planning, funding, targeting the audience, selecting topics and books, obtaining community support, recruiting scholars, marketing, administration,…

Offers a model for critical dialogue, an approach which uses students' background knowledge and experiences to build basic and higher order thinking skills needed to learn content. (PRA)

Describes a community-college curriculum that incorporates Socratic Dialogue Inducing (SDI) laboratories into a new calculus-based preengineering physics sequence. SDI allows for group discussion labs that emphasize the concepts being taught in the lectures. (ZWH)

Finds that a sixth-grade literature discussion group composed of more able readers constructed a conversation in which students participated eagerly and valued each other's contributions, whereas the group of less able readers constructed a more teacher-dominated activity in which students seemed reluctant to participate voluntarily, display their…

A three-phase reading strategy for students with learning disabilities is presented, involving students ask questions about a story, discussing criteria for types of questions (fact, inference, opinion), and label the questions; the teacher models the role of discussion leader; and the leadership role is turned over to the students. (JDD)

Discusses the Book Club program, one model for literature-based reading instruction which integrates reading, writing, student-led discussion groups, whole-class discussions, and instruction. Describes the Book Club as it developed in two classrooms and looks at students' discussions after their participation for one and two years. (SR)

Presents a summary of the International Reading Association's 1994 award-winning dissertation, which examines the role of sociocognitive conflict in peer-led and teacher-led discussions of literature. Finds that the two have distinctly different discourse related to sociocognitive conflict, also affecting internalization of the underlying…

A study evaluated the effectiveness of video instruction in teaching the meanings and uses of idioms to 20 deaf adolescents. Students improved their knowledge and use of idioms more when exposed to the video/discussion approach than to the lecture/discussion approach. (DB)

Discusses problems teaching counter-intuitive scientific concepts. Discusses implications for science instruction. Describes three activities that challenge students' misconceptions. (RS)

Inclusion of race-related content in a college course identified three sources of resistance to learning about racism: race as taboo topic; myth of meritocracy; and denial of personal connection to racism. Strategies for reducing resistance include a safe classroom climate; opportunity for self-generated knowledge; model of racial identity…

Concern circles provide a comfortable approach to classroom counseling. A first grade teacher describes how she provided a support network to deal with students' emotional concerns. The 15-minute sessions, held each morning, allowed the children to take a more active role in resolving their own conflicts. (SM)