Discusses bereavement and mourning and reviews group applications for the resolution of uncomplicated grief. Presents studies that describe grief experiences of suicide survivors and community reaction to survivors. Argues that a structured group experience, where support is provided by other survivors, gives optimal help to people bereaved by…

Analyzes observations of a writing workshop in a first-grade classroom, finding the children's conferencing and their peer interactions were highly influenced by gender and equity issues. Shows that boys maintained that girls were not adequate conferencing partners; girls did not understand why they were excluded by boys; and certain boys were…

This article describes the process of interagency coordination for personnel development in early intervention, relates stages of the coordination process to evaluation of state planning teams, discusses the literature on interagency coordination and group development in relation to the case of North Carolina, and provides guidelines and…

The difficulties faced by Americans, coming from an individual-oriented society, in dealing with the group-oriented Chinese are discussed. Issues of reciprocity, prestige, stability and harmony are considered. (26 references) LB)

Describes the mechanics of group work in the college mathematics classroom specifically group formation, preliminary class work, class and group discourse, individual and group assignments, and impact on test taking. Includes examples from a first-semester calculus course. (JJK)

Describes a study that investigated the activities of engineering students working on a collaborative design project in a distributed multimedia environment. Topics discussed include learning as a social process; face-to-face and video communication; problem-solving techniques; use of interactive media; the construction of knowledge; and group…

Observations and interviews of five groups of children and staff at different day-care centers found that circle time is both a ritual and a meeting. For staff, circle time allowed for structuring of activities and a sense of accomplishment. For the children, circles were both a positive, affirmatory experience and a restraint, wherein discipline…

Compares business communication students' thinking styles with the processes and products of collaborative writing groups. Finds that (1) students with identical thinking styles do not naturally team up in forming groups, (2) thinking style is more important than academic major in influencing group success, and (3) thinking style variety within a…

In this study, the occurrence of preschool children's affectionate behavior did not appear to be gender typed. A considerable percentage of the children's affection was restricted to same-gender peers. Children expressed affections more frequently to individuals than to groups of individuals. (BB)

Presents a rationale for effective group leadership grounded in John Withall's articulation of selected beliefs of John Dewey, Kurt Lewin, and Carl Rogers. Teachers and administrators need more and better preparation in collaborative inquiry. Knowledge and skills in collaborative inquiry should undergird the successful functioning of groups of…

Presents results of a study contrasting different forms of group cohesiveness in a student military organization. Reports that task cohesiveness was more strongly associated with lower role uncertainty, higher individual performance, and lower absenteeism than was interpersonal cohesiveness. Concludes that data provide evidence for a…

A study with 97 graduate social work students identified antecedent, structural, and process variables affecting student group learning. Findings indicated that method of group selection, initial preference to be in a group, and level of interpersonal conflict are significantly associated with learning. Implications for faculty and course content…

Two workshops are described in detail. One explores ways to increase the effectiveness of work groups and includes the workshop leader's personal observations. The second involves training transformational leaders, whose characteristics include idealized influence, individualized consideration, intellectual stimulation, and inspirational…

This study used F. Fiedler's task structure analysis to probe emergence and maintenance of leadership in groups of gifted secondary students (N=122) engaged in unstructured, creative production. Results are discussed in terms of relationships between group perceptions of leadership effectiveness, group product creativity, and leadership style…

Describes the use of student focus groups to review and evaluate an interdisciplinary undergraduate program. Asserts that this technique reveals more significant information than using machine scorable tests. Concludes that the instructors' role is the most important factor in student attitudes toward a course. (CFR)