Fifty-one 10- to 16-year-old siblings of mentally retarded children were given the Family Relations Test and Rotter's Incomplete Sentence Test. Results indicated family dynamics were influenced by parent reaction to the handicapped child. Compared to controls, the siblings showed idealization of the mentally handicapped child and more conflicts…

Law school professors have a responsibility to monitor student participation and silence in the classroom, to consider why some students are silent, and to examine their role in contributing to that silence. A variety of techniques are available to encourage participation. (MSE)

Reviews a study of the in- and out-group vitalities of 270 Chinese and non-Chinese secondary school students in Hong Kong at a time of political uncertainty and shows how, in times of political uncertainty, two contrasting groups in the same milieu can construe their relative vitalities in vastly different ways. (Author/CB)

Investigated the influence of dominance and friendship on behavior in a cooperative/competitive problem-solving situation among preschool peers. Mixture of quasi-agonistic and opportunistic behaviors led to high resource use; agonistic behaviors were infrequent and unrelated to resource use. (Author/RWB)

Suggests that first-time young collaborators are likely to struggle for control of their writing group and for control of the common text. They are ultimately likely to accept the leadership of the group member who makes best use of other member's skills. Focuses on problem-solving skills. (Author/RWB)

Controversy, an aspect of small-group interactions, was investigated in 10 mixed-ability, mixed-sex, elementary math groups through analysis of dissension episodes. Results showed that boys and higher-ability students had significantly more prevailing answers and demonstrations. (Author/LMO)

This study examined whether two variations on the typical Angoff group standard-setting process would produce sufficiently consistent results to recommend their use. The results imply that judgments gathered after an initial traditional group-process session can provide an efficient alternative mechanism for setting cutting scores using the Angoff…

Explores geographical definition of communities and tendency for community relations to transcend geographical boundaries. Reinterprets Durkheim's theory of social solidarity to argue that division of labor directly reduces solidarity but indirectly increases solidarity through secondary groups, the state, and the cult of individuality. (LFL)

Examines the effects of culture on educational practice in Japan, focusing on three salient aspects of the cultural basis for achievement: (1) teachers and parents stress educational environments conducive to learning; (2) achievement is attributed to effort, not to innate ability; and (3) group expectations and standards are considered paramount.…

Small-group learning, it is suggested, has several benefits for law students that they cannot otherwise obtain. The work of scholars in the social sciences can help to better understand ways in which to structure and facilitate the use of small groups in the law school curriculum. (Author/MLW)

A small, private, residential school provides adolescents with academic education and the learning experience gained from living and working in a cooperative environment. (JD)

Delving into the often unexplored areas of class, race, and power struggles, "The Power of Parents" poses a unique and original critical examination of the relationship between bicultural parents and the school system. Written with students and practitioners in mind, it challenges past research that has traditionally argued bicultural parents are…

One notable gap in the evolving literature on bullying and victimization during early adolescence is the role that peers play in promoting such behavior by either reinforcing the aggressor, failing to intervene to stop the victimization, or affiliating with students who bully. This Digest looks at the limited research available on the role of the…

Examining the group processes of seven virtual learning teams and the distribution of observed behaviors from each team found two emerged group development patterns, Linear Progression and Adaptive Progression. Linear progression teams followed the linear sequence of orientation, scheduling, exploration, work and decision, progress check and…

Nonschool youth groups can serve many purposes for young people, especially promoting maturity and development and helping youth to build productive lives. Simply attending youth groups may not be enough, however. Studies have often failed to show beneficial effects of youth group membership versus youth who have not been members; but the studies…