Problem-based learning (PBL) offers students the opportunity to apply the appropriate knowledge to a well-defined problem, allowing students to apply academic problem-solving skills to their own real-life problems. This paper describes outcomes of a PBL program that was used as a tool for school improvement in three South Carolina schools--one…

The old-fashioned focus on individuals as separate from their surroundings is no longer tenable. The papers in this edited volume are informed by the Group Relations model which was designed to help those providing services to children and adolescents to evaluate treatment programs and to make needed improvements. The chapters describe how a…

Problem-based learning (PBL) uses adult-learning theory to structure the instructional process around presentation of a problem. Learning events emulate real-life situations as closely as possible. This paper describes how two middle schools and one high school implemented a structured staff-development approach aimed at teaching teachers how to…

Although inquiries into social status have enjoyed increasing popularity in the literature, peer nomination techniques reveal little about the determinants of social preference. This study examined the relationship between two sociometric measures in predicting five categories of social status: (1) Popular; (2) Neglected; (3) Rejected; (4)…

This study explored the perceptions of students in a cohort based doctoral program in educational leadership at Arkansas State University concerning the impact of the cohort structure on their learning. The cohort groups were structured to move through the coursework as a cohesive group. The data derived from four cohorts--two who had completed…

Of concern in the problem-based learning process in medical student education is the effect of allowing students to generate their own learning issues while discussing cases and problems. This study considered learning issues in problem-based learning, studying faculty and student overlap and consistency across learning groups while adding the…

A 6-minute, videotaped segment of discourse in a medical school classroom problem-based learning session is analyzed for evidence of the kinds of meanings being constructed, their functions, and the linguistic, kinesic, and other means by which they are being made. Three interdependent discourse agendas are distinguished: construction,…

This book presents a case study that describes the difficulties involved in collaborative efforts between public school bureaucracies and university teacher-education organizations. The book is situated in the larger context of educational reform. Each chapter is centered around the question of how to overcome the intractability of bureaucracy,…

Collaborative learning refers to small-group instruction that incorporates five elements: clear, positive interdependence among students; group self-evaluation; interpersonal behaviors that promote each member's learning; individual accountability; and frequent use of small-group social skills. These elements have been implemented in colleges…

This study of two groups of four children (ages 6-9) with learning disabilities evaluated the effects of two contingencies (independent and interdependent) on the learning of students with learning and behavioral disabilities when conducted in small groups with constant time delay. Measures were collected on the rapidity with which children…

Although Transactional Analysis (TA) has heavily influenced psychotherapy, little has been written to parallel that influence in areas of organization theory, organization behavior, or management studies. This book is intended primarily for people working in management roles. In part one, personal experiences are drawn upon to describe a fictional…

This book draws upon the experience of adult and community educators and youth and community workers to explore the nature and practice of local education. Chapter 1 examines the nature of local education and argues the benefits of setting aside "community education" in favor of "local education." In chapter 2, the local educator's role is…

A project was undertaken to create a community of caring, interdependent, intrinsically motivated learners among 21 freshmen students in a community college preservice teacher preparation seminar. Interviews with students at the beginning of the seminar had revealed that most viewed the classroom as individualistic, competitive, and threatening…

A teacher-researcher observed the behaviors and discourse of second graders in a student-led literature discussion group. A group of five students who represented the predominantly white, rural/suburban middle class community in which they lived was studied. All 22 students participated in a unit on folk and fairy tales. The case study group,…

This proceedings contains selected papers from the first International Adventure Therapy Conference. The papers reflect a wide range of ideas about what constitutes adventure therapy and how it should be conducted. Presenting an array of international perspectives, programs, and practices, the papers expand the current literature, which has come…