This paper discusses the nature and implications of problems that language teachers believe to exist in excessively large classes. A review of the literature on class size indicates three categories of problems, namely pedagogical, management, and affective. Pedagogical problems include: difficulties with speaking, reading, and writing tasks;…

A 1-day conference and a study weekend brought together adventure and youth social work practitioners from the United Kingdom, United States, Australia, and Canada. Workshops and presentations focused on five themes: (1) integration of adventure-based interventions with the work of other youth agencies and the needs of communities; (2) program…

Focusing on teacher teams and their use as a lever for change, the author examines the importance of teachers becoming knowledgeable, skilled, and increasingly articulate about their leadership and participation so that they may take their rightful place in the school reform movement. Ten chapters focus on teams sponsored by the Rockefeller…

This case study examined the North American Higher Education Cooperation (NAHEC) initiative from its launch in 1992 by educators and the governments of Canada, Mexico, and the United States through 1996, focusing on organizational, process, and actor preference "zones of influence" in international collaboration. Interviews were…

The principal of a pre-K to grade 5 school in Arizona talks of ways to create responsive programs for special needs children. The school offers a special education preschool program and a totally integrated cross-categorical program for kindergarten through grade 5 which utilizes collaborative delivery systems and a consultative model of special…

This paper consists of 13 chapters that describe a study of the effects of training in conflict resolution and cooperative learning in an alternative high school in New York City. Three of the school's four campuses participated, with Campus A receiving conflict resolution training, Campus C receiving cooperative and Campus B receiving training in…

This paper presents an argument that cooperative learning's effect on academic achievement is mediated by students' academic self-concept and academic goals as well as briefly reporting findings from an empirical investigation of the theories presented. The paper argues that the psychological processes produced by cooperative learning groups cause…

This manual was developed to help Job Corps trainers prepare to train enlistees in the social skills program and to help them enhance their program delivery skills at their Job Corps centers. The manual is organized in five sections. The first section contains course goals, objectives, and format; it is followed by a brief overview of the social…

A series of four workshops for community administrators and public agency program directors in rural Stevens County, Washington, was intended to introduce and support the idea of networks among rural agencies and to increase community development skills in communication, problem solving, community organization, and group process. Trainers designed…

A preliminary study investigating the perceptions of intergroup relations in the bargaining process supports Kenneth Burke's concepts of order and mystery. Questionnaires, interviews, and direct observations of teachers' and school boards' teams involved in contract negotiations show that people closest to the bargaining saw more order in the…

This study investigated the effects of grouping patterns in a cooperative learning environment on the mathematics achievement of two high school geometry classes. Heterogeneous, homogenous, random, mixed gender and single gender grouping patterns were coordinated with six similar geometry topics and students were grouped accordingly for a period…

Previous research into the interpersonal aspects of interorganizational relations has emphasized the importance of latent social roles in studying community leaders. Following Merton's (1957) identification of two general types of influentials, Gouldner (1957, 1958) identified persons focusing on organizational loyalty over specialized skills as…

Cooperative Learning is a teaching methodology based on the belief that learning increases as students develop cooperative skills. A recent experiment with cooperative learning at the Philippine Refugee Processing Center indicates that it can be used effectively with low-level learners of English as a second language to foster both language…

A study investigated how oral discourse affects the communicative process of teaching and learning and how that process influences and is influenced by the goals and expectations of college instructors and college students. Three college classes were observed for one semester. Data were collected in the form of field notes, cassette tapes of…

The School Team Facilitator assists participating New England secondary schools in planning and implementing improvement efforts based on school effectiveness research. This publication, distributed at a team training conference, begins with the conference schedule, a list of facilitators, instructions on choosing a school team, and letters to…