Used interviews and observations to examine the formation of an alternative student group that resisted the cultures of the dominant peer groups in their high school. Depicted the process by which a group of working-class students used peer-group membership as a supportive environment to defy the forces of social reproduction and become the people…

Explains how a computer-based basic writing course relied on small group communication and cooperation to surmount fears of the computer and of writing. Argues that the course helped students work through the "I-You" polarity, the disparity between the author ("I") and the writer ("You"). (TB)

Examines the current inconsistency between the jurisdictions concerning peer sexual harassment and proposes a standard by which future cases should be judged. Reviews three cases: (1) "Aurelia D. versus Monroe County Board of Education"; (2) "Doe versus Petaluma City School District"; and (3) "Doe versus Taylor Independent…

Shares a participant-observer's close look at small group experiences in a course called "American Experience" taught at an urban university. Considers the issue of how race can be discussed in the classroom when even collaborative approaches with emphasis on student contributions can be undone by the power of the dominant discourse. (TB)

Diverse adolescents in grades 6-12 completed a demographic profile, the Teen Appreciation Scale, and various other instruments examining their perceptions of peer success. They rated likability, popularity, and attractiveness of vignette subjects in nine domains. Results indicated that female vignette subjects were rated significantly higher than…

Describes Piaget's ideas about peer relationships, providing a framework for evaluating peer learning based on Piaget's theory. Two goals of peer learning are examined, noting that teachers must consider the socio-moral context in which peer learning occurs and the impact of peer learning on students' feelings about schoolwork and peers. Peer…

Gifted students, particularly nonathletes or introverts, may suffer feelings of alienation and isolation in school. Geeks and nerds do not hate people, but abhor a school culture that glorifies athletics. Lack of respect for bright nonconformists can lead to emotional problems and underachievement. (MLH)

This article begins with a discussion of recent critiques of Fordham and Ogbu's argument on the "burden of acting white". These critiques point to the stereotypical and homogeneous characterization of the black peer group by Fordham and Ogbu, as well as their inattention to the ways in which schools relegate into the lower tracks those students…

This review examines the efficacy of curriculum-based measurement (CBM) as an assessment methodology for enhancing student achievement. We describe experimental-contrast studies in reading and mathematics in which teachers used CBM to monitor student progress and to make instructional decisions. Overall, teachers' use of CBM produced significant…

Successful peer helping or peer group treatment interventions for at-risk youth engage the curative power of some primary child development strategies. Coaching at-risk adolescents to help others has been a primary therapeutic tool in peer helping programs for over 50 years. High and moderate risk youth can benefit greatly from programs that…

The fact that crime and victimization share similar correlates suggests that family and peer contexts are potentially useful for explaining individual differences in violent victimization. In this research, we used routine activities and lifestyles frameworks to reveal how strong bonds of family attachment can promote more effective guardianship…

Bernstein (1996) suggests that we need to engage critically with what it would mean to extend democracy in schools through pupil consultation. This paper explores the ways in which pupil consultation can uncover aspects of both pupil peer group cultures and classroom dynamics that work against fairness, collegiality and a sense of community in…

Prior research on small-group collaboration identifies several behaviors that significantly predict student learning, such as exchanging explanations and applying help received. Previous reports focus on student behavior to understand why many students do not engage in behaviors predictive of learning, leaving unexplored how teachers may influence…

Participants included 165 children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD; 130 boys, 35 girls) and their 1,298 same-sex classmates (1,026 boys, 272 girls) who served as raters. For each child with ADHD, a child of the same sex was randomly selected from the same classroom to serve as a comparison child, which yielded 165 dyads.…

This paper focuses on young men's views on the school sex education they have received, the influence of this sex education on their intended or actual behaviour, and the extent to which other sources of information complement or supplement school sex education. Thirty-five in-depth interviews and eight group discussions were conducted with male…