A study examined communication skills essential for small work groups and whether the quality of small group teaching and research is in decline. The study reviewed small group research done previously by others and the problem of existing pedagogy and research in small group communication which does not provide practical solutions to real life…

This paper presents findings of a study that examined leadership among staff members in a suburban Cincinnati (Ohio) junior/senior high school that was undergoing school restructuring. The research examined principal-staff communication, with a focus on the staff decision-making role. The school was participating in both the Goodlad Institute of…

An ethnographic and linguistic study conducted at a high-technology corporation examined decision-making in managerial meetings, focusing on the effects of silences following a proposal on the maker of the proposal. An opinion is that such silences signify a negative evaluation of the proposal, inviting the proposal maker to alter his position.…

This book offers a step-by-step, systematic process for designing high-performance learning organizations. The process helps administrators develop proposals for redesigning school districts that are tailored to the district's environment, work system, and social system. Chapter 1 describes the characteristics of high-performing organizations, and…

This study evaluated the impact of a program for improving group functioning through reducing the frequency of inappropriate student behavior. Participating were 160 students in grades 3, 7, 10, and 11 from a primary school, a junior high, and 3 high schools. All of the subject schools were in low- to upper-middle class communities located in five…

As a classroom organization and instructional method, cooperative learning merits serious consideration for use in thinking classrooms. Cooperative learning is more than just groupwork. In traditional group learning, students work in groups with no attention paid to group functioning, whereas in cooperative learning, group work is carefully…

A study observed how four boys focused in group literacy activities in a whole language classroom, observed the literacy development of the four boys early in grade 1, and reflected on the teacher's role in class literacy activities. Data included daily journal entries made by the teacher/researcher, copies of students' work, and interviews with…

This study examined an institution that is in the process of developing programs and organizations to meet the new challenges faced by higher education. It reviewed the evolution of a new, boundary-spanning organization at a major research university from the perspective of the persons involved. The study looked at the experiences of the people…

It can be very difficult for writers to invent classroom communities, to share their writing; it can be especially difficult for anxious young writers who have never before worked in peer groups. Student participation is largely influenced by gender roles shaped by years of socialization. Teachers should not be startled by less female…

This workbook is designed for people interested in facilitating Personal Futures Planning, a person-centered creative planning process designed to help people craft a life of meaning and contribution for a person with developmental disabilities. The facilitator of the Futures Planning process organizes a group to listen to the dreams and desires…

This document consists of a final report and two manuals developed by the Pennsylvania State Coalition for Adult Literacy's Building Communities for Learning (BCL) project, which worked to improve the delivery of adult basic and literacy education services through interagency collaboration and community-based planning at the local level. The final…

One of the biggest problems students face in team projects is social loafing, a situation in which students may view team projects as a free ride. Social loafers let others do the work, knowing that the professor will only grade the completed project. This research examined the performance of students grading other student team members on a group…

This essay is an examination of the efficacy of group methods in the facilitation of learning. It describes and characterizes two learning experiences and reports the findings on some unconventional educational methods. It provides a summary of six principles of learning and reviews some essential literature which compares a variety of teaching…

This paper explores the presence of "groupism" in Japan; that is, the phenomenon that youth in Japan are seen in groups and very seldom alone. The text focuses on "groupism" and what that means for schooling practices in both Japan and the United States. Cultural comparisons between the two countries examine the typical…

A model for offering culturally and developmentally responsive interventions in cross-cultural groups with Asian members is provided. The "stage-specific interactive model" is based on four factors: (1) the stage of Asian clients' ethnic identity development; (2) the stage of White leaders' ethnic identity development; (3) the unique interacting…