Conducted an ethnography to evaluate the usefulness of the notion of community of practice in classroom settings. Documents how collectively available knowledge of a classroom community was transformed as resources and practices were adopted by more and more members. Discusses implications for the organization of classroom environments that…

This response to an article by Karen Tateyama-Sniezek (EC 230 117), which examined the effectiveness of cooperative learning with mildly disabled students, reconsiders a table by adding more comparison statistics, effect sizes, and standard individual measures of achievement. Noted are the scarcity of studies including individual accountability…

Presents a study of the role of sociocognitive conflict theory in cognitive growth. Analyzes whether five- to seven-year-old student dyads can solve a conservation of length task when presented with contradictory solutions or whether they require the correct answer. Concludes that conflict does not result in appropriate learning. (SG)

This report presents the results and activity ideas created by a peace and international education project. The project implemented and evaluated activities suitable for primary school pupils over a three-year period. The goals, contents, and methods presented are those of peace and environmental education. The teaching suggestions, methods, and…

Maintains that teachers often ask groups of pupils to undertake computer tasks with the understanding that positive benefits will result within the social context of learning. Reports on a study of the impact of social skills training on two fifth-grade British classes. (CFR)

Reports on a study of the effects of cooperative and individualistic learning on 43 prospective elementary music teachers. Finds that cooperation promoted higher achievement and that students were off-task less frequently, perceived the instructor to be more supportive, and felt the grading system to be more fair. (CFR)

This theme issue of "Educational Foundations" contains five articles that utilize an array of foundational perspectives that give reader insight into the organization of schools, the viewpoints of children and parents, the ideological and political nature of community organizing, and mathematics instruction in the Soviet Union. In…

Presents study results on the effects of students working in pairs on spelling in three different grades. Explains that students working individually were compared to students working in pairs. Reports less off-task behavior for the younger students working in pairs. Concludes that effort increases in pair work, but achievement increased only at…

This study compared the effects of cooperative learning groups to traditional instruction in remediating students' misconceptions about temperature. Students from grades 3, 4, and 5 in two rural elementary schools participated in the study. Students completed a pretest, a cognitive conflict laboratory activity and a posttest that measured…

Reviews theory and research on the relationship between classroom climate and citizenship outcomes in elementary settings. Compares democratic learning environments described by three studies. Suggests that free expression, peer interaction in cooperative activities, respect for diverse viewpoints, and student participation in decision making…

Reports on a study of 34 high-ability fifth-grade students randomly assigned to individual- or cooperative-learning conditions. Finds that achievement was higher on recall and higher order reasoning measures and that the students demonstrated higher academic self-esteem and greater cohesion in the cooperative condition. (CFR)

Presents a replication study to determine the effects of an innovative activity-centered biology program on attitudes toward science teaching among 159 prospective elementary teachers. Concludes that the course was influential in promoting positive teacher attitudes toward science and science teaching and recommends that the course be incorporated…

Explores the effects of 417 regular education students' acceptance of 41 learning disabled classmates. Participants were upper elementary students enrolled in either cooperative or competitive learning classes. After eight months positive changes in peer ratings among the students occurred more frequently in the cooperative learning classes. (MJP)

Reports on a study of the impact of group work with computers on male and female interaction in two classes of 9 to 10-year-old British students. Addresses concerns that, despite teachers' sensitivity to gender issues, expected benefits of intervention do not occur. Recommends increased emphasis on collaborative group work. (CFR)

Asserts that promotion of classroom thinking generally is assumed to be the sole responsibility of the teacher. Suggests using a text that portrays students engaged in reasoning and other interventions to stimulate the growth of critical and creative thinking. (CFR)