This action research study (ARS) describes the effectiveness of small group social skills lessons with elementary students, using "Too Good for Violence: A Curriculum for Non-violent Living" by the Mendez Foundation. The school counselor and school social worker taught the curriculum in a structured small group of 4th grade students in 8…

Background: In elementary grades, comprehensive health education curricula mostly have demonstrated effectiveness in addressing singular health issues. The Michigan Model for Health (MMH) was implemented and evaluated to determine its impact on multiple health issues, including social and emotional skills, prosocial behavior, and drug use and…

While environmental argumentation has recently received much attention from science educators, little consideration has been given to how personal identities and social relationships can either support or constrain student argumentation. This study attends to this issue by examining environmental argumentation as a sociocultural activity (how…

This study examined the effectiveness of an urban peer mediation program. Third- and fourth-grade students were trained as conflict managers to mediate schoolmates' conflicts. They mediated 323 conflicts during the school year; most successfully. Most conflicts involved physical and verbal attacks. Mediation usually resulted in agreements to avoid…

Conflict resolution skills can be taught just as any other basic skill is taught, and this is the message of this curriculum and guide. Peace education is a life-affirming celebration of life and a holistic approach to human interaction. Conflict is a natural part of life, and children can be taught the skills to deal constructively with conflict.…

Assessed the relation between goals and strategies for conflict resolution of children in 4th through 6th grades. Found that prosocial strategies positively correlated with relationship and equality goals, whereas physically or relationally aggressive strategies related to self-interest, control, and revenge goals. Discovered gender differences in…

This practicum was designed to decrease the number of times boys in third, fourth, and fifth grade classes met with the school guidance counselor for unacceptable behaviors and to improve the attitudes of the boys and their parents. Pre- and post-attitudinal and observational questionnaires were administered to 30 randomly selected third, fourth,…

This practicum set up a classroom-based model for peer mediation in grades 3 and 4. During the project's implementation, the school psychologist delivered, individually to each of 6 different third and fourth-grade classrooms, 8 weeks of classroom instruction on conflict resolution. When all 6 classes were familiar with conflict resolution…