Peer support interventions are emerging as an effective alternative to traditional paraprofessional models for assisting students with moderate to severe disabilities to access the general curriculum. To contribute to the refinement of peer support interventions, we evaluated the impact of altering the number of participating peers on the social…

Discusses importance attributed to social competence with peers for social development of young children and implications for later years. Review of research addresses the following issues regarding unpopular children: types of interaction patterns, parental childrearing patterns, and development of improved social skills through the help of…

This book for children (ages 8 to 14) and the accompanying teacher/parent guide present the story of a young girl (who happens to have a physical disability and uses a wheelchair), her friends, and their experiences at summer camp as they search for a favorite horse. Information on the disability is presented subtly and incidentally to encourage…

Examined differences in attraction to same- and other-sex peers as a function of sex, age, individual characteristics, and context in adolescents studied longitudinally from elementary to middle school. Found attraction to aggressive peers and to peers standing out in observable ways increased with age and upon entry to middle school, whereas…

A study examined the impact of teaching handicapped students in regular vocational education classrooms on class interaction and instructional variables. During the study, researchers conducted individual interviews with 22 vocational education instructors from 11 randomly selected school districts throughout Texas and later conducted a total of…

This monograph summarizes the literature base that informs current understanding of the best approaches to support students with disabilities in inclusive settings. In part 1, a context is established by considering the movement toward inclusive schooling practices within the larger arena of school reform. This is followed by a synthesis of…

This manual contains materials for a course designed to enable Nashville high school students to develop peer relationships while acting as peer buddies and positive role models for students with special needs. Information is provided on various types of disabilities and learning problems, instructional techniques for students with disabilities,…

Describes ways in which regular elementary classroom teachers can teach social skills and address classroom relationships to facilitate social integration of mildly handicapped students into the mainstream. Recommends a directive instructions method for correcting students' social skills problems. Notes steps teachers can take to increase the…

This paper looks at the relationship between the study behavior and academic engagement of individual students, the norms and attitudes of close friends, and the peer culture of school. The authors are particularly interested in how the academic orientation of a student and his or her close friends invites or protects him or her from harassment by…

This paper reports qualitative and quantitative data obtained about relationships between 27 students with special language needs or learning disabilities and their nondisabled peers (N=99) in four integrated eighth grade classes of an urban middle school in Massachusetts. The study involved approximately 120 hours of in-school observation over a…

Two instructional techniques, Teams-Games-Tournament (TGT), and Student Teams-Achievement Divisions (STAD), contain a team component and a comparison-among-equals component. To separate the effects of these two components on academic performance, mutual attraction, and student attitudes, a 2 x 2 factorial design was used, varying reward structure…

IT WAS HYPOTHESIZED THAT FOUR PRIMARY FACTORS SIGNIFICANTLY INTERACT TO AFFECT THE PERSONALITY DEVELOPMENT OF CHILDREN. THESE FACTORS WERE (1) FAMILY BACKGROUND VARIABLES, (2) PARENTAL CHILD-REARING PRACTICE AND ATTITUDE VARIABLES, (3) CHILD PERSONALITY AND SELF-CONCEPT VARIABLES, AND (4) CHILD-PEER RELATIONSHIP VARIABLES. THE PURPOSE OF THIS…

THIS REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE OF THE SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY OF EDUCATION FOCUSES ON THE FORCES (I.E. SOCIAL CLASS, PARENTS, PERSONALITY, CURRICULUM PURSUED, AND FRIENDS) WHICH INFLUENCE STUDENTS TO REMAIN IN SCHOOL OR DROP OUT. IN THE CLASSROOM SITUATION, THE TEACHER, THROUGH THE USE OF POWER, AND THE PEER GROUP, THROUGH GROUP NORMS, HAVE THE MOST…