A survey of 210 students in grades 5-7 in six Toronto (Canada) schools found that students' willingness to serve as peer mediators declined significantly between fifth and seventh grades. There were no significant differences by gender in willingness to participate. (SV)

This paper advocates a philosophy of science teaching that embraces intellectual conflict, suggesting that it is important to engage students in productive intellectual conflict in order to teach for conceptual change. Presents two approaches that could actualize the philosophy of "teaching the conflicts" within science instruction. (SM)

Discusses intervention options that help prevent violence in schools by affecting the school climate. Describes five approaches to improve the school climate: (1) parent and community involvement; (2) character education; (3) violence-prevention and conflict-resolution curricula; (4) peer mediation; and (5) bullying prevention. (CMK)

Provides guidance for parents in dealing with sibling conflicts. Discusses the importance of defusing sibling fights calmly and with humor and love, and the need to stay out of sibling squabbles when possible. Suggestions for guiding children through a problem-solving process include listening, summarizing, examining, and generalizing. (KB)

Interviews with 18 South Carolina superintendents provide the background for 9 ways superintendents can build positive relations with their boards, along with comments about knowing when to move on. (MLF)

Examines how boys and girls use features of stories to accomplish and restructure social identities within encounters. Finds that boys use stories to continue an ongoing argument while reshaping the domain of dispute. Finds that girls use stories to restructure alignments of participants in the current interaction and at some future time. (RS)

Causes of project failure and common programing and design problems are discussed, including vague expectations, lack of architectural program detail, unwillingness to understand compromises, misunderstanding economics of audience size, site impact on budget, making a smaller facility less versatile, lobby expenses, late value engineering,…

The public display of disagreement between scientists over the reported achievement of cold fusion shocked casual observers but is said by long-time observers to be unremarkable in science history. Concern on all sides focuses on the political and business aspects of discovery and the degree of scientific competition. (MSE)

Leadership behavior is classified under three dimensions: (1) management of self; (2) development of others; and (3) facilitation of organizational processes. (JOW)

Examines superiors' causal accounts for refusing a subordinate's request, and their effects on subordinates' reactions that might induce conflict. Shows that explanations of mitigating circumstances alone do not allay negative reactions to a denial, but that adequacy of reasoning and sincerity explain the variance in subordinate reactions. (SR)

Examines gender-related similarities and differences regarding conflict strategies and satisfaction with conflict interaction in a corporate setting. Reports that gender significantly affected the selection of influence strategies: male-male dyads used assertiveness and reason consistently, while female-female dyads shifted from high levels of…

Examined angry conflict incidents in a sample of 108 children ages 7 to 11, focusing on relations of anger-related internal and behavioral reactions to children's social functioning. Found that individual differences in children's social functioning were related to boys' anger-related goals and children's anger-related strategies. (MDM)

Violence against children is increasing; so is random student violence and disruptive behavior in classrooms. Instead of fortifying their gates, schools must teach children alternatives to violence and how to make better choices. A "humane highway" can be constructed by reducing cynicism, welcoming all students, replacing reward- and…

Reviews the advantages and disadvantages of common methods of conflict resolution used in special-education disputes. Argues that "principled negotiation" has been underutilized at the early phase of special-education disputes and shows promise as a means of settling many disputes without the need for mediation or adversarial processes.…

Strategic planning for public libraries as advocated by the PLA (Public Library Association) in the Public Library Development Program is likely to be met with resistance due to changes it requires in traditional public library planning and services. Conflicts that may arise are discussed, as well as methods for preventing, minimizing, and…