Studied the effects of group ability composition (homogeneous versus heterogeneous) on group processes and outcomes for high-ability students completing science assessments. Results for 83 high ability students show the quality of group functioning serves as the strongest predictor of high-ability students' performance and explained much of the…

Compared performance on language arts tests for students who were or were not permitted to discuss the story they were required to read and interpret. Results for approximately 5,000 10th graders show that a 10-minute discussion of the story in three-person groups had a substantial impact on students? understanding of the story. (SLD)

Investigated the effects of group ability composition on group processes and outcomes in science performance assessments. Findings from 21 eighth-grade science classes (445 students) show that group ability composition has a great impact on performance and that heterogeneous groups provide more of a benefit for below-average students than a…

The relationships among (a) student and group characteristics, group interaction, and achievement in small groups in junior high school mathematics classrooms and (b) the stability of these relationships over time were investigated. Interaction in the group was a potent predictor of achievement. (Author/LC)

Planning and debugging strategies and group processes predicting learning of computer programming were studied in 30 students aged 11 to 14. Students showed little advance planning. Factors associated with learning included high-level planning of program chunks, debugging of single statements, explaining, and verbalizing aloud while typing.…

Compared effects on achievement and verbal interaction of a cooperative learning instructional program promoting basic communication skills and academic helping skills (experimental condition) with those of a program promoting only basic communication skills. Results with 166 seventh graders show more elaborated help and higher achievement for…