In contrast to the recent back-to-basics movement, which emphasizes rote-learning and the acquisition of mechanistic skills, small-group cooperative learning emphasizes the development of thinking and problem-solving skills. It also seeks to minimize student anxiety and competition by creating an environment in which students feel safe to make and learn from mistakes. Research on cooperative learning suggests that the approach has proven effective in achieving both social and academic goals. As is clear from teachers' experiences with a technique in which students work together in "groups of four" randomly selected every two weeks, the approach requires a different role for teachers and students. Teachers must give up their dominant role in relation to their pupils' thinking, and students must learn to accept more responsibility for themselves and their peers. The approach also involves spatial reorganization, a heightened noise level, and ongoing student evaluation. Although experienced teachers who have used cooperative learning agree as to its advantages, successful implementation requires long-term commitment, support, and understanding from principals and colleagues. Two appendixes describe the most widely used cooperative learning models and discuss such models under two major headings: peer tutoring methods and group investigation methods. (JBM)