Cooperative learning methods capitalize on the heterogeneous student bodies of most urban schools. They appear to foster better student achievement than individualistic methods, to increase cross-ethnic friendships, and to improve students' self-esteem and positive attitudes toward other students and the school. Six currently published cooperative…

This ERIC Digest describes research findings, mainly in elementary social studies classrooms, on the effects of cooperative learning on multicultural awareness and cross-ethnic friendships, interpersonal relationships, and prosocial behavior. Research findings on cooperative techniques in the classroom are summarized as follows: compared with…

Theory and research indicate that cooperative learning methods may provide a way to help limited-English-proficient (LEP) students achieve academically and develop the English language skills necessary for successful classroom functioning. The method involves small groups of two to six students in tasks that require cooperation and positive…

This document explores teaching and learning of mathematics apart from what mathematics content is being taught. Cooperative learning and peer tutoring are seen as effective alternatives for providing mathematics instruction in secondary schools. The physical and intellectual environments of the classroom are discussed, with special attention paid…

Annotations from 12 entries in the ERIC database were selected as significant and useful sources of information about small-group cooperative learning. Five of the citations are literature reviews. Among these is a meta-analysis, drawn from 217 studies, about the effects of cooperative learning on student achievement and interpersonal attraction;…

This document comprises reviews of recent studies on the influence of classroom environment; curriculum tracking; child, parent and teacher beliefs; and middle school environment on the achievement of high risk students. Chapter 1, "Competitive, Cooperative, and Individualistic Structures of Classroom Learning," reports on the negative effect of…

This sixth chapter in "The Challenge of Counseling in Middle Schools" presents four articles on academic achievement in early adolescence. "Succeeding in Middle School: A Multimodal Approach," by Edwin Gerler, Jr., Nancy Shannon Drew, and Phyllis Mohr, describes a study conducted to examine the effects of the multimodal program, "Succeeding in…

American schools are being challenged to provide opportunities for students to achieve at much higher levels. Assessment is viewed as one of the essential elements in assisting schools to address the standards now deemed to be important in a manner that will help all students to achieve them. The major challenge for assessment is to implement…

Peakview is a new school that is implementing a number of organizational and teaching strategies advocated by the school restructuring reform movement. Among those strategies is the infusion of more than 80 networked microcomputers and related technology and software. This evaluation study examined the impact of the technology on the school…

This report discusses what should be taught in history and social sciences courses, and how the material should be taught. Differing views of educational leaders as well as results of recent research and studies are summarized. The following propositions are offered as stimulators of inquiry and as tentative guides to practice: (1) the greatest…

This ERIC digest reviews the history of the multigrade classroom, and summarizes research findings on multigrading effects on achievement and attitude. It also states requirements of teaching and learning in multigrade classrooms. Multigrade classrooms have ranged from the one-room schools of the early 1900s to the ungraded classroom of the 1960s…

Recent evaluations of Federal compensatory education programs funded by the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, Title I, and maintained by the Education Consolidation and Improvement Act of 1981, Chapter 1, point to qualified effectiveness in the targeting of services, program structures, and classroom arrangements for increasing the…

Critics suggest that ability grouping all too often limits the instructional experience of lower-track students and that students placed in low tracks at a young age may never be transferred to upper tracks where higher-order skills are typically taught. As a result of this growing criticism, schools are increasingly eliminating ability grouping.…

The purpose of this book is to give student support personnel tools that: (1) will be recognized by educators as directly related to enhancing academic performance; (2) can be used with confidence that they will have the desired impact on achievement; and (3) are culturally sensitive. Chapters contain detailed presentation of the technology as…

Abstractor's analyses of 12 science education research studies focusing on science instruction are presented. These include: (1) use of Learning Environment Inventory in junior high school classrooms organized for individualized instruction; (2) microteaching and strategy analysis as used in a science methods course; (3) comparison of two…