This collection of abstracts is part of a continuing series providing information on recent doctoral dissertations. The 15 titles deal with the following topics: the rhetorical dimensions of nondiscursive, fragmentary communication; perceptions of persuasion situations and the question of transituational consistency of behavior; alcohol use and…

This children's collective manual describes a training program for parents and teachers of preschool children which is designed to encourage cooperative, community-oriented styles of group interaction in black preschool children. Developed by the Children's Collective of the Coordinated Child Care Council of South Los Angeles, the program is based…

In order to understand the adjustment of blacks in an integrated situation, it is vital to study the response of the whites to the blacks in those situations. This study is an analysis of data collected in the summer of 1970. The area of inquiry is the subjective one of emotional climate, feelings of affect, evaluations, and socio-emotional…

Part of a longitudinal study of the relationship of language and play in a preschool multilingual/multicultural setting indicated that not all children gain the same linguistic and social benefits from unstructured freeplay and that teachers may need to structure and individualize play according to children's social and linguistic development…

Describes how "being fully in the present" by providing quality time--defined as a combination of addressing needs and providing activities--provided a better learning environment for very young children, and for teachers, the ability to appreciate the uniqueness of children. Discusses and evaluates three types of quality time. (SD)

Contrasts teacher-student interactions in typical teacher-fronted second language classrooms with the organization of talk across a variety of alternate educational participant structures--a teacher-student conference, small group work, the making of a class video, and a problem-solving interaction in a computer lab--that deviate from the…

Examines the relationship between verbal style and the early elimination of leaders in small groups. Finds that participants evaluated the authoritativeness and trustworthiness of other group members and that these evaluations depended upon the interaction of verbal style and content. (SR)

This two-volume set offers 16 narrative case studies and a facilitator's guide. Cases were written by teachers about their personal experiences with teaching and groupwork, especially the problematic situations and dilemmas they faced. Groupwork is a well-documented and highly recommended strategy for enhancing students' academic, cognitive,…

An exploration of Project Transition, an outgrowth of the University Without Walls program for adult learners, is presented. The development on nontraditional educational thinking is recounted from a personal standpoint, including the realization that return to education in mid-life often signaled a larger decision to reshape personal identity,…

A method for combining the techniques of microteaching with those of interaction process analysis is presented. Using this method a matrix analysis can be performed which will give a teacher feedback on the target objectives for a given microteaching session. This handbook gives the rationale for this method, presents a General Inventory Guide for…

This monograph provides an overview of structured group approaches which supply both effective learning strategies and interpersonal environments in which people can seek to achieve higher levels of personal competence and nurture feelings of inner satisfaction with the direction of their lives. These approaches should be viewed as educational…

The book's emphasis is on learning during the years of adulthood and examines present-day practice of adult education for practitioners. This revised edition brings up to date advances in such areas of learning as controversial theory; the effects of environment; sensory processes; intellectual capacities; motivation and attitude; transactional…

The study presents the results of testing an original obersvation instrument designed to identify a power elite in multiple sessions of two eight-member adult discussion groups. Two questions guided the development of the study: (1) Can a power elite be identified in participation training groups? (2) Can an effective observation instrument with…

This research summary reports on a 4-month long study of 30 children, ages 10-13, who live at the elementary boarding school on the island of 'Ua Pou, Marquesas Island, French Polynesia. Of the sample of 15 boys and 15 girls, 20 of the children are from a single small valley. Follow-up studies also were done of the families of these children. The…

The possibility of creating a "learning community" as a possible alternative or supplement to traditional indicators of community well-being is explored in relation to Australia's stability. It is argued that traditional economic rationalism-based indicators of community well-being, such as level of unemployment, frequently cause…