Nine adolescent mothers interacted with their infants in three interaction style conditions differing in terms of stimulation and responsiveness provided by the adult. Results support the position that, by interacting in a stimulating and contingently responsive manner, caregivers increase the likelihood of engagement states that are believed to…

Two studies examined effects of combinations of setting events on social interactions of seven preschool children with language delays and social interaction deficits. The optimal combination of events for promoting peer interaction included teacher absence from the activity, a limited number and form of materials, and children paired with a…

Questions the universal relevance of the communicative approach to language teaching in view of the cultural conflicts arising from the introduction of a predominantly Western language teaching approach to Far Eastern cultures. The article suggests that "mediating" can serve as a useful tool for filtering the material to make it…

In developmental research, the family has mainly been studied through dyadic interaction. Three-way interactions have received less attention, partly because of their complexity. This difficulty may be overcome by distinguishing between four hierarchically embedded functions in three-way interactions: (1) participation (inclusion of all…

Although multivariate generalizability theory was developed more than 30 years ago, little published research utilizing this framework exists and most of what does exist examines tests built from tables of specifications. In this context, it is assumed that the universe scores from levels of the fixed multivariate facet will be correlated, but the…

The authors investigated the microlevel processes of collaborative reasoning in heterogeneous peer dyads working on an open-design task in elementary geometry. Special attention was paid to the nature of student social interaction, problem-solving strategies, and mathematical language and how they shape collaborative problem-solving processes.…

The aim of the study was to gain insight into the occurrence of different types of peer interaction and particularly the types of interaction beneficial for learning in different collaborative learning environments. Based on theoretical notions related to collaborative learning and peer interaction, a coding scheme was developed to analyze the…

This study was conducted on informal aspects of an inquiry-based physics course and reports findings about learning interactions and discourse observed during the first three semesters the course was offered. The course offered an alternative to the large lecture instruction typical in introductory university physics and promoted learning in an…

This study compared student learning outcomes and student perceptions of and satisfaction with the learning process between two sections of the same class--a web-based section and a traditional face-to-face (f2f) section. Using a quasi-experimental design, students were randomly assigned to the two course sections. Group equivalency was…

The old-fashioned focus on individuals as separate from their surroundings is no longer tenable. The papers in this edited volume are informed by the Group Relations model which was designed to help those providing services to children and adolescents to evaluate treatment programs and to make needed improvements. The chapters describe how a…

This article describes a teaching experiment in Finland to develop critical thinking and argumentation skills in a university course using both face-to-face and e-mail settings. Subjects (n=49) were advanced students of education and three faculty members. All students received two lectures on argumentation and packages of argumentative writings…

This study sought to determine whether a male physical education supervisor's interactions differ between male and female student teachers. The instrument used, Blumberg's System for Analyzing Supervisor-Teacher Interaction, included an interaction matrix permitting many analyses, comparisons, and descriptive observations within categorized…

Teachers often feel intimidated or defenseless when dealing with issues of concern and conflict during parent-teacher conferences. Teachers have indicated a need for: (1) training in effective conferencing skills; and (2) learning to approach parents as cooperative individuals willing to participate in the total educational process of their…

This study compares and contrasts the effects of planning on the instructional behaviors of a group of preservice teachers across two teaching conditions, a plan condition and a no-plan condition. Twelve preservice teachers each taught two 25-minute lessons to classes of 7 or 8 fourth-, fifth-, or sixth-grade learners. Lesson plans were developed…

The stability of teacher behavior has been one of the most important areas of process-product research. This study was designed to investigate teacher stability in the context of math instruction across classes and times of observation in order to assess the relationship between teaching styles and student learning outcomes. Specifically the study…