This book is an outgrowth of a conference funded by the National Institute of Education and held at the Wisconsin Center for Education Research in May 1982. A major theme of this volume of collected papers is how and in what ways grouping of students can be used effectively. Papers included are: (1) "Instructional Groups in the Classroom:…

The purpose of this investigation was to examine the ways in which class size affected other facets of the educational environment of the classroom. The study focused on the commonly found positive relationship between class size and achievement. The most plausible explanation of the evidence seems to involve the effects of grouping more able…

Grouping students to facilitate instruction alone, instructional delivery systems which maintain student dependency on teachers, the practice of teaching to disseminate information without mastery, class norm-referenced grading practices, and study habits which focus on getting grades, help produce the educational dilemma faced today. In mastery…

Each of 15 second-grade Catholic school teachers' top-and bottom-reading group sessions were tape recorded. Good teacher behavior between top and bottom groups was compared by means of a correlated t -test. Findings indicated that teacher behavior may not be adversely affected by teacher expectation. (Author/RC)

This article describes a method whereby varied dimensional criteria are used in subdividing groups of students, with the aim of minimizing incompatibility within the sub-groups. The method has varied pedagogical uses. (Text is in German.) (Author/AM)

THIS STUDY ATTEMPTED TO DEVELOP A GROUP TEST OF GENERAL ABILITY WHICH WILL ACCURATELY ASSESS THE INTELLECTUAL CAPACITIES OF ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY STUDENTS IN THE PUERTO RICAN SCHOOLS. THE OBJECTIVES WERE--(1) TO DETERMINE WHAT COMMON INTELLECTUAL TASKS INDICATE MENTAL ABILITY IN SPANISH-SPEAKING PUERTO RICAN AND OTHER ENGLISH-SPEAKING AMERICAN…

THIS RESEARCH TRACED THE SOCIOMETRIC CHOICE PATTERNS OF PUBLIC SCHOOL PUPILS FROM GRADE 4 THROUGH GRADE 11 TO DETERMINE IF THESE PATTERNS DIFFER FOR ABILITY GROUP VERSUS RANDOM GROUP PUPILS, TO LEARN WHETHER TRENDS IN SOCIOMETRIC STATUS DURING SECONDARY SCHOOL CAN BE PREDICTED FROM DATA OBTAINED IN THE ELEMENTARY GRADES, AND TO DETERMINE WHETHER…

ABILITY GROUPING MAY PRODUCE NEGATIVE SCHOOL AND LEARNING ATTITUDES AND LESSEN THE MOTIVATION OF ABLE STUDENTS. THIS PROBABILITY IS SUPPORTED BY THE RESULTS OF A FOUR-YEAR PROJECT DESIGNED TO IMPROVE A JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL SOCIAL STUDIES PROGRAM THROUGH THE USE OF TEAM TEACHING TECHNIQUES AND A FLEXIBLE GROUPING ARRANGEMENT. THE EFFECTS OF THE…

THE PROJECT'S SAMPLE CONSISTED OF CHILDREN OF ELEMENTARY, JUNIOR HIGH, AND HIGH SCHOOL AGE. THEY WERE DIVIDED INTO TWO GROUPS--(1) AN ABILITY GROUPING THAT DIFFERENTIATED THE CURRICULUM PRINCIPALLY BY ADJUSTING THE RATE OF PRESENTATION OF CURRICULAR MATERIAL, (2) RANDOM GROUPING THAT DIFFERENTIATED THE CURRICULUM PRINCIPALLY THROUGH THE USE OF…

This study investigated teachers' use of verbal approval and disapproval as a function of subject matter (mathematics, social studies) and class ability; the use of these behaviors in instructional versus managerial contexts was studied. Five mathematics and five social studies teachers in an inner-city junior high school were observed for 6…

College sophomores at the United States Naval Academy were homogeneously sectioned in General Physics I and II during the academic year 1968-1969. The better students were selected for General Physics I on the basis of their QPR in their freshman year. The poorer students were selected for the second semester course on the basis of their grades…

Reports on three studies. One involves a comparison of student achievement between students in a streamed versus unstreamed situation. The second involves a comparison of an individualized versus a class-paced approach. The third involves teacher attitude and teaching technique. (GS)

In this "keynote" article, the author, a member of the Educational Board, takes a new look at the move towards non-streaming at the secondary stage, and suggests a flexible approach. (Editor)

Author was head of geography for nearly ten years before becoming deputy head at The Woodlands School, Coventry, a school that has pioneered the move to non-streaming at the secondary stage. He writes here on the practical problems arising in this transition, and how they may be overcome. (Editor/RK)