Cisco and TechTarget have combined resources to put
LAN Switching First-Step, Chapter 6: How a switch works online in PDF format.
Chapter 6 of
LAN Switching First-Step explains how to differentiate among unicast, multicast, and broadcast transmission methods; store-and-forward, cut-through, and fragment-free switching mechanisms and then describes Layer 2 and Layer 3 switching operation.
It's a good introduction to switching.