In addressing contemporary socio-ecological challenges it is imperative to engage individuals with the moral dilemmas in the human-nature context. A socioscientific-issues (SSI) approach to secondary biology education can contribute to engaging students in moral dilemmas and reflecting on their values. Following a design research methodology, we…

Promoting problem-solving in students is an important aim of secondary science education. There is a mismatch, however, between the complex, ill-structured nature of realistic scientific problems, versus the well-structured problems students are generally confronted with. The current study investigates a teaching-learning strategy that resolves…

How can science teachers support students in developing an appropriate declarative knowledge base for solving problems? This article focuses on the question whether the development of students' memory of scientific propositions is better served by writing propositions down on paper or by making drawings of propositions either by silent or…

Novice problem solvers are rather sensitive to surface problem features, and they often resort to trial and error formula matching rather than identifying an appropriate solution approach. These observations have been interpreted to imply that novices structure their knowledge according to surface features rather than according to problem type…

Background: Cooperative learning may help students elaborate upon problem information through interpersonal discourse, and this may provoke a higher level of thinking. Interaction stimulates students to put forward and order their thoughts, and to understand the ideas or questions of their peer learner. However, partner gender is an important…

Difficulties encountered by students when solving problems were examined using Program of Actions and Methods (PAM) for systematic problem solving in science. Difficulties encountered included those in analyzing the problem, planning the problem-solving process, executing routine operations, and those related to the ways teachers solve problems.…

Describes an industrial design course in the Netherlands. Includes a discussion of the school history, integration of various courses, implications from the experience, design process as decision-making, basic design cycle derived from the general problem-solving process, design methodology, creativity, and conclusions. (YP)

The aim of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) project "Science, Mathematics, and Technology" is to formulate recommendations for educational policy. Preparations for the project were made in each of the various member countries. Reported here are the results of the Netherlands meeting. The conference and…