Many students who enter colleges and universities seem to be focused on memorizing and regurgitating information rather than on developing critical thinking and problem solving skills. Mentoring is crucial to help these students transition from the current approach to one that will be successful in college. Successful mentoring requires a…

This paper describes a project that underscores the critical role of this nation's museums and libraries in helping citizens build such 21st century skills as information, communications and technology literacy, critical thinking, problem solving, creativity, civic literacy, and global awareness. Recognizing that every individual requires these…

Author reacted to an earlier article in the Spring 1974 issue of this journal through his interpretation of therapy outcome research as encouraging and urged the evaluation of specific therapeutic relationships, as opposed to making global assessments of "average" psychotherapy. (Author/RK)

This paper addresses the concept of critical thinking and its utility in education and training. It is divided into three segments. First, the paper defines critical thinking by establishing what critical thinking is and is not. Second, the relationship between critical thinking and education is explored. The goal of education is reviewed, and…

Examines the shift in schools toward using software that teaches critical thinking skills. A list of 14 packages is also provided, with each entry including name, recommended age level(s), current cost, source, and a brief description. (JN)

Provides a model for teachers to engage children in understanding problems and communicating their solutions in order to lead them toward becoming mathematically powerful learners. (Author/NB)

Some insights from cognitive science that can be applied to professional education, particularly those relating to sources of dissonance in the traditional, linear educational model, are examined. They concern primarily the availability of information for clinical thinking and problem solving. Curricular structures facilitating implementation of…

Because workers need more than job-specific skills, vocational education should emphasize self-management skills (setting goals, planning, adjusting, and evaluating); knowledge extension skills (composing, problem solving, decision making, and inquiry); and enabling skills (comparing, classifying, deducing, analyzing, supporting, and abstracting).…

Presents the use of paradoxes as a strategy that enables students to develop their problem-solving and critical-thinking skills. Involves confronting the students with two very plausible ideas that they would normally accept uncritically, and then showing that the two ideas are apparently not compatible with each other. Discusses paradoxes in…

Distinguishes the values of quantitative increments and qualitative shifts with regard to problem solving. Subjects were 136 children ranging from 6 through 8 years and were presented with the standard 3-disc problem to resolve in 3 minutes. Results indicated that qualitative shifts in children's representation of problem space are a crucial…

Offers a tangible suggestion for how dot paper can be used to implement an exploratory approach to problem solving in middle school geometry. Presents some intriguing mathematical tasks that demonstrate the elegance of mathematics, the usefulness of dot paper as a teaching tool, and the value of divergent thinking approaches to problem solving.…

A real-life experience that provides an ideal opportunity to combine problem-solving skills, critical thinking, and collaborative learning is described in the content of a realistic instrumental analysis laboratory. This practical experiment can be used in an instrumental analysis or analytical course.

Teachers intuitively recognize the importance of metacognition but may not be aware of its many dimensions. Mr. Martinez explores the varieties of metacognitive skills and then offers suggestions for cultivating them in learners of all ages. (Contains 4 endnotes.)

The number of students pursuing undergraduate degrees in mathematics is decreasing. Research reveals students who pursue mathematics majors complained about inadequate high school preparation in terms of disciplinary content or depth, conceptual grasp, or study skills. Unfortunately, the decrease in the number of students studying advanced…

The present study focuses on the use of thinking types as a possible way to structure university students' discourse in asynchronous discussion groups and consequently promote their learning. More specifically, the aim of the study is to determine how requiring students to label their contributions by means of De Bono's (1991) thinking hats…