Tested interactional "state of mind" model of hopelessness among prisoners. Inmates (n=146) completed measures of problem-solving appraisal, social alienation, irrational beliefs, reasons for living, hopelessness, and depression. Jail stress was related to hopelessness through interaction with cognitive mediators. Depression, low…

Reviews the literature concerning problem solving in science education. Authors contend that the adoption of a forward-looking viewpoint of science has increased the attention given to the topics of discovery and problem-solving behavior. Authors conclude that research by philosophers of science on models and problem solving include insights to…

Discusses the Jasper Woodbury Problem Solving Series, a video-based instructional macrocontext for complex mathematics problem generation and solving. A theoretical framework of assumptions about goals, learning, instruction, and learning materials is provided. Design features and typical teaching activities are described. Three teaching models…

Describes a strengths assessment process for families with emotionally disabled members. Using a systems framework, this assessment approach does not focus on problems, but rather provides a reliable means for recognizing family strengths that can be used as resources to meet the family's needs, goals, and objectives. (TJQ)

The ability to develop new problem descriptions, called problem restructuring in architectural design, has been related to creativity. Looking at human creativity through problem restructuring is likely to offer more research results and questions and can benefit understanding of the role of creativity in professional practice and related decision…

Discusses the relationship between situated cognition and anchored instruction in response to criticism of a previous article. Topics addressed include school versus nonschool settings; learning by observing models; "real-world" problem solving; transfer of training; and future work. (26 references) (LRW)

Learning communities require diverse expertise among members, continual advancement of collective knowledge and skills, emphasis on learning how to learn, and mechanisms for sharing understanding. This article analyzes three learning-community models (Fostering a Community of Learners, Knowledge-Building Communities, and Lampert's Mathematics…

Discusses mathematics education in Korea, describes problems with computer software for math, and introduces a problem-solving model using the computer as a tool. Discusses visualization, problem solving, and examines how effectively the model integrates mathematics instruction of problem solving into a regular math program of quadratic minimum…

Shows that negotiation provides an effective model for teaching public relations professionalism. Describes how two professors in a public relations class used a negotiation model to teach students to simultaneously balance the two components of professionalism: ethical considerations and pragmatic, problem-solving measures. (SR)

Only by providing schools with a choice of valid, well-supported models of schooling can we make the change process manageable for school personnel and satisfy the conflicting demands of the public. Education professionals have the expertise to sort through the many puzzle pieces of school reform and assemble coherent, detailed schooling images…

Gaming is discussed against a background of rationalist and historicist traditions of reality; trivial and nontrivial machine models of problem solving; and rigid-rule and free-form games. (JKP)

Well-designed problem-solving plans have something metal detectors and security cameras lack: proof of success. SARA, an acronym for Scanning, Analysis, Response, and Assessment, was shown to increase school safety in districts in Charlotte, North Carolina, and St. Petersburg, Florida. Program workings are explained. (MLH)

Examines the cognition of five pairs of high school students over time as they built quantitative ecological models using STELLA software. Applies theories of the multifaceted nature of cognition to describe object-level, metalevel, and emotional dimensions of cognitive performance that help explain the observed differences among students'…

The objective of this research was to compare two types of models used in problem solving: those which give priority to intermediate qualitative representations, such as the episodic situation model, and those which are centred on the activity of the participant and are of a procedural nature. Two-step distributive problems were chosen that could…

A simple circuit problem treating an inductor, resistor and battery in series has uncovered a basic misconception of first-year students. The misconception is not about circuits or electrical properties but concerns rather the meaning and interpretation of the rate of change (instantaneous slope or derivative) of physical quantities. Resolving the…