Described are ideas for the development of problem solving in the context of chemistry. Strategies for improving students' problem solving abilities are included. (KR)

Three studies involving 44 learning-disabled junior high students assessed the impact of strategy instruction in individual, small group, and whole class instruction in one knowledge domain: algebra. The three studies are contrasted, outcome data are compared, and the issue of generality-specificity in strategy instruction is examined. (JDD)

Discussed are similarities between college courses described as exemplary by the Society of College Science Teachers. Various strategies used to teach problem solving based on a three-stage model are highlighted. The process of identification of exemplary programs is discussed. (CW)

Discusses the advantages of using discrepant events in elementary school science classrooms in terms of motivation and problem solving skills. Describes the materials, procedures, and reasons behind five discrepant activities. (YP)

Discusses the lack of study skills found among non-science majors. Provides examples of how science courses differ from other courses. Gives some methods to help students study more effectively. (MVL)

Domino games are used to illustrate problem-solving techniques in a college principles-of-mathematics course. Students develop tables and use Pascal's triangle to find the total number of pips and the sum of numbers on the pieces. (DC)

This study, involving 30 elementary students with learning disabilities, found that students performed significantly better on mathematics tests given using a computer than by paper and pencil. It found no differences among variations of computer-assisted instruction, with either static or animated pictures and either utilizing or not utilizing a…

Examines the problems associated with interlanguage in French immersion and how teachers can use the writing process to help students develop the target language. It is suggested that language can be mediated through conferencing sessions, and in so doing, propel students into their zone of proximal development. (15 references) (Author/CK)

Six students (ages 12-14) with learning disabilities received either cognitive or metacognitive strategy instruction for mathematical problem solving, followed by instruction in the complementary component. Results indicated that cognitive and metacognitive strategies were more effective than either cognitive or metacognitive strategy instruction…

Discussed is the research project that used small-group problem solving as a primary instructional strategy of second grade mathematics for an entire year. The mutual construction of classroom norms for cooperative learning style is illustrated and examples of resulting learning opportunities are given. (MDH)

A mathematics staff development program engaged kindergarten through twelfth grade Georgia teachers in a constructivist approach to learning for use in the classroom. The Problem-Solving and Thinking Project emphasized that teacher and student learning is not done passively and that teachers must be taught as it is hoped they will teach. (SM)

Describes the structures, curriculum, and instructional modes desirable in an administrator preparation program compatible with the needs of the twenty-first century. The model presented emphasizes a field-based program that integrates theory and practice through a hierarchically structured problem-solving approach to learning. Paid internships…

Explores the potential for and limitations to learning science when middle-school students interact with computer simulations designed by scientists and built by professional programmers. Findings suggest that computer simulations can be used effectively when teachers use learning needs to guide choice of pedagogical style and alternate…

Evaluates the effects of the scaffold explanation-based approach to collaborative discussion on students' understanding of photosynthesis. Forty-eight fourth- and fifth-grade students were divided into groups of high, average control (AC), and average intervention (AI). Students worked collaboratively and individually on two reasoning tasks.…

Suggests that the instructional methods used with the subjects in the study by E. Fennema and others may have allowed teachers' gender stereotypes to be activated more than traditional instructional methods do, resulting in differences in primary-grade students' problem-solving strategies. (SLD)