How students are convinced that they have the correct solution to a problem, free of contradiction, is discussed. The role of counterexamples and the need for a situational analysis of problem-solving behaviors are each included. (MNS)

This article has three goals: to set forth some general claims about the course of skill acquisition; to discuss a series of counter intuitive predictions derived from the ACT theory; and to review the state of empirical evidence relevant to these predictions. (LMO)

To overcome learner dependence when modeling cognitive processes, one teacher used direct teaching of specific thinking skills with her middle school language arts students. The teacher introduced the skill of analyzing for personification to her students. The class experimented with the skill, completed the task, and applied the skill to…

Defines education's new paradigm as schooling based on decision making, the critical thinking skills serving it, and the knowledge base supporting it. Outlines a model decision-making process using a hypothetical breakfast problem; a late riser chooses goals, generates ideas, develops an action plan, and implements and evaluates it. (4 references)…

Examines children's understanding of what variables and relations are important in problem structures, and their use of these variables and relations in problem solving. (HOD)

The knowledge era demands that students and faculty analyze and organize information, which requires intellectual skills rooted in critical thinking, problem solving, formal operations, creative, and more recent metacognitive and cognitive concepts. These skills seem to have operations in common, including description, selection, representation,…

Using Raven Progressive Matrices Test items, this study developed an empirical measure of subjects' ability to create new problems. The relationship between this ability and problem solving skills was examined. A very low correlation was found between inventing and solving problems. Problem creation was more difficult than problem solving. (BS)

Determined whether chemistry students (N=332) understood analog tasks that could be used for teaching the mole concept. Also identified possible difficulties that students might have in solving mole problems. Seven major conclusions are reported and discussed, including the finding that two-step problems were more difficult to solve than one-step…

The authors hypothesize that a means-end strategy places a load on cognitive processing capacity which retards knowledge acquisition. Three experiments using trigonometry problems with high school students were conducted in which the problem goal was modified to disrupt strategy used by novices. Results supported the authors' hypothesis.…

Argues that thinking and problem solving should be taught as part of an interactive process between these cognitive abilities and the acquisition of domain-specific knowledge, rather than as add-ons to knowledge. (CMG)

The Malaysian educational system tends to take a clear instructionally-focused approach to the teaching of mathematics. This means that many students gain a good procedural command of areas of mathematics. This paper explores one outcome of a teaching experiment in which one area of mathematics (differentiation) was taught in a radically different…

This research report presents a study of the work of agronomy majors in which an extension of linear models to non-linear contexts can be observed. By linear models we mean the model y=a.x+b, some particular representations of direct proportionality and the diagram for the rule of three. Its presence and persistence in different types of problems…

In this work we show some activities designed with a First Year group of the Mathematics Degree to give the graphic register back its mathematical status and promote its use on the part of the students. In particular, we have chosen the topic related to improper integration to reinforce the use of this register by the students. [For complete…

The fundamental question in creating coding categories for an open-ended questionnaire is how to transform a complete transcript into manageable pieces of data. This paper describes the methodology involved in coding qualitative data derived from an evaluation of the Cognitive Approaches to School Leadership (CASL) program. The first task was to…

Well-conducted, theory-guided empirical research into school administration is important, but will never by itself provide ultimate answers to questions of human action, choice, and value. This paper describes the theoretical framework studies conducted by the Cognitive Approaches to School Leadership (CASL) Project. The paper explains central…