The case study analysis system was designed to increase student analytical skills while focusing on social conflict situations. The analysis system is a systematic means of identifying, classifying, and clarifying factors found in social conflict situations. Students are also expected to gain insights into forces that change social structures.…

This paper describes how a small group of people representing one community both identified and set in motion a strategy to deal with the perceived drug problem in their community. The emphasis of the paper is on the process by which this group moved rather than on the specific details of their efforts. The paper is actually a case study of one of…

Social problem solving and cognitive style (field independence/field dependence) were studied in a sample of 70 elementary and secondary teachers taking a summer course in counseling. Protocol analysis was used to identify the variety of problem-solving methods applied to social problems. (SLD)

A study examined the impact of four affect-induction conditions (self-induced positive affect, music-induced positive affect, music-induced negative affect, and neutral affect) on the social-information-processing skills of 96 seventh-grade students with and without learning disabilities. Students in the self-induced positive condition generated…

Lists selected resources that help think about problems and issues and how they affect society in the areas of human health, social issues, and environmental issues. Includes Web sites, CD-ROMs and software, videos, books, magazines, and professional resources, with age levels and appropriate disciplines usually indicated. Suggests sample class…

Suggests that issues-centered education has two implications for the social studies curriculum: (1) the application and eventually the integration of subject knowledge and modes of inquiry; and (2) the development of interdisciplinary patterns of curriculum organization, such as fused or the core curriculum, to accommodate the imperative for…

Maintains that when students learn about social problems they often feel depressed and apathetic about their ability to change these problems in society. Describes the Community Exploration Project that addresses the despair expressed by students and utilizes a student-centered approach where students discover and understand community efforts to…

Suggests that, due to escalating violence in contemporary society, community colleges should offer certificate or degree programs in conflict resolution. Describes a conflict resolution communication program, which teaches communication skills, mediation processes, and coping strategies to prospective mediators. (NB)

"Sea turtles" refer to scholars who have returned from abroad, and especially from the Western countries while "land turtles" refer to scholars who have been "stuck" in China where they have obtained an education and engaged in theoretical research or practical explorations. In this article, the author compares the…

Gifted students often show a deep interest in and profound concern for the complex issues of society. Given the leadership potential of these students and their likely responsibility for solving future social problems, they need to develop this awareness and also a sense of confidence in dealing with future issues. The Future Problem Solving…

As far back as the 1960s, research and statistics began to demonstrate what appeared to be an inequality in the criminal justice system in that minorities, particularly black males, were being arrested and confined in numbers far greater than their proportion to the general population. The Coalition for Juvenile Justice, in conjunction with…

This paper reports on a study of situational influences of affect and goal value on social problem-solving in middle childhood. It was expected that the adequacy of any particular social problem-solving process would be reduced by increases in goal intensity. On the basis of prior testing, two social goals of high value and two of low value were…

Conflict is a basic social process; there is no conceivable way of removing all conflict from an organization. Interpersonal conflict, often created by interdependency of people and tasks within an organization, lowers staff morale and employee productivity and drives people away. Difficult employees who foster conflicts fall into five distinct…

The paper provides a rationale for using a decision-making model in teaching environmental issues, outlines specific steps in creating a simulation, and illustrates its use in the classroom. The objectives of environmental education are to provide learning opportunities for students to know, think, choose, and act regarding pervasive social issues…

Despite the endorsement of problem solving by social studies educators as an important process for students to learn, research shows that most social studies teachers do not include such higher level intellectual processes in their teaching. This paper specifically deplores the lack of attention to inquiry problems. The authors suggest that social…