Provides a schematic to build a black box experiment that uses light bulbs of various intensities. The students are to determine the complex circuit by unscrewing the bulbs and noting what happens. (MVL)

Uses student-formed groups during recitation periods to solve problems and develop concepts. (MVL)

Investigated skills needed for critical reading of physics texts, their separability and hierarchical ranking, and relation to problem solving ability. Reports that skills required to comprehend texts in continuous format and discriminate unreported statements are respectively of higher level than and separable from those required to comprehend a…

Reviews work found in the psychology literature on the nine-dot problem and suggests implications of research on insight problems. Insight problems refer to a heterogeneous group of problems that require "flashes of insight" or "leaps of logic" on the part of the solver. (ZWH)

Provide guidelines for teachers to help students develop interpersonal skills. Asserts that an enhancement of these skills will in turn help students develop problem-solving skills. (ZWH)

Presents an overview of how a number of cognitive factors are involved in solving quantitative problems by secondary-school students categorized as skilled and less-skilled. Gives illustrations for the solving of basic and complex composite problems in chemistry. Suggests directions for enhancing instruction in problem solving based in this…

Discusses results of the first year of a project that used a cooperative team approach with eighth- and ninth-grade science students to solve discrepant event problems (situations whose outcome is inconsistent with what one would expect). (SR)

Introduces a scientific mystery story problem on the chemical and physical properties of metals involving characters Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson. (YDS)

Discusses Dewey's vision of the scientific mind and analyzes the stereotype of scientific thinking. Explains Dewey's notion of experience and clarifies the difference between ordinary experience and a Deweyan experience. (Contains 27 references.) (YDS)

Introduces a three-year research project called Cognitive Acceleration through Science Education (CASE) that focuses on increasing student achievement by developing thinking skills. (YDS)

The study focuses on percarbonate-based stain removers since the percarbonate can be heated to produce additional sodium carbonate. An experiment that provides general chemistry students an opportunity to apply their knowledge of basic stoichiometry to solve a relevant, real-world problem is described.

A well-known educator and researcher Anton E. Lawson highlights critical points on effective teaching, meaningful learning, and problem solving. He feels that every citizen should know that science is a collective enterprise that seeks to explain nature based on the open generation and test of ideas.

Of the forces commonly encountered when solving problems in Newtonian mechanics, introductory texts usually limit illustrations of the definitions of conservative and nonconservative forces to gravity, spring forces, kinetic friction and fluid resistance. However, at the expense of very little class time, the question of whether each of the common…

This case study examines the performances of 18 10th-grade students (age 15-16 years) in the process of performing problem-solving tasks in the physics and chemistry laboratory. The study focuses on different types of problems arising in the process of transferring responsibility to students in a context of teacher assistance to autonomous…

A study on the effect of a structured problem-solving strategy on problem-solving skills and conceptual understanding of physics was undertaken with 189 students in 16 disadvantaged South African schools. This paper focuses on the development of conceptual understanding. New instruments, namely a solutions map and a conceptual index, are…