A teaching technique is described in which each student is presented with a written clue from a mystery story which is pertinent to the solution of the mystery. Sustained student interaction is required. This joint problem-solving endeavor requires students to use both oral and written linguistic skills. (Author/RM)

This article contains suggestions which secondary history teachers can implement to teach students how to prepare and write a problem-centered research essay in United States history. By applying sound research methodologies to a historical question students develop critical thinking skills. (Author/RM)

To help pre-service teachers anticipate discipline problems, recognize that alternatives exist, and explore and bank the alternatives for future reference, the authors developed and field-tested simulations consisting of problem cards, slides, criteria sheets, decision cards, and sample solutions. Participants role-play teachers; classmates…

Thirty six senior students in chemical engineering were randomly assigned to three treatment groups in an experimental study that examined the impact of different instructional strategies for troubleshooting malfunctions in a computer-based simulation of a chemical processing plant. In two groups, different types of worked examples,…

This essay provides a window into an eighth-grade class engaged in a legislative curriculum drama. The author, an eighth-grade social studies and literature teacher at a private New York City elementary school, describes her use of a legislative curriculum drama to make an eight-week study of the legislative branch of government a more dynamic and…

This study addressed the problem of how a prospective mathematics teacher's active engagement in a scientific inquiry can deepen the meaning of her extant mathematical concepts. We used a constructivist framework to analyze a 2-hour interview with a prospective mathematics teacher as she solved an open-ended problem of graphing a 3-D landform. We…

Simulations and games have been used in education for decades, but most of this development has been in the areas of business and economics. Well-designed simulations and games have been shown to improve decision-making and critical thinking skills as well as teaching discipline-specific concepts. Active learning also helps students develop…

This volume contains the proceedings of the 7th international conference on Adults Learning Mathematics--A Research Forum held in July, 2000 in Massachusetts. It includes posters and short oral reports under these section headings: (1) Research into Practice; (2) Large- Scale Issues: Frameworks, Standards, and Assessment; (3) Theoretical…

This book illustrates how problem-based learning (PBL) can enliven curriculum and lesson planning by encouraging students to play a more central role in their own learning process. It provides a framework for efficiently and effectively teaching problem-solving skills, tapping children's interests and previous knowledge, and making the curriculum…

This article is the result of an investigation of students' conceptualizations of calculus graphing techniques after they had completed at least two semesters of calculus. The work and responses of 27 students to a series of questions that solicit information about the graphical implications of the first derivative, second derivative, continuity,…

This study investigated how fathers and mothers modulated the specificity of their tutoring strategies as a function of their children's moment-to-moment behavior during a problem-solving activity. A total of 63 seven-year-old children and their parents participated in the study. Mothers and fathers worked separately with their children on a…

This paper addresses the improvement of instruction at the higher education level by the application of nine principles of learning by the instructor. These are: (1) the instructor should secure the interests of students in teaching and learning situations; (2) the instructor must guide students to perceive meaning in what is being learned; (3)…

This book offers four standards designed to help students meet the various standards dictated by states, regions, and districts. The book is divided into four sections, one for each of the four standards: rigor, thought, diversity, and authenticity. Each section contains three chapters. The first chapter in each section introduces the standard and…

This paper proposes a model for teaching and learning complex thinking skills developed from a synthesis of theories and research. The model functions like a concept map or a graphic organizer with five major components, each discussed in this paper: (1) presence of complex authentic life situations within a context; (2) activation and execution…

Current mathematics education emphasizes the importance of a problem solving mindset in the classroom. Students need to know how they are going to use what they are learning in real life. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of anchored problem solving instruction on middle school students' mathematical abilities. The researcher…