Visualization is an effective technique for determining exactly what students must do to solve a mathematics problem. Pictures and charts can be used to help children understand which mathematics facts are present and which are missing--an important step toward problem solving. (PP)

Discusses areas related to teaching science-related, value-laden, real-world problems. These include potential/limitations of science and scientific method, how science-based information fits in with other kinds of information, how preconceptions about problems/issues affect scientific problem solving, and utilization of different educational…

The easy availability and popularity of newspapers enhance their use in the classroom. The material presented is grouped under: (1) "Comparative Shopping and Estimation Activities"; (2) "Buying and Furnishing Houses"; and (3) "Graphing, Probability, and Statistics." Teachers are encouraged to consider such applications in involving pupils in…

The pendulum and balance beam were studied. The principal question addressed was whether students could substantially and quickly benefit from a teaching strategy explicitly designed to promote transfer. About half the subjects could acquire in brief time a procedure for transferring knowledge to novel tasks. (MP)

It is suggested that there are three levels of difficulty posing barriers to successful problem-solving performance: (1) entry into the problem; (2) basic skills; and (3) general cognitive skills. The levels are described in some detail and suggestions for instructional methods are given. (MP)

Examined problem-solving strategies of 30 high school students as they solved genetics problems. Proposes a new sequence of teaching genetics based on results: meiosis, sex chromosomes, sex determination, sex-linked traits, monohybrid and dihybrid crosses (humans), codominance (humans), and Mendel's pea experiments. (JN)

A one-to-one teaching session with a student is described and analyzed in an attempt to communicate how student attempts at discovery in mathematics can be thwarted by teachers who do not allow room for creativity. (MP)

This article presents the Practical Action Teaching Model and discusses its four phases: identification of the practical problem, practical reasoning or deliberation, action, and reflection. It incorporates intrinsically motivating, practical, value-based student problems that call for critical and creative thinking and offer opportunities for…

Describes a problem-solving instructional unit which utilizes a simulation gaming method to help students in an introductory college-level geography course understand rural community development in a developing nation. (DB)

Presented is a method for finding two triangles that have five pairs of congruent parts, yet fail to be congruent. The solution is thought to involve some creative insights that should challenge both the teacher and students to recall and analyze all the congruence axioms and theorems. (MP)

Four specific problems are presented, discussed, and extended to illustrate how diverse instructional strategies, materials, and resources can be used to develop problem-solving skills. (MP)

An experiment is described which started with exploratory interviews, evolved to design and administration of diagnostic tests, and led to the preparation and use of calculator-enriched teaching materials. (MP)

Three types of homework are described: consolidation, challenge, and diagnostic. Details on homework for less able students, general guidelines, and replies to arguments against a homework program are included. (MP)

Discussed are strategies of problem solving in chemistry teaching. This paper consists of three sections: (1) an assessment of the ways in which problem-solving skills are currently taught; (2) various techniques for problem solving; and (3) recommendations for improving problem solving. (HM)

Contends that the methods used to teach social studies become secondary to the emerging trend in elementary schools of putting social studies aside in favor of the basics. Also suggests that problem-solving and decision-making skills are basic to survival in our society. (Author/KC)