This study examined the role and development of applied problem solving in mathematics education in the Finnish comprehensive school. The development during the 1980s of applied problem solving in schools was positive in many ways: the changes were cautious and took place more slowly than had been planned; and many obstacles related to the…

A psycholinguistic approach to listening was used in this study of listening skills in second language (L2) acquisition. The study tried to identify and classify the problem-solving processes and strategies used by L2 listeners. The processes were categorized from a perspective that took into account the processes underlying their use rather than…

Teaching problem solving strategies and steps to first year college students enrolled in the pharmaceutical/chemical technology program as a part of their first year chemistry course focused on teaching the students the basic steps in problem solving and encouraging them to plan carefully and focus on the problem solving process rather than to…

This book offers successful teaching approaches based on college surveys and interviews with 30 professors who have received awards for teaching excellence. Chapter 1 is an overview of the challenges of college teaching. Chapters 2 and 3 consider agents for change, institutional inertia, and an historical evaluation of faculty development.…

This paper suggests that the mathematics teacher needs to do much reading and studying of important trends in improving the mathematics curriculum. Recommendations are made for what teachers need to look for in research studies in mathematics in order to help them recognize what would make for a quality study. Collaborative and individualized…

This book for teachers and administrators describes an approach to teaching that requires students to think, analyze, problem solve, and make meaning of what they have learned. Designed to be a companion guide to Teaching for Understanding: Linking Research with Practice, it shows teachers how to use the four critical components of the teaching…

Constructivism is the theory that people learn by constructing meaning through interpretive interactions with the social environment. Constructivist perspectives are a growing influence among educators seeking to help students connect learning with life experiences, making constructivism highly relevant to vocational and career educators. This…

Top-down problem solving is a methodical approach to obtaining real solutions for open-ended problems common in the realms of engineering and science. The technique provides a means for logically understanding a problem prior to attempting a solution. Steps in the top-down problem-solving method include the following: (1) identifying a need; (2)…

Educators can help themselves and others improve their creative thinking. Before the improvement can begin, there must be a common understanding of what creativity is. Edward Land described creativity as the sudden cessation of stupidity. Several barriers to creative thinking include boredom, lack of challenge, believing expertise in a particular…

English teachers have given some attention to aesthetic reading, usually terming it the development of literary appreciation, but many of the classroom practices used to foster that appreciation have been counterproductive. One consideration in developing aesthetic reading has to do with the means for promoting reflection in readers. That is,…

This report, prepared for and published by the Mathematical Association of America's Committee on the Teaching of Undergraduate Mathematics, includes a description of the state of the art on problem solving, lists available resources, and makes recommendations regarding the place of problem solving in the college curriculum and ways to teach it.…

Describes problems encountered in teaching a problem-centered undergraduate organic chemistry laboratory course. No text is used for this type of course; the students are encouraged to plan their own experimental routes. (MLH)

Coupling location theory with problem solving in introductory economic geography provides the opportunity to explore the economic alternatives open to society based on the welfare of society. (JH)

In April 1989, the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics issued a major report which presented 13 standards for elementary school mathematics. Among the most important and wide reaching of the Standards are those stating that the study of mathematics should emphasize problem solving, mathematical reasoning, and number sense. The project…

This document summarizes five studies that offer insight into the nature of higher-order thinking skills and the most effective methods for teaching them to students. The reviews outline the conclusions, definitions, recommendations, specific methods of teaching, instructional strategies, and programs detailed in the documents themselves.…