Discussion of differences in elementary and secondary school mathematics instruction between the United States and The Netherlands focuses on a Dutch project brought to the United States that uses print materials and software products. Topics addressed include integrating technology into the curriculum; cultural differences; designing assessment;…

Instructional strategies are presented that illustrate ways of developing students' understanding of nonnumerical notation that are compatible with a constructivist stance. The concepts of using letters to represent a range of values and those used to represent unknowns are discussed. (KR)

This study compared the problem-solving skills of 73 children (ages 6-14) with mild mental retardation, who exhibited either adjusted classroom behavior or impulsive or inhibited behavior. Irrespective of age or intelligence quotient, adjusted children had a larger number of relevant solutions to problems and a higher ratio of aggressive…

Presents results of an experiment enabling students to develop their own cognitive and metacognitive strategies to promote autonomous learning in mathematical problem solving, knowledge acquisition, and written composition. Explains that students dealt with models of teachers' and classmates' cognitive performances and monitored their own…

Discusses factors that might influence the effectiveness of computer software designed to teach problem solving. Topics discussed include the structure of knowledge; transfer of training; computers and problem solving instruction; human-computer interactions; and types of software, including drill and practice programs, tutorials, instructional…

Describes a study of state employees that was conducted to examine the strengths and weaknesses of the use of teleconferencing to increase creativity among workers. A model of creativity is explained, the pretest/posttest used to assess teleconferencing effectiveness is presented, and implications for teleconferencing are discussed. (eight…

Over a 10-month period, normal children showed an increased reliance on memory retrieval and a decreased reliance on counting when they solved addition problems. There was an increase in speed of counting and of retrieving addition facts from long-term memory. Children with a mathematical learning disability showed no change in problem-solving…

Identifies concepts and findings in cognitive psychology and cooperative learning relevant to teaching and learning higher cognitive skills. Derives implications from research to use as criteria for evaluating history and social science instruction programs. Critiques three models for teaching intellectual skills in the social studies curriculum.…

This study investigated the differential effectiveness of assertiveness and problem-solving training on 28 dually diagnosed (mild mental retardation and mental disorders) patients' adaptive social behavior, distress and psychiatric symptoms, anger control, and problem-solving coping skills. Improvements resulted from combined assertiveness and…

Research on children's perceptions of control has identified both changes and consistencies in control beliefs during childhood and early adolescence. Developmental changes in coping have also been documented. Implications of research for interventions aimed at enhancing children's problem-solving and coping skills are discussed. (SLD)

Discussion of literacy for the twenty-first century focuses on the Norristown (Pennsylvania) Area School District (NASD), where a restructured curriculum stresses thinking and communication skills. Sidebars introduce electronic books, recommend language learning software, describe six state literacy reform initiatives, and describe professional…

Reports on a study designed to establish whether strategies for social problem solving could be taught effectively to early adolescents using interactive video. Three methods were compared for effectiveness and differential effects: interactive video alone; teacher-led instruction with linear video; and teacher-led instruction with no video…

Discusses knowledge base development as a pedagogical activity and describes a study of eighth graders that compared three instructional conditions: (1) expert system development work; (2) problem-solving activities using computer-assisted instruction; and (3) a control group that used traditional noncomputer methods. Pretest and posttest scores…

Discusses the limitations in the explain-practice and active learning methods of teaching mathematics. Proposes that problem-centered learning is a teaching method that encourages student reflection, and presents examples demonstrating that encouraging reflection results in greater mathematics achievement. (MDH)

Middle school students (n=267) were designated as gifted, honors, or average; divided into problem-solving treatment or comparison groups; and assessed on creative problem-solving ability and potential giftedness. Treatment students showed significant gains in problem-solving ability compared with comparison groups, with no significant differences…