This paper reports on developments in teaching and learning for first year employment relations students at the University of Wollongong based on creating conditions of learning informed by Vygotsky's "zone of proximal development" theory. Essentially, this meant emphasising collaborative learning (group work) in the lecture theatre and…

Questionnaire responses suggest although educators know the learning value of problem solving, they rarely use it. Twenty-one educators were introduced to learning through problem solving. They were read a story and asked to overcome an associated problem. The questionnaire assessed children's literacy learning through problem solving, and…

This study examined the effects of interpersonal cognitive problem solving (ICPS) training for inner city mothers on the problem-solving skills and behaviors of their children. Twenty black mother-child pairs received training and 20 pairs matched in ICPS ability served as controls. The children were of comparable mean age (4.3 years), school…

Conference papers reviewing the role of decision making in social studies education since 1960 are presented. The focus of the discussion was a paper by Shirley Engle published in 1960 entitled "Decision Making: The Heart of Social Studies Instruction." The first part of the booklet contains the text of that paper. Engle maintained that the…

Materials contained in this career guidance unit are designed to aid ten- and eleven-year-old students in becoming effective problem solvers, and to bring to attention the relationship between an individual's values and decisions. Skill in using a simplified problem solving technique introduced in the primary grades (Decision Making, Levels…

The purposes of the paper are to discuss use of a concept formation model in art education and to suggest ways in which teachers might plan and develop art instructional activities consistent with the model. Based upon a social studies model designed along the lines of Robert Gagne's learning theory, the art education model utilizes rule, concept,…

This PLACE Sourcebook on the World of Work provides clients in employment counseling with information about occupations, the norms of the labor market, and sources that clients can consult to find additional information on the part of PLACE related to getting the job. For each employment-related topic in the corresponding Workbook (CE 031 885)…

This collection of abstracts is part of a continuing series providing information on recent doctoral dissertations. The 21 titles deal with a variety of topics, including the following: (1) factors affecting interpersonal attraction and perceived appropriateness; (2) the effect of self-esteem, relationship satisfaction, conceptual complexity, and…

A General Policy Systems Theory is outlined and its application at a university in regard to governance in the face of retrenchment is described. The way that this model of nonrigorous but holistic research supports the Purpose, Target, Results (PTR) strategy and is in turn more useful than either operations research/management or science/systems…

Taking the current excitement among educators concerning the uses of microcomputers for student instruction as a point of departure, this paper addresses the problems and possibilities associated with the uses of microcomputers in the classroom and discusses these in terms of instructional techniques and the social aspects of integrating computer…

An overview is presented of a study conducted to obtain teachers' perceptions of their personal and professional development. Focused interviews were conducted with 13 female and 2 male elementary school teachers whose teaching experience ranged from 4 to 28 years. Interpretation of the data resulted in an exploration of: (1) interactions between…

A developmental investigation of the ability to control variables was conducted. One or two logically similar physics problems were individually administered to 120 subjects age 12 to 14. The problems involved either familiar or unfamiliar variables. Each problem was presented in three different informational formats. Success on the problems in…

The document examines, defines, and suggests approaches for using the case study method in teaching global development studies. The paper is presented in three parts. Part I defines global development studies as "an academic course of study that encourages students to develop a rational, systematic approach to complex global issues." The…

Designed for fifth grade mathematics teachers, the three inservice sessions described in this booklet balance the theoretical with the practical and show teachers how to help students through the activity of writing word problems based on their own experiences. Using a total language-thinking approach to helping students read and solve word…

This document is one example of a Selected Mathematics Applications (Level B) course. According to the Hawaii State Department of Education's guidelines, a Level B course has learner objectives that are designed to maintain and extend a student's basic skills through applications of mathematics in a variety of "real-life" situations. The focus of…