Quality circles attempt to satisfy both task and personal needs through staff involvement in solving work-related problems. This paper summarizes quality circle theory, applies it to school settings, and suggests a framework for introducing the process to educational institutions. After briefly defining quality circles, the article presents two…

An Ontario program providing sets of problem-solving activities for native French speakers helps students in grades 7-12 enrich their language proficiency in both French and English. The guides developed as part of the program emphasize language as a tool for thought, social interaction, and artistic expression, and focus on the integration of…

Problems concerning finance, faculty, and educational programs faced by George Peabody College for Teachers during 1937-1945 are examined, along with the solutions. Attention is directed to: circumstances surrounding problem identification, the background of each problem, who had responsibility for formulating each solution, other…

This research is aimed at diagnosing the problem-solving skill of elementary school children and subsequently improving their competence in early mathematics. To reach this goal, a computer assisted instruction (CAI) program on open sentences, incorporating knowledge about students' problem solving strategies and misconceptions, was constructed.…

The aim of this research was to determine whether individual differences in the use of memory and problem-solving strategies by elementary school children are related to teachers' use of strategy suggestions in the classroom. High, average, and low achievers of first- through third-grade levels (n = 38) were selected from classrooms of eight…

Three major approaches to the use of computers in education are examined, serious limitations of each are presented, and questions are raised as to the efficacy of technologolizing education. The drill and practice approach is shown to embody a deterministic, behavioral technology that turns learning into a systematically-designed and…

This report describes the evaluation of two video programs from "Solve It," a sixth-grade mathematics series. The 18-part series is designed to improve students' critical thinking and problem-solving skills in mathematics. The purpose of the evaluation was to determine the instructional effectiveness and appeal of two rough-cut programs, "Geometry…

Skill requirements for the economy are changing. Whereas many jobs in industries such as insurance and banking once required high school graduates to do clerical work, computerization has changed the requirements. Job functions are combined, and many jobs now require college graduates to do analytical work. Although these skill changes require…

This paper considers the possibilities of using computers not only to amplify, but to reorganize children's thinking and mental functioning. These two different conceptualizations of the transformational role of noncomputer cognitive technologies (such as written language) in human intelligence and cognitive change are sketched, and the different…

Information necessary for informed use by practitioners of higher-order thinking skills (HOTS) tests is presented. Assessment instruments that (1) have as a basic assumption that thinking skills can be taught; (2) provide information that can be useful for instructional planning related to complex thought processes; and (3) have content that is…

Because language arts processes and related skills depend on thinking processes, teachers should know, use, and guide creative problem-solving processes in their language arts class. Creative problem solving involves a balance of divergent and convergent thought, reflected in the processes of creative and critical thinking. Divergent, or creative,…

This paper reports on a 14-year follow-up study of two developmentally retarded Japanese children, a brother and sister, who had been kept shut up in a small shack before being rescued (at ages 5 and 6 respectively). Following birth they consistently suffered malnutrition, maternal deprivation, social isolation from adults, language deprivation,…

This discussion of library services in prisons addresses the following topics: (1) the provision of the New York State Department of Correctional Services for library services to prison inmates as an attempt to make changes in inmate problem-solving abilities; (2) the role of library services in prisons; (3) library entrepreneurship as a new…

This book is based on the underlying philosophy that mathematics learning at the elementary level should be active. Children should learn through meaningful hands-on activities with manipulative materials, pictures and technology. More than 400 pupil activities and suggestions for designing more activities are described. Because mathematics is to…

The purpose of this paper is to explore the idea of how various interests representing public education can be brought into a collaborative alliance. Within this paper, a rationale for a collaborative alliance is analyzed by exploring the degree to which the implications of federal and state regulations and mandates have restricted the creativity…