Instead of teaching his fifth-graders a formula, a teacher leads them to discover an important mathematical concept on their own. Learning through discovery is probably the very essence of meaningful understanding and retention. (Author/MLF)

Presents activities that focus on number sense. (KHR)

Presents a problem solving approach which follows a pathway allowing students to visualize patterns, have an overview of the problem, and clarify the connections. Investigates the quality of student constructed pathways and reports greater success with the approach on difficult problems rather than easy ones. (Contains 13 references.) (YDS)

Focuses attention on how drama can be used to facilitate moral and academic development as conditioning for social action in a pluralistic society. Notes that the skills that students learn through drama may enable them to problem-solve real-life situations through such impromptu drama performances as improvisation. (SG)

Presents a series of questions designed to help convince students that mathematics is useful, current, and newsworthy through solving systems of linear equations in real world contexts. (KHR)

Describes a philosophical community of inquiry as a controlled, communal form of wondering that focuses on the larger meaning of human experience. Suggests that, using familiar stories as texts, and facilitated by a leader sensitive to young children's philosophical preoccupations and ways of thinking and talking, young children are both…

Six- to 9-year olds predicted the movement of a balance beam. Results indicated that children who received feedback improved their performance more than those who did not receive feedback; the presence of a partner was beneficial only when children did not receive feedback; and children whose partner exhibited higher-level reasoning benefitted…

Describes a curriculum for teaching evolution in an introductory biology class. The historically based instruction improved the students' understanding of evolution as contrasted with traditional instruction. An increased use of Darwinian ideas, and a decreased use of non-Darwinian ideas were also noted. (AIM)

To examine developmental differences in practical problem solving, late adolescents and young adults were presented measures of everyday problem solving that were either self-relevant or self-neutral. Results indicated young adults were more goal-defensive than adolescents; for adolescents, reasoning competence was more strongly related to ratings…

Examined precursors of knowledge change in college students' developing understanding of gear movement. Found that only some participants changed their problem-solving approach after instruction. Results suggest that having multiple approaches available and using instructional information to build on not-well-developed conceptions may contribute…

Replies to Hiebert et al. (1996), who proposed that curriculum and instruction be guided by the basic principle that students problematize their subjects, arguing against the notion of problematizing mathematics. Considers the nature and range of mathematical content pursued in classrooms and the related question of student participation and…

A study of 69 gifted high schoolers examined epistemological beliefs and how these beliefs related to problem solving and academic performance. The more students believed that the ability to learn was fixed at birth, the more likely they were to provide over simplistic solutions and perform below academic expectations. (Author/CR)

Describes an experimental approach to determining the speed of light in water using some simple observations and Fermat's principle. Enables students to integrate mathematical techniques and encourages mathematical exploration in which the students have control over what mathematics and technology to use and when to use them. Presents extensions…

Endorses the projects approach to learning as helping students acquire contextual, personal knowledge rather than learning only isolated bits of content information. Describes the five-step process for doing projects which includes productive thinking or generating ideas, the planning or organizing of ideas, decision making, communication or…

Critiques major topics or themes in school-leadership texts, such as problem-solving techniques; suggests alternative topics or themes for school administrators, such as ideas-based leadership. Draws implications for writers on school leadership. (Contains 59 references.) (PKP)