The common teaching practice habit of connecting mathematics classroom activities with reality is still substantially delegated to wor(l)d problems. A growing body of empirical research suggests that the practice of word problem solving in school mathematics does not match this idea of mathematical modeling. Presents some classroom activities that…

Explains what inquiry-based science instruction means and points out the difficulty of creating this kind of instruction for teachers who are inexperienced in teaching. Presents a case study of a preservice teacher who explored whether it is realistic to expect preservice teachers to create and carry out an inquiry-based classroom. (Contains 38…

Explores how prospective elementary teachers (n=106) enrolled in elementary science and mathematics methods courses used algebraic reasoning to construct and describe relationships among and between variables in the context of solving a problem. Describes specific weaknesses characterized by the teachers' solutions. (Contains 17 references.)…

Explores an instructional approach, Internet Project, which prepares children for their literacy future in a world where change is a defining characteristic of literacy and learning. Concludes that during Internet Project, students help to identify important problems, gather and critically evaluate information, use the appropriate information to…

A study examined the combined effects of class wide instruction on performance assessment tasks and problem solving instruction in ad hoc tutoring in mathematics on six students with learning disabilities. The two interventions led to demonstrable differences over time when compared to students who did not receive this kind of instruction.…

Examines factors that influence the prompt seeking of care for symptoms of acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Survey of adults in 20 communities in 10 states confirmed the importance of attrition and perceived self-confidence in symptom recognition in care seeking. Concludes that the lack of a significant role of health history and clinician…

Discusses the 15-session Structure/Themes/Open Communication/Reflection/ Individuality/Experiential Learning/ Social-Problem-Solving (STORIES) program, which uses the peer group and story form as vehicles to improve social problem solving for aggressors, victims, and bystanders. Postintervention reports show decreases in externalizing and…

The metacognitive performance of 87 Arab typically developing adolescents and 20 Arab adolescents with deafness was examined. There was no significant difference between the students in metacognitive performance, nor were there gender-based differences among students with deafness. However, hearing female students scored significantly higher on…

Investigated African American elementary and high school students' perceptions of academic problems and solutions to these problems. Found that students considered the following factors beneficial: academic preparation and active class participation; positive peer influences; self- management techniques; and teachers' encouragement. (JPB)

Presents the EnergyNet Energy Audit Project, a project-based curriculum on energy education. Includes ideas for working with the community and cost analysis. (YDS)

Discusses linking problem-solving to student achievement in courses like mathematics. Presents three different types of problem-solving in the classroom: (1) teaching for problem-solving; (2) teaching about problem-solving; and (3) teaching via problem-solving. Explores research findings on teaching decision-making skills. Contains 26 references.…

Using a balance-beam task, studied 48 preschoolers to elucidate the process of knowledge construction from the emergence of new representation to transformed problem solving. Analyses revealed a multifaceted development from the first signs of weight representation to fully elaborated weight-based problem solving. Case studies of five children…

States that puzzles are an important tool in helping children engage in the problem-solving process. Claims that children are interested in puzzles because they can be active as observers, problem solvers, and learners, with little or no assistance from adults and others. Defines nine characteristics of good puzzle-making situations. (MOK)

Recent research on wildland fire fighting supports educational administrators' use of the fire-fighting metaphor to describe the nature of their work. Fire-fighting nuances illuminate subtle conditions in educational organizations that increase their vulnerability to failure. These parallels suggest five management conditions that determine…

Presents an alternative way to teach chemistry by using transmuted laboratory activities in which students must predict outcomes within a certain error factor. Includes nine sample labs. (MKR)