The study compared the effects of two instructional strategies for teaching the programming language, Logo, on the problem solving skills of third graders. The two strategies are the guided discovery approach, a student-directed learning environment with the teacher as a facilitator, and the direct instruction approach, with specific…

This study examined help-seeking and achievement behavior in elementary shool girls in a problem-solving situation. Classified as high or low in mastery orientation on the basis of their scores on a subset of items on the Intellectual Achievement Responsibility Scale, 40 fourth and sixth grade girls participated in the study. Children's task…

This bibliography presents 21 references and abstracts for improving mathematics instruction in two ways. The first aim is to serve as a guide in locating higher-order thinking skills material in mathematics; the second is to encourage the integration of higher-order thinking skills techniques into the mathematics curriculum. Entries are included…

Although family management scholars have identified family life cycle stages and educational and occupational status as factors that may influence planning in families, the influence of the family's life cycle stage and socioeconomic status on the planning process has not been empirically tested. Planning styles, family characteristics, and…

This report is comprised of brief summaries of various research-based and theoretical concepts and techniques--taken mostly from business management--that might improve educational administration. The topics discussed include (1) a list of successful business practices identified by the book, "In Search of Excellence"; (2) Theories X, Y,…

This research investigates how individual differences in strategic abilities affect problem solving and, more particularly, the extent to which hypothesis-generating skills predict effective hypothesis testing. Additional questions concerned the effects of content and timing of instructional advice on children's problem-solving strategies, and…

This resource book was developed to provide information that state and local leaders can use to stimulate discussion of the problem of students at risk and support the planning of initiatives that address the problem. An overview defines students at risk, summarizes the content of the book, and lists recent reports and publications on the problem…

While evidence is mixed about whether aggressive children generate fewer alternative solutions to social problems than do nonaggressive children, research has found consistent deficiencies in the qualitative kinds of solutions that aggressive children produce. This study assessed salience effects on the abilities of aggressive and nonaggressive…

The paper describes the informatics curriculum (the study of computer hardware and software as a tool in problem solving) in a special school for gifted children in South Africa. The program's aims (including development of a structured approach to general problem solving and stimulation of pupil interest in technology) are listed and discussed. A…

During the summer of 1986 a group of 15 racially diverse students entering 10th and 11th grades participated in an intensive 4-week course taught by members of an NSF-funded project. The project's goals were to develop science and mathematics curricula based on the principles of systems dynamics. The course was a test of materials intended to…

Intended as a resource for teachers of grades four and up who are eager to improve their students' thinking skills while teaching their regular curriculum, this booklet contains activities that can be used to teach a new concept or to review a previously taught skill. Following an introduction, the topics of the chapters of the resource guide and…

Peer coaching has been identified as a methodology for increasing teacher effectiveness. This paper discusses the topic of peer coaching in three parts. First, a review of current literature on peer coaching defines the types of peer coaching and discusses their multiple benefits. The second section considers the factors influencing successful…

A study was conducted to examine the relationship between the amount of conflict in a group decision-making process and the achievement of a quality decision. A task problem given to 33 college students completing a group symposium assignment in a basic public speaking and discussion course called for subjects to choose three possible topics for a…

Transitional situations, such as those experienced by work study students, may create cognitive difficulties by requiring people to simultaneously use both a learning and a use logic. To examine this phenomenon, a problem solving task (electrical schemata of a washing machine) was administered to 43 full time students and 51 work study students…

This paper presents a counseling model based on transactional analysis (TA) to be used with staff members whose professional performance is considered marginal. The introduction of the paper suggests reasons for marginal performance. Counseling from the TA viewpoint is described as a series of transactions designed to improve performance, solve a…