The objectives of the Pennsylvania School Improvement Program (PSIP), funded by the National Institute of Education from 1976 to 1980, were to help schools analyze basic skills needs and improve student performance through the use of research-based programs and techniques. The data uncovered the need to improve instructional management, improve…

Research in cognitive science is providing an increasingly detailed understanding of human cognition. Teachers can help students become conscious of their own reasoning processes and then learn to compare, contrast, interrelate, or coordinate various ways in which they think in order to refine their problem-solving methods. (Author/MLF)

Studies about how schools improve indicate that the process of improvement happens simultaneously on two levels: the individual teacher level and the level of the school as an organization. Staff development, networking, and problem-centered activities are current approaches found promising for school improvement. (Author/MLF)

Research identifies two interrelated memories--one that retains facts and symbols and one that retains motor and problem-solving skills. These and other findings challenge educators to determine what students should memorize, to help them move from random memorization to creating useful concepts, and to teach students to use memory in problem…

Examines the role of research in assisting library managers to operate libraries more effectively. Strategies for research and for library managers to better create and use research are suggested; conceptual and practical issues that affect research utilization are discussed; and the need for improved efforts by both library managers and…

Experimental studies conducted since 1980 were reviewed. Each of the 34 studies concerning problem solving is briefly summarized, followed by comments, criticisms, and/or concerns. A summary indicates that experimental research of the 1980s seems to focus on: (1) children's processes, understanding, functioning, difficulties, and representations;…

The purpose of this study was to examine the literature to find out if the recommendation by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) that mathematics education should focus on problem-solving in the 1980s was being implemented or had caused any changes in the approach to teaching mathematics in the school curriculum. The study also…

The distance between educational researchers and classroom teachers benefits disinterested observation, but dispossesses the researchers of participatory modes of understanding. In attempting to resolve this problem, some researchers have developed the theory and practice of teachers as researchers, similar to Kurt Lewin's action research. Lewin…

This review of the research on mathematical problem solving is focused on learning disabled students. Categories discussed include characteristics of learning disabled problem solvers, strategies they use, instruction facilitating strategy learning, cognitive strategies, and problem solving strategies. Implications for instruction and research are…

The article suggests a method for organizing the research on teaching thinking and provides examples of indicators of teacher performance within various domains (hypothesis testing, argument assessment, problem solving, probabilistic thinking, and flexibility). Examples of empirical evidence supporting each indicator are included. (SM)

The demand for worker literacy is increasing in nearly every occupation, from entry-level blue collar to top professional and technical. The types of reading and writing required on the job differ considerably from the literacy activities required of students in schools. Most of the reading done in the workplace environment is done for the express…

Research studies on classroom questions and on learning models can provide information on how art criticism can be integrated into art education so that students are involved in exploratory experiences that tap higher levels of thinking. First, teachers need to be trained specifically in art criticism questioning formats in which there is an…

This is the fifth in a series of issue briefs to be written for The Center for Comprehensive School Reform and Improvement during 2006. In this brief, author Craig Jerald highlights research collected in the July 2005 special issue of the "Journal of Education for Students Placed at Risk" to argue for collecting and using data to…

This article presents the challenges that urban special education administrators face in serving students with frequent behavior problems. New strategies for creating supportive environments are shared, including creating a positive school climate, increasing capacity to initiate and maintain research-validated practices, and implementing programs…

This research-oriented document is designed to give teachers insights into many of the causes of instructional problems in mathematics and to enable teachers to plan instruction which will be more responsive to identified needs. Individual chapter authors synthesize mathematics research findings, which provide three functions: (1) to describe what…