Metacognition supports students in successfully working through struggle by equipping them with the tools to maintain an awareness of what they are doing and to change directions when needed to overcome obstacles. Thus, it is of little surprise that effective problem solvers spend a significant amount of time analyzing tasks relative to the amount…

This study investigated what 12 prospective mathematics teachers (PTs) in a middle school mathematics method course reported during a video-stimulated recall interview about their experiences when they were engaged in a doing math task that yielded an Opportunity for Productive Struggle (OPS). We investigated their reported feelings during the…

Past efforts to teach novices programming through pair programming and project-based learning utilizing different low floors, high ceilings and wide walls platforms have been successful. Building from related work, this study investigates the effectiveness of Productive Failure (PF) pedagogical design in supporting youth and novices when learning…

This discussion of the need for learning activities which promote critical thinking skills, creativity, and affective growth in children uses Bloom's Taxonomy as a guide for designing such activities based on children's literature. Several examples of projects based on specific children's books are provided. (CLB)

Intended for use by teachers who are concerned with making effective responses to conflict in the classroom, this booklet describes the nature of adolescent conflict and the differences between conflict, competition, and cooperation. The theory section of this work analyzes some of the major concepts and research findings emphasized in the study…

A lesson involving a housing project location game develops students' skills in analysis, decision making, and oral and written communication. (Author/AV)

A major goal of the elementary and secondary schools is to help each person become an efficient and autonomous learner. Outlined in this report are skills abstracted from the literature on such topics as verbal learning, problem solving, study habits, and behavior modification. The learner-oriented skills are presented so that they may be…

Four lessons for secondary school geography instruction focus on creative thinking through generating alternatives, imagining consequences, generating analogies, and creating products. In lesson 1 students lay out alternatives to solving a problem and decide the best course of action. Suggested activities include consideration of alternatives in…

This curriculum guide presents objectives, learning activities, evaluation suggestions, and resources for 13 areas related to creative thinking: (1) observing, noticing, and memory stretching; (2) comparing; (3) classifying; (4) developing language through the senses; (5) finding cause and effect relationships; (6) summarizing; (7) looking for…

This guide defines the basic competencies in reasoning and describes how to incorporate them into the educational program at all grade levels. Reasoning is the ability to approach day-to-day problems with intelligent decision-making skills. It is important for students to begin developing reasoning skills at an early age and in all subject areas.…

A rationale and guidelines are presented for using social science research methodologies to teach elementary school social studies. The goal of using these methodologies is to help children develop independent and self-directed thinking and problem-solving skills. The authors describe four research approaches and give examples of how each…

Focusing on thinking skills which are basic to citizenship, the paper reviews definitions of citizenship from Plato to the present, discusses scholarly thinking about citizenship, lists general principles of skill development, and presents two brief sample lessons. Citizenship is interpreted as social interaction which is based upon global…

This third in a series of twenty-nine learning modules on instructional execution is designed to give secondary and postsecondary vocational teachers help in planning for and conducting three teaching techniques (brainstorming, buzz group, and question box techniques) which can create interest in learning and encourage student participation. The…

This eighth in a series of twenty-nine learning modules on instructional execution is designed to give secondary and postsecondary vocational teachers the background knowledge and experience needed to use problem solving as an instructional method in the classroom and laboratory. The terminal objective for the module is to direct students in…

Four forces seem to be at work in society today that have implications for language teaching. First, the interdependence of planet Earth has become a reality that has increased general awareness of the presence of speakers of other languages among us and awareness on the part of government leaders of the need to encourage foreign language studies.…