Every day, teachers resolve countless conflicts and contradictions. This book deals with the development of informed, problem-solving, decision making skills that will increase the effectiveness of educators. The volume is organized into three sections. The first section explains how schools function as social systems, presents a series of case…

This study evaluated two social skills interventions designed to increase the peer acceptance of six students (ages 10-12) with learning disabilities in regular classrooms. The students were instructed in two social skills strategies as well as in skills for working in small groups and leading group activities. Two mnemonic devices were used to…

Six tips for increasing student problem-solving skills are offered in this teacher fact sheet. Puzzles and simulations matched to student mental maturity and general knowledge are recommended as activities for helping students think more flexibly and practice higher order thinking skills. In addition, four suggestions are given for controlling…

This study examined the effects of the Child Development Project, an elementary school program designed to enhance prosocial development on children's peer relations and social adjustment. Research has focused on a longitudinal cohort of children that entered three program schools in kindergarten in the fall of 1982, and completed sixth grade in…

This paper focuses specifically on the reasoning skill called proportional reasoning. Areas addressed include: (1) a definition (providing examples of direct and indirect proportional reasoning); (2) the development of proportional reasoning (discussing survey results of students logical reasoning abilities); (3) planning for the future (proposing…

Following some years of eclipse by the basics, imparting thinking ability to students is once again emerging as the primary goal of public education. How to teach thinking skills, is, however, subject to question. For example, not only is the domain of the higher order skills broad and imprecisely specified, there is also considerable naivete in…

Intervention to enhance Interpersonal Cognitive Problem Solving (ICPS) skills has been shown to significantly reduce observable negative, impulsive and inhibited behaviors and increase positive qualities in young, low socioeconomic status (SES) children. An ICPS model for older children was implemented with 202 low SES fifth graders to test…

Science is suggested as an excellent content area for teaching primary students the creative and critical thinking skills that can help them become better problem solvers. J. P. Guilford's Structure of Intellect model and Benjamin Bloom's Taxonomy of Educational Objectives serve as the basis for developing exercises which lead to improvement of…

Creative thinking and problem-solving, skills related to people's flexibility, tolerance of ambiguity, curiosity, and risk-taking ability, are especially useful for foreign adults currently living in the United States. These skills are crucial in adapting to a new culture and in making decisions in a society based heavily on individual choice. The…

This training program offers skills training in all stages of the development of technologies related to small-scale charcoal production, including the design, construction, operation, maintenance, repair, and evaluation of prototype kilns. The kiln designs are selected to be as consistent as possible with the realities of rural areas in…

A two-part study examined the relationship between technical troubleshooting behavior and the level of expertise of service technicians who diagnose faulty equipment. The first investigation addressed the differences in the knowledge base that troubleshooters bring to a problem. A group of five novice troubleshooters and five experts was given…

"Inquiry Training," a teaching technique promoted during the 1960s, involves students gathering information about a discrepant event or puzzling situation, and formulating theories to explain the event. Continuing the work of two studies into the efficacy of Inquiry Training (subsequently renamed Cognition Enhancement), a more refined…

Problem Solving in Mathematics (PSM), a program of problem-solving lessons for grades 4-9, is designed to be integrated into the regular mathematics curriculum. Although the content objectives of the lessons are similar to those of most textbooks, PSM emphasizes problem-solving skills and a variety of instructional strategies which foster the…

Presented are the teacher and student editions for six modules designed to teach students how to investigate and evaluate science-related social issues. These modules (each of which includes an introduction, objectives, readings, and activities) focus on: (1) environmental problem solving; (2) preparing to investigate an environmental issue; (3)…

A distinction can be made between the term "creativity" and creative thinking skills. Creativity typically refers to a talent for original and masterful production in the arts and sciences, and there is scant evidence that teachers have any influence on creativity of this kind. Creative thinking refers to a group of six thinking skills that if…