Young people are growing up at a time when issues of domestic and international conflict and a myriad of problems are increasingly intertwined. Rather than resorting to threats of retaliatory violent action, schools need to find ways to resolve conflicts peaceably. This article proposes that students be given specific opportunities to a)…

This study was an attempt to identify the epistemological roots of knowledge when students carry out hands-on experiments in physics. We found that, within the context of designing a solution to a stated problem, subjects constructed and ran thought experiments intertwined within the processes of conducting physical experiments. We show that the…

Can students with learning and attention difficulties in school actually be talented scientists in disguise? This article presents a model that was highly successful in identifying and developing scientific talent in these special students. The factors that contributed to the success of the model were the following: The emphasis was on helping…

Troubleshooting in a practice situation requires two types of information, namely for reasoning about the problem-cause and for finding an adequate solution ("declarative information") and for manipulating the environment ("procedural information"). It is hypothesized that presenting this information piece-by-piece during practice (i.e.,…

This paper deals with a teaching approach aimed to help students become aware of targeted techniques of significance in problem solving. The teaching approach is to present a series of tasks that all can be solved by applying the same technique. Two levels of prompting are used; first for the students to realize solutions without necessarily being…

This paper reviews the presentation of problem solving and process aspects of mathematics in curriculum documents from Australia, UK, USA and Singapore. The place of problem solving in the documents is reviewed and contrasted, and illustrative problems from teachers' support materials are used to demonstrate how problem solving is now more often…

An aspect of the long history of the struggle to quantify motion is briefly traced through three extended problem sets suitable for use in first year calculus courses. The sketch culminates with an application of simple mathematics to one of the most current problems in the theory of the universe. (Contains 2 figures.)

This article describes how teachers learn to implement problem solving in their classrooms through participation in an evolving problem-solving class. (Contains 3 figures.)

This article describes the results of a year-long exploration of first graders' tool use. It also showcases instructional activities designed to link tool use with quantitative understanding. (Contains 3 figures.)

Peace education embraces a wide range of programs and initiatives. Two of those subfields, human rights education and conflict resolution education, are often considered too different in goals, models and content to be seen as partners in the same educational effort. A review of recent literature confirms that few conflict resolution education…

This article synthesizes findings from previous research on instructional interventions in mathematics for students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD). A systematic search of the literature from 1985 through December 2005 yielded 13 studies that met the criteria for inclusion in this review. The review yielded several findings: (a)…

Technology educators are constantly in search of new tools and methods to enhance the education of their students. This article is an excerpt from a longer article published in "The Technology Teacher" that introduced the technology education community to a research- and knowledge-based methodology for design--invention and innovation. This…

Teacher should strive to be more than the authority in the classroom identifying right versus wrong relating to problem solving. Identifying and emphasizing what aspects of an answer are mathematically correct improves students' confidence to tackle challenging problems and they view themselves as mathematical problem solvers.

This paper explores why and how cases might be used by teacher educators in the professional education of teachers; directs teachers to case materials and relevant articles on case use; suggests guidelines for evaluating cases; and provides a starter set of cases (involving special needs students) that can be photocopied for use in general and…

The case study method, a technique for examining realistic organizational problems through systematic analysis, is a very useful tool in the organizational communication class. Case analysis involves the identification and examination of salient issues causing the problems that organizational members are experiencing, as well as the development of…