A classroom cognitive intervention model for adolescents and adults who are deaf is described. The model provides mediated learning experiences whereby a person assists the learner in interpreting experience and learning problem-solving strategies. The program, entitled instrumental enrichment (IE), is based on the following principles: IE uses a…

A practicum was conducted at a small, private elementary school to introduce strategies that would reduce kindergarten classroom disruptions and playground disturbances due to fighting, verbal confrontations, and disregard for authority and rules. A survey conducted at the school revealed that kindergarten teachers handled a daily average of 10…

This paper reports on a project involving student recall of the dialogue in a movie and retention of the "anchor," which in this case refers to a videotape recording of "To Kill a Mockingbird." The project looked at how students retained knowledge over a few days and what kind of activities resulted from expertise with an…

Differences among students can yield rich benefits as well as pose difficult problems during collaborative learning. Students can draw on diverse individual experiences to exchange information, to understand different expressions of shared commonalities, and to construct new possibilities jointly. However, they also face the potential pitfalls of…

Evolution is often equated with natural selection and is taught from a primarily functional perspective while comparative and historical approaches, which are critical for developing an appreciation of the power of evolutionary theory, are often neglected. This report describes a study of expert problem-solving in phylogenetic tree construction.…

How teachers create and foster a learning environment that promotes creative thinking and problem solving skills in students was investigated in a 1-year study in a community college in Texas. The study explored the teaching methods and classroom climates created by eight exemplary teachers who demonstrated exceptional approaches to promote…

The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics'"Curriculum and Evaluation Standards" envision an interdisciplinary approach to mathematics that allows children to communicate their ideas in the process of solving real problems. This book promotes the connection between mathematics and children's literature as part of realizing that…

This report describes an experiment to provide an inservice program involving problem solving and inquiry, in line with the new Scottish National Guidelines in mathematics, that would have a lasting effect on teachers. The program featured two stages: (1) In the first year teachers were involved in a pair of workshops, were visited at their…

Based on the most comprehensive and current research in the areas of cooperative learning and cognitive instruction, this guide presents practical ideas and model lessons for encouraging cooperative learning in elementary, middle, and high school classrooms. Beginning with the basics for forming cooperative learning groups, the guide outlines the…

This report contains a proposed framework for the subject matter of vocational education that is presented in two sections. Section 1 describes concepts central to the idea and ideal of vocational education. The analysis and interpretation of each concept are summarized as a set of propositions concerning the meaning of vocational education. These…

Studies conducted by Rand Corporation suggested that students did not need to be taught generic skills and work-related attitudes in actual workplaces. Such instruction could occur effectively at schools in traditional stand alone classrooms. To develop an instructional model for teaching generic skills, researchers used ethnographic methods to…

Cooperation is one of the central motivating forces in the economic and social organization of China. This unit utilizes a game called "Broken Squares" to initiate a discussion of the concepts of cooperation and competition as possible models for problem solving. In the game, students are confronted with a group task and provided with…

Students' performances on mathematical problems varying in symbolic form and the kinds of symbolic representations and translation used in instruction were explored. The sample consisted of 29 students enrolled in Algebra II in a summer program for minority students. All students were Black or Hispanic American and most were about to enter grade…

This report presents an evaluation of the Advanced Courses Development Programme (ACDP) that was set up to rationalize the provision of advanced courses in Scottish further education colleges and central institutions. The ACDP is based on students achieving a certain level of competence in a vocational subject defined in terms of outcome and…

This book provides applications for use in the secondary school mathematics curriculum by selecting related articles appearing in the "Mathematics Teacher" during the last 15 years. The articles are grouped into chapters that reflect the main secondary school mathematics courses and categorized by the highest level of mathematics needed…