The Quality Circle is a simple management technique in which workers in the same production area meet to solve company problems. The Quality Circle has been applied to elementary and secondary schools in Japan to help students to develop creative problem solving skills and independent study skills. Recommendations are given for implementing…

Two studies were conducted, one using 80 university students and the other 140 fifth through seventh graders, to examine the relationship between problem-solving strategies (leaping and flexibility) and measures of insight and scholastic aptitude. Relationships among insight, leaping, and quantitative scholastic aptitude were found. A…

This article describes the Future Problem Solving Program, a year-long curriculum project with competitive and non-competitive options. The international program involves 250,000 students and is designed to help students enlarge, enrich, and make more accurate their images of the future. Team problem solving and individual problem solving…

The paper examines the nature of creativity and educational changes which have placed greater emphasis on creative problem solving and creative expression. Specific focus is on: (1) production of curriculum and instructional programs to facilitate creative thinking, and (2) development of procedures for measuring creative thinking abilities. (JDD)

Research findings concerning student learning difficulties in algebra are discussed. A teaching approach which takes into consideration these findings is suggested. Encouraging students to see patterns and to develop flexibility in their thinking are stressed. (CW)

Described is an approach to teaching algebra in a meaningful context by using problem solving to motivate students and increase their retention. Examples of this approach are given. (CW)

Differences were investigated between communication behaviors of small groups trained or not trained in creative problem-solving. The 110 members of groups trained in problem solving participated more, criticized ideas less, supported ideas more, exhibited more verbal and nonverbal indications of humor, and produced more ideas than the 90…

College instructors can design discussion classes so that students use the concepts and processes of the discipline to evaluate facts and move toward reliable conclusions. Described are: discussion as a cycle of inquiry; creating tension around ideas; seeking causal relationships; scanning the factual base, etc. (MLW)

This article outlines goals and techniques that can be used to seek and employ intuitive skills for improved decision making. The article describes the Brain Skill Management program, which helps organizations identify intuitive talent resources and needs, integrate this talent with traditional management approaches, and develop intuitive talent…

Forty-eight seventh grade children were divided into four groups based on creative thinking scores and intelligence scores. On some measures of problem solving, imagery, and mathematics, highest scores were achieved by the high-intelligence/high-creativity group. For other assessments, creativity did not add to performance and even appeared to…

Various examples of open-ended problems and ways to obtain them are presented. Suggestions for incorporating open-ended problems and some of the benefits and difficulties encountered by teachers and students are discussed. Examples are from courses on mass and energy balances, communications, kinetics and ideal reactors, and reactor design. (KR)

Outlines a plan of action designed to enhance growth in problem-posing skills. The "blueprint" provides a model for teachers and teacher educators who wish to integrate more problem posing into their curriculum. Specific activities and instructional strategies are cited to illustrate the development of problem posing as a process in the classroom.…

A study compared the recidivism rate of two groups of Native Canadian inmates. The experimental group of offenders (n=31) received intensive pre-release support, including counseling, training in creative problem solving, career awareness sessions, and on-the-job experiences. Individuals in the experimental groups were much less likely to…

This paper investigates the learning behaviour, learning environment and learning outcomes of Hong Kong Chinese students enrolled on an Australian university's Bachelor of Business degree course taught by visiting Australian lecturers in Hong Kong. The Chinese students are task-focused and passive learners. They do not demonstrate creative…

In recent years, Problem Based Learning (PBL) has been applied in medical and psychological areas of professional education. The PBL approach requires students to move past traditional choreographic methods toward making dances informed by real-world issues. In PBL, students work cooperatively to solve complex problems. Rather than being presented…