Illustrated are five classroom projects about the relationship between weight and size in animals. Background information and procedures are provided. Ten extension activities are suggested. (CW)

Describes an innovative approach used to help high school students develop critical thinking and real-world problem-solving skills while learning about indoor air quality. (Contains 13 references.) (Author/WRM)

The effects of problem solving and peer collaboration as two instructional methods advocated by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) were evaluated for enhancing mathematics achievement, motivation, and self-concept of 104 low- achieving third and fourth graders. There were significant positive effects for both approaches, as…

Investigated middle school students' computer tool use in managing and manipulating Internet-based hypermedia resources, hypothesizing that tools would let students process hypermedia resources at higher levels to solve complex, open-ended questions. Tools alone did not help students manage hypermedia information for solving these problems.…

Gifted elementary students need exposure to advanced concepts and materials without being segregated from classmates. Educators should avoid labeling students as gifted; assign independent projects, real-world problems, and high-quality literature; promote guided exploration and self-discovery; consider alternative settings; and find suitable…

Foreign language instruction is known to develop better critical thinking skills in children. Therefore, the teaching of foreign languages should be promoted so that "all" students may attain better creative, divergent, critical, and analytical thinking skills. Research done in past years on cooperative learning models has consistently shown that…

Closed laboratories are becoming an increasingly popular approach to teaching introductory computer science courses, as they facilitate structured problem-solving and cooperation. However, most closed laboratories have been designed and implemented without embedded instructional research components for constant evaluation of the laboratories'…

This article describes a training program, Self-Regulation Empowerment Program (SREP), that school professionals can use to empower adolescent students to engage in more positive, self-motivating cycles of learning. It is a two-part approach whereby self-regulated learning coaches (SRC) (a) use microanalytic assessment procedures to assess…

Implementing best practices like cooperative learning, using concrete manipulatives, problem solving, technology, active learning, multi-age grouping, and team teaching have shown benefits for students when learning mathematics concepts within the curriculum (Zemelman, Daniels & Hyde, 1998; NCTM, 2000). What started as a professional development…

Working together and exchanging ideas is inherent in interactive learning. The focus of interactive learning is on what learners believe is important to learn, the various processes learners use to learn and how learners use learning in other settings and situations. Active learning processes that promote reflection, writing, demonstrations,…

Troubleshooting is a common form of problem solving. Technicians (e.g., automotive mechanics, electricians) and professionals (physician, therapists, ombudspersons) diagnose faulty systems and take direct, corrective action to eliminate any faults in order to return the systems to their normal states. Traditional approaches to troubleshooting…

Norms govern the criteria by which students decide what is good and what is not good, and align their learning trajectories accordingly.We found that the high-school students' norm is to produce working, but not necessarily error-free, programs and to argue for their correctness solely on the basis of a few executions. Therefore, they prefer…

In the past decade, there has been an increased emphasis on the preparation of teachers who can effectively engage students in meaningful mathematics with technology tools. This study presents a closer look at how three prospective teachers interpreted and developed in their role of facilitating students' mathematical problem solving with a…

Discrete trial training (DTT) is a well-established intervention for teaching skills to children with autism; however, few published guidelines are available for determining whether a child's rate of learning a particular skill is satisfactory and, if not, what to do. We assert that progress within 8-10 teaching sessions usually is evidence of…

This study reports on the algebraic generalisation strategies used by two fifth grade students along with the factors that appeared to influence these strategies. These students were examined over 18 instructional sessions using a teaching experiment methodology. The results highlighted the complex factors that appeared to influence student…