Describes a format for teaching a large introductory biology course that encourages student preparation prior to class and utilizes problem solving instead of lecturing. (Author/MM)

Explains how three fundamental ideas in chemistry--the mole, the periodic table, and quantum numbers--should be introduced to students for better student understanding. (YDS)

Basic data collection can be used to provide information on what kind of teaching strategies can be used to teach students who are solving chemistry problems. Recommends using lesson scripts that challenge students to find the right answer. (Contains 35 references.) (YDS)

Children with severe learning difficulties who fail to begin word recognition can learn to recognise pictures and symbols relatively easily. However, finding an effective means of using pictures to teach word recognition has proved problematic. This research explores the use of morphing software to support the transition from picture to word…

Students with mild disabilities can be successful in the middle school science classroom if teachers provide modifications, accommodations, and interventions that are appropriate. The examples suggested in this paper provide a few ideas to make the challenge of teaching students with learning problems a little easier for students and teachers.…

While there is agreement that creativity is central to teaching, learning and curriculum in higher education, what is meant by creativity is not always clear. The term is often employed uncritically, in the singular, and is reified. Where creativity is used with specificity, this is often over-determined, so that the term remains limited to…

Three sample physics problems are presented in this article. The solutions to the three problems addresses a major student difficulty in problem solving--knowing where to begin. The first suggested step is to begin by stating what is asked for. Step 2 is identifying the fundamental physics that underlies the problem situation. Step 3 is isolating…

Students solve a geometric problem of measuring polygons with the help of proportional reasoning. Thus the importance of conceptual reasoning is emphasized as a highly efficient technique for teaching and strengthening mathematical content.

A Mandelbrot mathematical set is an object with endless borders, and in the present exercise a graphing calculator is used to identify and examine the set points. The significance and power of technology is also displayed in the understanding and solving of problems.

In this article, the author talks about his experiences when he started a mathematics degree with the Open University. He shares what happened during a course on mathematical models and methods and his major influences in mathematics. He also offers his current pedagogy that is based purely on his experiences and time spent talking to other…

Often after students solve a problem they believe they have accomplished their mission and stop further exploration. The purpose of this article is to discuss ways to encourage students to "look back" so as to maximise their learning opportunities. According to Polya, by "looking back" at a completed solution, by reconsidering and re-examining the…

The cross-proportion method allows both the instructor and the student to easily determine where an error is made during problem solving. The C-P method supports a strong cognitive foundation upon which students can develop other diagnostic methods as they advance in chemistry and scientific careers.

In this article, urban students explore powerful ideas from multiple perspectives. It concludes that academical success and importance of maintaining good teacher-student ratio, reinforcing meaning, making learning encourages problem solving ability among the students. Exploring ideas from multiple sources like educational books, images, and…

Inquiry-based instruction teaching helps students to think independently and scientifically, which in turn enables problem solving ability in them. Different approaches to encourage inquiry-based instructions like verification approach, and discovery approach are discussed by matching the background knowledge and reasoning skills among the…

The author's thesis is that there is sufficient research evidence to make any reasonable person skeptical about the benefits of discovery learning--practiced under the guise of cognitive constructivism or social constructivism--as a preferred instructional method. The author reviews research on discovery of problem-solving rules culminating in the…