Attitudes of pre- and in-service teachers toward problem solving are discussed, and how to provide successful problem-solving experiences is described. Both formal and informal methods are included. (MNS)

Suggests that failure to learn is often the result of inappropriateness of level of instruction and deficiencies in instructional procedures and educational strategies, and differentiates between the functions of criterion referenced tests and diagnostic tests. Results are reported from two studies of the teaching of osmosis and photosynthesis.…

The president of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics argues that many mathematics textbooks feature unrealistic problems that do not teach problem solving or mathematical thinking. Realistic activities and games which will teach children to think are described, as are methods for teaching essential mathematics skills. (PP)

Two grade 4 classes provided subjects for a study in the teaching of estimation in computation. A second study was conducted with two grade 5 and two grade 6 classes that supported the idea that estimation in whole number computation can be taught in a short period of time. (MP)

Describes an interdisciplinary program which uses simulation to investigate social, cultural, economic, and political dimensions of environmental change. Summarizes the underlying process, outlines topics and activities for each of the four phases of the program, and presents one sample activity for each unit. (DC)

Introduces a teaching method called guided design which involves a series of problems and solutions with feedback that leads students in a logical sequence through material being taught. Presents 15 worksheets to demonstrate the use of this technique in an introductory ornithology course. (Author/DC)

An attempt to make problem solving a real part of the mathematics program in a second-grade classroom is described. It is felt that teachers can aid children in establishing attitudes of willingness to take risks and tackle unfamiliar tasks by focusing early on problem solving as a process. (MP)

Efforts directed to emphasizing problem solving and using the immediate environment to create problem situations are described. Teachers are urged to incorporate problem-solving activities in their instruction. (MP)

Describes aspects of Guided Design, a recent instructional strategy designed to teach process skills, in which students engage in the decision-making process to devise solutions for a series of open-ended problems. (CS)

Diagnostic interviews were conducted with third graders to determine why they made mistakes on sixteen arithmetical tasks. A modified version of the Newman method of analyzing errors is discussed and applied to these interviews. (MP)

Psychological treatment techniques for the control of self-injury in a 13-year-old male with de Lange syndrome (a rare disorder characterized by retarded mental and physical development) are presented. Techniques, which included mild punishment, time out, and differential reinforcement, produced a clinically significant control of self-injurious…

The performance of five students (ages 6 to 10) in an adjustment class for deaf children was compared under fixed and variable ratio schedules of reinforcement. During the VR condition, students visually attended more and engaged in disruptive behavior less often than during the FR condition. (Author)

A list of five broad skill areas common to science and mathematics is presented and discussed. Also considered are the learning and teaching of basic skills. (MK)

Discusses experiences with the use of problem-based learning as applied to knowledge-rich biochemistry courses. Concludes that problem-based learning is not only effective in promoting habits of mind that support higher order thinking but also a powerful vehicle for conveying knowledge by imparting separate bits of knowledge as interconnected…

The main strength of this book is that it is grounded in an array of research on school reform efforts that it combines with practical suggestions about what works and what does not. It constitutes a useful addition to the educational literature on school reform efforts; unfortunately, it lacks adequate discussions of the complex causes of…