The purpose of this study was to develop a program to help cultivate divergent thinking in mathematics based on open-ended problems and to investigate its effect. The participants were 398 seventh grade students attending middle schools in Seoul. A method of pre- and post-testing was used to measure mainly divergent thinking skills through…

Current concepts of critical thinking need to be reconstrued into the much broader concept of "critical being" and applied to higher education. Under this construct, critical persons (students) become more than just critical thinkers; they engage critically with the world and with themselves; they not only reflect critically on…

The booklet reports on a study of the present status and prospects for the art teaching profession in terms of fiscal resources, curriculum, staffing and administration, and influences of government, college entrance exams, standardized testing, and high school graduation requirements in school art programs. The report is presented in three…

The sixth grade instructional unit, part of a field-tested grade school level career education series, is designed to assist learners in understanding how present experiences relate to past and future ones. Before the main body of the lessons is described field testing results are reported and key items are presented: the concepts, the estimated…

The utility of the controversial elementary social studies program, "Man: A Course of Study" (MACOS), is argued in this paper. A list of 12 charges made by Congressman John Conlan against MACOS, with responses to the charges, is presented. Specific passages in the student materials, films, and teacher materials are examined in context…

This research brief is published at the mid-way point of a five-year study that is analyzing a spectrum of programs in four states to identify outstanding English instruction in secondary schools. Outstanding schools are defined as those whose students beat the odds and outscore their peers in comparable skills on high-stakes, standardized test of…

The activities in this book were designed to encourage students to perceive what is going on around them, to be both receptive to and critical of the ideas of others, to analyze problems, to elaborate upon ideas, to explore possibilities, and to see relationships. The activities call for all 18 of E. Paul Torrance's creative thinking abilities.…

Identifies linkages between social inquiry and artistic thought to show interdisciplinary possibilities for kindergarten through high school social studies instruction. Argues expression through modern dance helps students integrate personal experience and social phenomena. Provides a lesson in which elementary school students choreograph their…

Discusses the use of games to learn mathematics both in the classroom and at home. Games promote nonroutine learning, cooperative learning, problem solving, communication, and reasoning. Included are store-bought games, games made specifically for educational purposes, and multicultural games. A table lists many common games and their uses. (JAF)

This study focuses on behavior associated with young art students' developing artistic talent ("skills and art-making behavior") and creativity ("personal expressions of visual information"). The study examines the role of personal expertise in a student's development of problem finding, domain-specific technical skill,…

To prepare students for the 21st century, students must be taught not only how to think, but also to think from a global perspective. As an extension of the Sister Schools Project of Dade County, Florida, this practicum centered on developing a Moscow-Florida, cross-cultural educational linkage between a school in Moscow, Russia, and a middle…

This book attempts to introduce students to the creative aspects of mathematics through exploratory problems. The introduction presents the criteria for the selection of the problems in the book. Criteria indicate that problems should: be immediately attractive, require data to be generated or gathered, appeal to students from junior high school…

Seven job-related basic skills identified as skills employers want are as follows: (1) learning to learn; (2) reading, writing, and computation; (3) oral communication and listening; (4) creative thinking and problem solving; (5) personal management, including self-esteem, goal setting, motivation, and personal and career development; (6) group…

This compendium of 10 curriculum resource units offers interdisciplinary activities to develop critical and creative thinking skills in gifted students. "Life Is Becoming: Can You Find the Way?" by Vicki Miller, uses American literature to help youth make the transition to adulthood. "Coming to America," by Deborah Cornwell,…

This guide is designed to provide teachers with materials they can use with young women to help them to attain higher levels of mathematics achievement and to encourage them to take as many math courses as possible in high school. During their early school years, students develop skills and attitudes toward learning that form the basis of future…