A study evaluated the effects of a four-part decision-making workshop on students who were undecided about their selection of a major field of study. More than 1,500 freshmen at a midwestern university who had not declared majors received letters inviting them to the four 2-hour sessions of the workshop. Forty-two students volunteered to enroll in…

Two studies were conducted to determine the effects of gender, reasoning level, and inductive and deductive computer-simulated experiments (CSE) on problem-solving abilities in introductory general chemistry. In the pilot study, 254 subjects were randomly assigned to control (computer-assisted-instruction tutorials), inductive or deductive CSE…

The integration of technology into standard curricula is expanding with availability of educational software and teacher recognition of the role of technology in improvement of students' problem-solving/critical thinking skills. The basic components in problem solving are a good problem statement, a research and development component, a testing of…

This book is a preliminary report on a technology innovation project. The objective of the overall research project is to introduce change in schools using a computer-based curriculum innovation for teaching higher order thinking skills to middle- and high-school students. Chapter 1 presents a historical account of the design and implementation of…

This paper reports on a qualitative study of children's discourse-reasoning about knowledge objects emerging when the classroom becomes a community of discourse. Its purpose was to analyze metacognitive reflections with respect to the steps of the argument. Within science education classes, a part of a wider ecological curriculum was implemented…

A program was developed for improving the reading of first-grade students in a progressive suburban community in northern Illinois. The problem was originally noted by an increase in the need for support services and low standardized test scores. Analysis of probable cause data revealed that students lacked knowledge of the relationship between…

Many educators assume that learning occurs best when a student assembles a body of knowledge one piece at a time. With this approach, the teacher allocates to the student a proportioned number of pieces during each class period and the student's job is to work toward making the pieces form some intelligible and meaningful whole. The whole-theme…

This program information guide describes two approaches, Cognitively Guided Instruction (CGI) and Active Mathematics Teaching (AMT), for teaching academic skills in mathematics to limited English proficient (LEP) students. CGI is based on four related teacher competencies: knowing how specific mathematical content is organized in children's minds;…

A practicum attempted to improve the low reading achievement of Chapter 1 students in a low socioeconomic fifth-grade class by implementing a self-esteem building program. Activities were designed in a workbook format to complement class instruction in self-esteem building exercises. An emphasis on critical thinking skills was incorporated into…

The teaching of thinking has become the focus of a new interventionist paradigm in schooling. Four perspectives have been particularly influential in the development of the paradigm: (1) the cognitive view of intelligence, which asserts that intellectual ability can be changed; (2) the constructivist approach to learning, which maintains that…

This manual contains materials that business teachers can use to teach their students decision-making and problem-solving skills. Each of the five sections can be used individually or in sequence. The following topics are covered: decision making; approaches to problem solving; everyday life problem solving; creative problem solving; and business…

This paper offers a small group discussion model as a viable alternative for facilitating critical thinking. The paper first review literature discussing what critical thinking is and whether it can be taught. After defining critical thinking as an active process which involves constructing arguments, the paper concludes that an optimally…

A practicum was designed to improve reading comprehension in 50 third-graders over an 8-month period. The practicum's peripheral goal was to improve the efficient use of the microcomputer as a tool to supplement reading comprehension. The program included computer lab experiences to teach keyboarding skills, language arts software use, and the use…

A two-volume resource book addresses the particular needs of English as a Second Language (ESL), English language center, and transitional skills teachers. The volumes are designed to help meet the language and educational needs of ESL students in British Columbia. Volume II includes a large section of resources useful for integrating language and…

Intended for staff development leaders and teacher study groups, this manual is designed for ongoing, interactive inservice. The talent development model explained in the manual encourages the use of a training cycle and the involvement of peer observers and coaches to assure classroom transfer of the questioning processes. Each of the manual's…