The purpose of this publication is to bring attention to some physics problems whose answers seem to be paradoxical and, at first glance, do not agree with a limiting case check. Solving a problem on the motion of a system consisting of two masses and a spring, it is natural to examine the answer by considering a case when a spring constant is…

An increase in research on the teaching of creativity in learning environments is being witnessed as more studies continue to reveal its effects on learning outcomes and academic achievement. Thus, any investigative attempt to examine the relevant approaches to teaching of creative thinking skills is appreciated within the creativity literature.…

This article emerges as part of the Grand Challenges in Assessment Project and describes two approaches to driving innovation in assessment. Each approach can be used to drive innovation, promising failure, and equity in assessment, teaching, and learning. The first approach, the TRIZ exercise, focuses on an approach to drive innovation at a…

Scientific ideas are often expressed as mathematical equations. Understanding the ideas contained within these equations requires making sense of both the embedded mathematics knowledge and scientific knowledge. Students who can engage in this type of blended sensemaking are more successful at solving novel or more complex problems with these…

This study aims to examine the relation between spatial ability and creativity in Geometry. Data was collected from 94 ninth graders. Three spatial abilities were investigated: spatial visualization, spatial relations and closure flexibility. As for students' creativity, it was examined through a multiple solution problem in Geometry focusing on…

The purpose of this paper is to describe the use of a problem involving superfactorials (a specific product of factorials) that provides an in-depth and comprehensive mathematical experience, encompassing skills that mathematicians view as tantamount to exploration. The problem is easily accessible and fosters creativity and perseverance, thereby…

When students are first learning to program, they not only have to learn to write programs, but also how to trace them. Code tracing involves stepping through a program step-by-step, which helps to predict the output of the program and identify bugs. Students routinely struggle with this activity, as evidenced by prior work and our own experiences…

Although it is widely known that reading plays a significant role in mathematics performance, it remains unclear how specific reading component skills and item characteristics are associated with adults' mathematics performance. The aim of this study was to investigate reading component skills (printed vocabulary, sentence processing, passage…

Play is critical for children's learning, but there is significant disagreement over whether and how parents should guide children's play. The objective of the current study was to examine how parent-child interaction affected children's engagement and problem-solving behaviors when challenged with similar tasks. Parents and 4- to 7-year-old…

Problem solving requires the application of critical reading and thinking skills and the use of relevant strategies to reach a solution. Independent learners are able to apply taught strategies across contexts and often complete challenging tasks unassisted. The purpose of this paper is to explain how a process of analysis of assignments and…

In today's rapidly developing technology, individuals are expected to know the ways of accessing information and to have higher order thinking skills. One of these skills is reflective thinking skills. In this study, the relationship between secondary school students' reflective thinking skills towards problem-solving and learning and study…

The purpose of this study was to explicate one preservice middle grades mathematics teacher's Knowledge of Content and Students (KCS) in the context of multiple solution strategies. This study's purpose is to underline the importance of preservice teachers' KCS and provide possible investigative methods for evaluating preservice teachers' KCS.…

Purpose: The resources needed to develop assessments of the twenty-first century skills, such as problem solving and collaboration, are huge, and require the introduction of cost-effective methods (Griffin and Care, 2015). The intention of the design template is to identify whether the presented approach to game development is viable for measuring…

This study contributes to a deeper understanding of using problems with wicked tendencies as vehicles for learning in higher professional education (HPE). It was guided by this question: How can the features of problems, problem-solving approaches and outcomes be aligned in HPE courses aiming to prepare students for addressing problems with wicked…

A primary goal of science and engineering (S&E) education is to produce good problem solvers, but how to best teach and measure the quality of problem solving remains unclear. The process is complex, multifaceted, and not fully characterized. Here, we present a detailed characterization of the S&E problem-solving process as a set of…