This performance assessment pilot study was a major research component of the overall National Science Foundation funded Redesigned High Schools for Transformed STEM Learning Project. Secondary Earth/Environmental Science students' abilities to translate cognitive knowledge into demonstrable performance-based proficiencies were specifically…

Problem solving is a necessary component of developing a strong mathematics curriculum that will help all students achieve their life goals, regardless of their specific academic plans. What day-to-day instructional decisions do teachers need to make if they believe that problem solving is a vehicle for learning mathematical content? In this…

A parabola is an interesting curve. What makes it interesting at the secondary school level is the fact that this curve is presented in both its contexts: algebraic and geometric. Being one of Apollonius' conic sections, the parabola is basically a geometric entity. It is, however, typically known for its algebraic characteristics, in particular…

This exploratory study focused on characterizing problem-solving situations associated with spontaneous metacognitive activity. The results came from connected case studies of a group of 3 purposefully selected 9th-grade students working collaboratively on a series of 5 modeling problems. Students' descriptions of their own thinking during…

This study investigated the effectiveness of a unit plan designed to enhance students' three-dimensional geometry and spatial ability skills. Research participants consisted of 50 students, 19 males and 31 females, and two teachers from a public high school in a suburban middle-class community. The students in this study were 9th and 10th graders…

Research in mathematical problem solving has produced significant results in trying to understand what people do to solve problems. An important part of the solution process is the presence of both cognitive and metacognitive strategies. This paper documents the extent to which 13 ninth grade students are able to recognize the basic structure of a…

It was hypothesized that receiving a problem of the day would result in higher mathematics scores on the Ohio Ninth Grade Proficiency Test. An experimental group consisting of 19 students received a problem of the day treatment every day during the 5 month period. The 19 students in the control group received no special treatment. Test scores of…

THIS STUDY AIMED AT--(1) CHARACTERIZING PROBLEM-SOLVING PROCESSES OF DIFFERENT INDIVIDUALS AND (2) DETERMINING THE EFFECTS OF TRAINING ON THE SUBJECTS' APPROACHES TO THEIR PROBLEM-SOLVING PERFORMANCE. THE DESIGN INCLUDED 50 NINTH-GRADE STUDENTS AND 50 COLLEGE FRESHMEN DIVIDED INTO EXPERIMENTAL AND CONTROL GROUPS IN WHICH SUBJECTS WERE MATCHED ON…

The performance of a group of grade 9 mathematics students trained to use a self-explanation procedure during study was compared with that of students who used their typical study procedures. The processing activities used by the students during the study session and those used in a subsequent problem-solving test were observed. The focus of…

Schematic knowledge was assessed by asking 195 ninth and tenth graders to classify area-of-rectangle problems in terms of whether the text provided insufficient, sufficient, or irrelevant information for solution. The hierarchical ordering of templates for the area of a rectangle is demonstrated, and implications for mathematics instruction are…

Models and modeling are frequently used as instructional tools in science education to convey important information concerning both the explanatory and structural features of topic areas in science. The efficacy of models as such rests almost entirely upon students' ability to conceptualize them as abstracted "representations" of…

Research on group learning has focused almost exclusively on interactions among individuals within groups; there has been little research on phenomena occurring between groups of learners in classrooms. This exploratory study identifies, describes, and categorizes events occurring between members of different learning groups in three ninth-grade…

This training module on the Roaring River bridge design project was developed for a problem-solving unit in a ninth-grade research and development course. This project requires six to seven class periods and requires students to work in teams of two. The project contains the following information: level; time required; description; objectives;…

This unit is one of a series that represents specific moments in history from which students focus on the meanings of landmark events. The purpose of this unit is to study the development and significance of the universities of the Middle Ages and their ties to the university system of the 20th century. The university structure of higher education…

No differences are found in scientific hypothesis formulation ability of 36 male and 50 female gifted ninth graders, but investigation of related variables indicates that hypothesis formulation may be independent of intelligence for high-ability students. A positive relationship also exists between quality and quantity of student responses. (SLD)