Investigates changing teacher roles associated with two teachers' use of innovative mathematics materials at the sixth-grade level, in a setting that contained all the ideal ingredients for professional growth. Concludes that the greatest changes in the teachers' roles related to increasing comfort with posing non-routine problems to students and…

Upper elementary students are the focus of this paper, intended to present a few studies that have been done in the past five years that are related to two aspects of problem solving: strategies used by the problem solver and tasks used in studying problem solving. The review is not intended to be exhaustive, but is designed to present examples of…

Using data from a longitudinal case study, the paper explores how an experienced teacher changed schools and grappled with mainstreaming, writing instruction, and the extended learning program. The story illustrates how, even for experienced teachers, the development of expertise is very uneven and a product of complex person-place interaction.…

This study is part of a longitudinal study of 22 elementary school children observed over a 3-year time span in the classroom and in individual task-based interviews. Through the examination of videotaped structured clinical interviews of Marcia, the first in 1992 when she was 9 years old (4th-grade), this study seeks to draw inferences about her…

This study was designed to investigate the effectiveness of a heuristic approach to problem-solving instruction. The 330 subjects were randomly assigned to either a Problem Solving, Calculator Problem Solving, or Control group. The two experimental groups studied problem-solving heuristics applied to nonroutine problems for 18 weeks, after which…

A study of interactions among Swedish intermediate-grade students as they solved a nonstandard mathematics task confronting the phenomenon of infinity shows that the children can reach a considerable understanding of the problem by contextualizing the problem in different ways. The collective orchestration of problem variations results in enhanced…

Three case studies describe and analyze the events occurring in three classrooms in the St. Louis metropolitan area during the first year (1979-1980) of the use of ThinkAbout, a series of 60 15-minute programs designed to strengthen the reasoning skills of fifth and sixth graders, and to review and reinforce language arts, mathematics, and study…

Describes two lessons in which a fifth grade teacher emphasized the mechanics of mathematics, such as carrying out various computational procedures, to her students. The first lesson introduced students to the concept of averages. In the second lesson, the teacher conducted class surveys to provide data for computing averages. (BB)

This report summarizes two case studies conducted in 1979-1980 in a combined fifth-sixth grade special class for talented and gifted pupils in a large Oregon school district and a sixth grade self-contained classroom in a small school district, both of which were using ThinkAbout, a series of 60 15-minute instructional television programs designed…

A case study is presented of a science class for 10 underachieving gifted intermediate grade students. The paper describes how a focus on overcoming underachievement might conflict with the need for active, hands-on science activities. Suggestions are offered for integrating the goals of raising self-concept while developing skills of inquiry and…

This report describes the yearlong case study based on participant observation at a school which used ThinkAbout, a series of 60 15-minute instructional television programs designed to strengthen the reasoning skills of fifth and sixth graders, and to review and reinforce language arts, mathematics, and study skills. Discussion covers the patterns…

In 1996, North Carolina began a 5-year evaluation of alternative learning programs (ALPs). This report contains in-depth case studies of four ALPs during the 1996-97 school year. The ALPs were selected to represent different types of programs in the state, and include one middle school, two high school, and one elementary school programs. The case…

Presents real life vignettes of a fifth grade teacher teaching mathematics. The teacher intended her students to find mathematics engaging, work cooperatively, and solve problems that relate to real life experiences. Noted a questionable focus and outcome for the teaching activities. (BB)

Demonstrates the value of the case-method approach in physical education pedagogy classes for preservice physical education teachers; presents a sample case in a middle school and outlines the accompanying questions. Holds that the case-method approach can bridge the gap between theory and practice through class discussion. (SM)

The purpose of this exploratory research was to examine two middle school mathematics teachers' views of the nature of mathematics and their perceptions about the purpose of education as it translates into planning for instruction and teaching. In addition, students in one seventh grade mathematics class of each teacher were surveyed about their…