Young Children Are Good Problem Solvers

1982 ◽  
Vol 30 (3) ◽  
pp. 24-26
Author(s):  
James M. Moser ◽  
Thomas P. Carpenter
Keyword(s):  
Problem Solving ◽  
Young Children ◽  
Word Problems ◽  
First Grade ◽  
Educational Progress ◽  
National Assessment ◽  
Comparison Problem ◽  
Addition And Subtraction ◽  
Problem Solvers ◽  
Good Problem

Do you think many first-grade children could solve this comparison problem? Joe won 6 prizes at the fair. His sister Connie won 9 prizes. How many more prizes did Connie win than Joe? Most curricular programs apparently assume that word problems are difficult for children of all ages, and that children must master symbolic addition and subtraction operations before they will be able to solve even simple word problems. Recent National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) results (Carpenter et al. 1980) also give some credence to the belief that children are poor at problem solving. We believe. however, that young children are good problem solvers.

The Writing Process: A Strategy for Problem Solvers

1990 ◽  
Vol 38 (3) ◽  
pp. 35-38
Author(s):  
Margaret I. Ford
Keyword(s):  
Problem Solving ◽  
Word Problems ◽  
Writing Process ◽  
School Mathematics ◽  
Problem Solver ◽  
Educational Progress ◽  
National Assessment ◽  
The Past ◽  
Mathematics Educators ◽  
Problem Solvers

Over the past decade, mathematics educators have promoted problem solving as the goal of school mathematics. Yet in 1987, the National Assessment of Educational Progress revealed that our nation's schoolchildren are still falling short of our goals for their problem solving abilities. Many students dislike word problems in mathematics, and many teachers report feeling frustration and discouragement in helping their students learn how to solve such problems (Ford 1988). What can teachers do to improve students' attitude toward problem solving and to realize the goal of helping students become better problem solver?

By Way of Introduction

1982 ◽  
Vol 30 (3) ◽  
pp. 2
Keyword(s):  
Problem Solving ◽  
Young Children ◽  
Problem Solvers ◽  
Good Problem

“Children can demonstrate some good problem solving if given a chance,” according to Moser and Carpenter. In “Young Children Are Good Problem Solvers” (p. 24). they report on a study of problem solving done by young children. One of the authors' concluding statements is, “lf you want good performance, you have to work at it and include a strong dose of problem solving in your teaching.”

Writing Techniques for Problem Solvers

1985 ◽  
Vol 33 (1) ◽  
pp. 24-25
Author(s):  
Francis (Skip) Fennell ◽  
Richard Ammon
Keyword(s):  
Elementary School ◽  
Problem Solving ◽  
School Mathematics ◽  
Educational Progress ◽  
National Assessment ◽  
Elementary School Mathematics ◽  
Problem Solvers

The decade of problem solving is upon us. The recommendations provided by the 1978 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), NCTM's An Agenda for Action, and the Priorities in School Mathematics (PRISM) Project all point toward greater emphasis on problem solving in elementary school mathematics.

Teachers' Pedagogical Content Knowledge of Students' Problem Solving in Elementary Arithmetic

1988 ◽  
Vol 19 (5) ◽  
pp. 385-401
Author(s):  
Thomas P. Carpenter ◽  
Elizabeth Fennema ◽  
Penelope L. Peterson ◽  
Deborah A. Carey
Keyword(s):  
Student Achievement ◽  
Problem Solving ◽  
Pedagogical Content Knowledge ◽  
Content Knowledge ◽  
Word Problems ◽  
First Grade ◽  
Problem Difficulty ◽  
Pedagogical Content ◽  
Addition And Subtraction

This study investigated 40 first-grade teachers' pedagogical content knowledge of children's solutions of addition and subtraction word problems. Most teachers could identify many of the critical distinctions between problems and the primary strategies that children used to solve different kinds of problems. But this knowledge generally was not organized into a coherent network that related distinctions between problems, children's solutions, and problem difficulty. The teachers' knowledge of whether their own students could solve different problems was significantly correlated with student achievement.

Good problem solvers? Leveraging knowledge sharing mechanisms and management support

2019 ◽  
Vol 23 (6) ◽  
pp. 1017-1038 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ambra Galeazzo ◽  
Andrea Furlan
Keyword(s):  
Transformational Leadership ◽  
Problem Solving ◽  
Knowledge Sharing ◽  
Hierarchical Linear Modeling ◽  
Shop Floor ◽  
Management Support ◽  
Linear Modeling ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Problem Solvers ◽  
Good Problem

Purpose Organizational learning relies on problem-solving as a way to generate new knowledge. Good problem solvers should adopt a problem-solving orientation (PSO) that analyzes the causes of problems to arrive at an effective solution. The purpose of this paper is to investigate this relevant, though underexplored, topic by examining two important antecedents of PSO: knowledge sharing mechanisms and transformational leaders’ support. Design/methodology/approach Hierarchical linear modeling analyses were performed on a sample of 131 workers in 12 plants. A questionnaire was designed to collect data from shop-floor employees. Knowledge sharing was measured using the mechanisms of participative practices and standardized practices. Management support was assessed based on the extent to which supervisors engaged in transformational leadership. Findings Knowledge sharing mechanisms are an antecedent of PSO behavior, but management support measured in terms of transformational leadership is not. However, transformational leadership affects the use of knowledge sharing mechanisms that, in turn, is positively related to PSO behavior. Practical implications The research provides practical guidance for practitioners to understand how to manage knowledge in the workplace to promote employees’ PSO behaviors. Originality/value Though problem-solving activities are intrinsic in any working context, PSO is still very much underrepresented and scarcely understood in knowledge management studies. This study fills this gap by investigating the antecedents of PSO behavior.

Number Sentences: Linking Addition and Subtraction Word Problems and Symbols

1991 ◽  
Vol 22 (4) ◽  
pp. 266-280
Author(s):  
Deborah A. Carey
Keyword(s):  
Word Problems ◽  
First Grade ◽  
Semantic Structure ◽  
Large Numbers ◽  
Addition And Subtraction

Twenty-four first-grade children were asked to write number sentences and select appropriate alternative number sentences for addition and subtraction word problems. Responses were qualitatively different across five clusters of children. Clusters were characterized by the degree of flexibility in accepting alternative number sentences for word problems. Children in all clusters could write and select open number sentences, such as a+□ =b and □ −a=b, that matched the semantic structure of problems for word problems with small and large numbers. Only the more advanced children could identify standard number sentences, a+b=□ and a−b=□, as appropriate representations for all addition and subtraction word problems. Flexibility in selecting alternative number sentences was related to number size, suggesting that knowledge of number relationships plays a role in the development of a general understanding of part-whole relationships.

scholarly journals Understanding adults’ strong problem-solving skills based on PIAAC

2017 ◽  
Vol 29 (7/8) ◽  
pp. 537-553 ◽  
Author(s):  
Raija Hämäläinen ◽  
Bram De Wever ◽  
Kari Nissinen ◽  
Sebastiano Cincinnato
Keyword(s):  
Problem Solving ◽  
Everyday Life ◽  
Continuous Process ◽  
Vocational Education And Training ◽  
Problem Solving Skills ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Work Related ◽  
Problem Solvers ◽  
Insight Into ◽  
Good Problem

Purpose Research has shown that the problem-solving skills of adults with a vocational education and training (VET) background in technology-rich environments (TREs) are often inadequate. However, some adults with a VET background do have sound problem-solving skills. The present study aims to provide insight into the socio-demographic, work-related and everyday life factors that are associated with a strong problem-solving performance. Design/methodology/approach The study builds on large-scale data of the Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC) and gives insight into VET adults (N = 12,929) with strong problem-solving skills in 11 European countries. Findings This study introduces new knowledge with respect to the socio-demographic, work-related and everyday life background factors that contribute to successful VET adults’ problem-solving skills. The findings of the authors illustrate that a continuous process of development including non-formal and informal activity, as well as learning taking place at work, is associated with strong performance in problem-solving skills in TRE. Research limitations/implications An important implication of this study is that this paper introduces novel knowledge for VET adults’ competences and can be used to support the development of VET adults’ problem-solving skills in TREs. Originality/value The study was conducted to explore new understanding about good problem-solvers in TREs with a VET background. The originality of the study derives from its focus on good problem-solvers in TREs related to a VET background. The findings can be used to create novel ways to enhance the development of VET adults’ problem-solving skills in TREs.

Problem Solving for the Primary Grades

1982 ◽  
Vol 29 (6) ◽  
pp. 10-15
Author(s):  
James V. Bruni
Keyword(s):  
Problem Solving ◽  
Young Children ◽  
Primary School ◽  
Mathematics Instruction ◽  
Primary Grades ◽  
School Teachers ◽  
Problem Solving Skills ◽  
Primary School Teachers ◽  
Primary Mathematics ◽  
Problem Solvers

“How can my children possibly be expected to do problem solving when they are only beginning to learn to read and to do basic arithmetic computation?” This is often the lament of primary-school teachers when urged to include problem solving in their mathematics programs. Developing problem-solving skills is often equated with training children to solve arithmetic word problems, but problem olving has a much broader meaning. It is not only possible for young children to become problem solvers but also, primary mathematics instruction can be organized to help develop problem-solving skills.

Understanding Word Problems

1985 ◽  
Vol 32 (5) ◽  
pp. 13-17
Author(s):  
J. Dan Knifong ◽  
Grace M. Burton
Keyword(s):  
Real World ◽  
Word Problems ◽  
Professional Responsibility ◽  
Educational Progress ◽  
National Assessment ◽  
The Real ◽  
The Core ◽  
Mathematics Educators

The ability of nine- and thirteen-year-olds to solve word problems has declined significantly since the First National Assessment of Educational Progress in 1972–73 (Carpenter et al. 1980). This drop is unfortunate, because learning to solve word problems prepares students to use mathematics in the real world. Teaching children to think logically about word problems is at the core of the professional responsibility of mathematics educators.

Using a Problem-solving Approach in the Primary Grades

1984 ◽  
Vol 32 (4) ◽  
pp. 11-14
Author(s):  
Patricia F. Campbell
Keyword(s):  
Mathematics Education ◽  
Problem Solving ◽  
Young Children ◽  
Mathematics Curriculum ◽  
School Administrators ◽  
Mathematical Problem ◽  
Primary Grades ◽  
National Council ◽  
Primary Level ◽  
Addition And Subtraction

According to the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (1980), the focus of school mathematics in the 1980s must be on problem solving. Furthermore, computation is to be a tool for problem solving. The importance of problem solving as a goal in mathematics education cannot be disputed; however, the de-emphasis of computation may cause fee lings of uneasiness for many primary-level teachers. These feeling can be accentuated by such statements as “Primary-level curricula contain practically no mathematical problem-olving experiences” (Greenes 1981). Where does this dilemma leave the typical primary-level teacher, given the existing primary mathematics curriculum and the demands from pa rents and school administrators that young children develop a mastery of addition and subtraction?

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document