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A self-administered problem-solving skill training video for nonclinical families with teens is evaluated. The study focuses on the generalization of skills to naturalistic family conversations and the program's social validity: potential iatrogenic aggravation of family problems, perceived effectiveness, and program enjoyment. Seventy families with young teens were randomly assigned to two treatment groups. One group (skill) viewed a skill training program that included information about the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Another group (control) viewed a similar program that lacked the skill training component. Family conversations were recorded in the families' homes before (pretest), two weeks after (posttest), and four months after (follow-up) the families received the programs. In an associated study, the skill group demonstrated greater levels of skill than controls in role-plays. In the present study, skill families demonstrated greater knowledge of problem-solving than controls at posttest and follow-up (p < .001). Analysis of the conversations revealed generally superior skill performance in the skill group. Significant group differences in skill were found in naturalistic conversations about previously discussed problems at posttest (p < .05). Performance differences in conversations about novel topics were not significant. No significant skill differences were observed at follow-up. Correlations of skill measures from the role-play and conversation assessments revealed moderate behavioral consistency (r = -.02 to .37). The conversation analysis revealed no significant group differences in the number of families showing increases or decreases in their use of degrading comments after program exposure, but a somewhat significantly greater number of skill families demonstrated a reduction in the number of additional problems raised in their conversations at posttest and follow-up (p = .06). No significant group differences were found in observer ratings of problem-solving effectiveness, measures of parent problem-solving confidence, family ratings of the program's effects on their ability to cope with family problems, program enjoyment, or satisfaction with the management of family problems. Implications for the development of effective, socially valid, self-help, media programs are discussed. / Ph. D.

Many studies have been made concerning the difficulties which business mathematics students have in solving stated problems. Such studies have been made by analyzing the student's errors as they appear on written solutions to problems, and, as a result, many errors are overlooked. Errors in the thinking process, and failure to read the problem a sufficient number of times are responsible for many errors made by students. Such errors are not apparent on written solutions, but would be revealed through oral solutions as recorded on a wire recorder. The purpose of this study, then, is to analyze the errors revealed by a wire recorder, along with errors on written solutions, and to classify and tabulate the errors from both sources.

This dissertation examines the response of a group of educators to a state mandate to integrate computational thinking (CT) into all levels of the curriculum. It explores the historical development of CT and its significance within the broader context of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics education, emphasizing the rapid growth and evolving nature of this interdisciplinary field. By examining the challenges and potential strategies for incorporating CT into K-12 curricula, the research highlights the critical role of school leadership in navigating the complexities associated with this integration. Utilizing Everett Rogers’s Diffusion of Innovation theory, the dissertation explores how new knowledge is integrated into schools and examines the pivotal role of educational leaders in steering this endeavor. A mixed-methods research design was used to gather the attitudes and perceptions of school leaders toward CT, identifying key factors that influence the adoption and implementation of CT in schools. The study reveals that leadership awareness, involvement, and support are pivotal in overcoming obstacles to CT integration. It also underscores the importance of developing a shared understanding of CT among educators and administrators, aligning CT initiatives with school priorities, and providing adequate resources and professional development opportunities to ensure effective implementation. The findings of the dissertation offer valuable insights for policymakers, educators, and educational leaders, suggesting that a comprehensive approach to integrating CT into K-12 education requires strategic planning, collaboration, and sustained support. By addressing the gaps in current research and practice, this dissertation contributes to the discourse on effective strategies for embedding CT within the educational curriculum, with the goal of enhancing students’ preparedness for an increasingly computational world. This research sheds light on the challenges and opportunities of CT integration and contributes to the development of a roadmap for future efforts to integrate new bodies of knowledge into the K-12 curriculum.

<p>The need for STEM employees is on the rise in direct relation with the changing needs of our globe (Jang, 2015). There are gaps to be filled not only in the workforce and industry, but also by academia and government (Jang, 2015). K-12 STEM education has the ability to address 21^st century problems, in particular, the need for more highly skilled workers in STEM fields by focusing on developing students’ 21^st century skills. A critical skill for students to develop to be able to properly collaborate on teams and engage in the STEM workforce is problem solving. Problem solving is thought of as being the most important cognitive goal of education in every educational context: formal, informal, public schools, universities, and everything in between (Jonassen, 2010). In order to properly assess students, and know where improvements could be made, it is vital that we examine teachers first. By exploring how teachers approach problem-solving, and how self-efficacious they feel teaching problem-solving, then we can determine how to better assist both teachers and students. The current study sought to address this gap in the literature through surveying three states agriculture and science teachers using two established instruments. The survey was distributed online via Qualtrics and was available to participants for three weeks during the month of January 2020. The survey is divided into three major sections with the first two sections being the instruments used: (1) Problem Solving Inventory, (2) Teaching Science as Inquiry, and (3) Demographics. Demographics was placed at the end of the survey following recommendations from Dillman et al. (2014).</p><p> The final response rate for the survey was 9.04% for agriculture teachers and 13.4% for science teachers, a total of 22.44% (n = 504). After data cleaning there is a total of 4.3% of useable responses from agriculture and 5.58% for science resulting in a usable response rate of 9.88% (n = 205). A little more than half of the participants were female (59%) with the remainder being male (39.5%) and a small percentage (1.5%) elected not to respond or selected “prefer not to say”. The largest population that responded to the survey were between the ages of 44 and 54 (43.1%) and teaching for 21-25 years (19%). The survey found that teachers thought of themselves as being confident problem-solvers but used a more avoidance-style. Teachers also felt they had less control or had more negative feelings in regard to problem-solving. Overall, teachers from both agriculture and science viewed themselves as being moderate to high problem-solvers in general. The instrument was not intended to measure problem-solving relating to the classroom. The second instrument, the Teaching Science as Inquiry, measured how efficacious they felt teaching problem-solving. Teachers from both science and agriculture perceived themselves as being very self-efficacious and had high expectancy outcomes. ANOVA tests were conducted between the two groups to determine if there were differences in their responses and no statistically significant differences were found. A correlation was conducted in order to determine which variables from the two instruments held relationships. The correlation suggests that the two instruments have several strong relationships between the variables like personal self-efficacy and expectation outcomes. research should focus on refining the instruments to reduce the number of questions and survey more individuals to capture more generalizable results. </p>

In this study, the role of the problem-based approach on the performance of Grade 9 learners in solving word problems is investigated. Traditional approaches have produced learners whose performance in mathematics is not satisfactory and who are not sufficiently equipped with critical and problem skills that are necessary in this dynamic world. Problem-based approach is among the current reform efforts recommended for teaching and learning mathematics. For this approach to be successful, learners need vital tools such as problem solving strategies, which many learners in this country lack. The emphasis in this study was therefore on exposing learners to a variety of problem solving strategies through the problem-based approach. Problems solved throughout the investigation were non-routine, word problems. The results show that awareness of these strategies improves learners' problem solving performance and attitudes towards mathematics. Based on this investigation, recommendations are made concerning effective implementation of this approach to the teaching and learning of mathematics. / Educational Studies / Thesis (M. Ed. (Specialisation in Mathematical Education))

This study examined correlations between four dimensions of maternal scaffolding, maternal beliefs and values, children’s temperament, and children’s performance and use of self‑regulation strategies on problem‑solving tasks. There are two foci of this study: examining factors that predict the quality of maternal scaffolding, and assessing the relationship between quality of maternal scaffolding and children’s problem solving. Participants consisted of 10 mother‑child dyads in the experimental group and 10 children in the control group. Using a pre- and post‑test design, children were given near and far transfer independent problem‑solving tasks. The experimental group also worked with their mothers on one task during a scaffolded interaction. Maternal beliefs predicted quality of maternal scaffolding, and quality of maternal scaffolding predicted children’s monitoring during the post‑test. Mothers’ scaffolding techniques appear to be related to their beliefs about parenting and educating children, and children appear to learn certain self‑regulation strategies during optimal scaffolded interactions.

Title from first page of PDF document. Includes bibliographical references (p. 35-37).