University of Maryland LibrariesDigital Repository at the University of Maryland
    • Login
    View Item 
    •   DRUM
    • College of Education
    • Teaching, Learning, Policy & Leadership
    • Teaching, Learning, Policy & Leadership Theses and Dissertations
    • View Item
    •   DRUM
    • College of Education
    • Teaching, Learning, Policy & Leadership
    • Teaching, Learning, Policy & Leadership Theses and Dissertations
    • View Item
    JavaScript is disabled for your browser. Some features of this site may not work without it.

    The Effects of a Problem Solving Course on Secondary School Students' Analytical Skills, Reasoning Ability, and Scholastic Aptitude

    Thumbnail
    View/Open
    1153175.pdf (5.440Mb)
    No. of downloads: 92

    Date
    1990
    Author
    Dorman, Nancy Horsman
    Advisor
    Weaver, V. Phillips
    DRUM DOI
    https://doi.org/10.13016/M2KH0F10X
    Metadata
    Show full item record
    Abstract
    A cognitive skills course for secondary school students called Problem Solving was implemented as an elective in the science curriculum for eleventh and twelfth grades at a rural, public, secondary school in Maryland during 1986-88. Problem Solving used the Whimbey and Lochhead (1982) think-aloud pair problem solving (TAPS) strategy to teach precise processing of information in verbal and mathematical problems. This investigation determined the effects the Problem Solving course had on college bound students' analytical problem solving skills, logical reasoning skills and SAT scores. Over a 3-year period the study compared: (a) the mean change scores on the Whimbey Analytical Skills Inventory (WASI) for 148 subjects in the treatment and control groups, (b) the mean change scores on the New Jersey Test of Reasoning Skills (NJTRS) for 80 subjects, and (c) the mean PSAT to SAT change scores for 234 subjects. A before-after, nonequivalent control group design was used to compare pre- to posttest change scores for students who had the Problem Solving class with those who did not have the course. Treatment and control group change scores were analyzed using ANOVA and ANCOVA statistical techniques. The Problem Solving course had a statistically significant impact on the analytical-problem-solving test change scores and logical-reasoning-test change scores (p < .01). An ANOVA of the treatment group's PSAT to SAT change scores showed a statistically significant mean SAT gain of 119 points; the comparison group had a mean SAT gain of 85 points. An ANCOVA which controlled for differences in race and sex, reading ability, and grade-point-average revealed that the Problem Solving course showed a marginally positive effect on verbal SAT scores and little effect on math SAT scores. Participants' affective reaction to the Problem Solving course was highly positive.
    URI
    http://hdl.handle.net/1903/20194
    Collections
    • Teaching, Learning, Policy & Leadership Theses and Dissertations
    • UMD Theses and Dissertations

    DRUM is brought to you by the University of Maryland Libraries
    University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742-7011 (301)314-1328.
    Please send us your comments.
    Web Accessibility
     

     

    Browse

    All of DRUMCommunities & CollectionsBy Issue DateAuthorsTitlesSubjectsThis CollectionBy Issue DateAuthorsTitlesSubjects

    My Account

    LoginRegister
    Pages
    About DRUMAbout Download Statistics

    DRUM is brought to you by the University of Maryland Libraries
    University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742-7011 (301)314-1328.
    Please send us your comments.
    Web Accessibility