Essay - Education Theory: Problem Solving Traditional American Public Education, as it...

EDUCATION THEORY: PROBLEM SOLVING

Traditional American public education, as it developed in the 18th and 19th centuries, focused mainly on memorizati***** by rote, and more often than not, in a one- room schoolhouse where students in multiple gr*****des learned together (Carter, 2001). As the education system developed more structure, problem solv*****g-based lessons gradually began to replace learning by rote. Generally, ***** solving-based education is more effective, because ***** requires a higher degree of underst*****nding; ***** contrast, learning by rote ***** results in memorization without any genuine understanding or comprehension (Gardner, 1991).

Passive problem solving-based learning focuses on teaching general principles first, with subsequent exerc*****es and examinations consisting of specific problems that require c*****rect application of ***** learned principles to the exercise. This approach works for every level of education from middle school through post graduate programs. The modern study of Western law, for example, is conducted through the Socratic method, which ********** students to apply general legal ***** ***** a particular lesson to different hypo*****tical situations proposed spontaneously ***** professors.

The most effective ***** of problem ***** education combines problem solving ***** elements of more active learning formats that require students to participate in devising the applied lessons. According to its proponents, active learning is particularly (but ***** exclusively) applicable to science curricula (Adams & Hamm, 1994).

Current ***** theorists are exploring the additional advantages ***** problem solving-based active learning within ***** that also incorporate theories of multiple intelligences whose goal is to target the different types of academic aptitudes (*****, 2000).

References

*****, D. & *****, M. (1994). New Designs for Teaching and Learning: Promoting Active Learning in Tomorrow's Schools.

San Franc*****co: Jossey-Bass.

Carter, J. (2001) An Hour Be*****e Daylight.

New York: Simon & Schuster

Gardner, H. (1991) The Un*****ed **********: How Children Think ***** How Schools Should Teach. New York: Basic Books.

Gardner, H. (2000) The Disciplined Mind: Beyond Facts and Standardized Tests: The K-12 Education That Every Child Deserves.

New *****: Penguin