Abstract
The primary purpose of this study was to describe problem-solving instruction and examine whether it was different from basic skills instruction. Nine seventh-grade mathematics teachers were observed for 5 consecutive days during their regular instruction. They were then asked to plan and implement a 6-day unit over four problem-solving skills given to them by the experimenters. Their problem-solving instruction was observed using the same observational methodology as during regular instruction. Detailed narrative records of the lessons, teacher, and observer ratings of the instruction, and student work assignments were obtained. These data were used to segment each lesson and describe the activity structure of the daily instruction. Comparison of the activity structures and teacher and observer ratings between regular and problem-solving instruction revealed few major differences between the two types of instruction. Between-teacher differences in activity structures were greater than differences across the two types of instruction, suggesting consistent but individualistic time use patterns for teachers. An organizational style for instruction was suggested as a possible explanation for the findings.
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