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Version 1.1 – Updated August 2021

Problem-solving teaching

Overview

  • Influence: Problem-solving teaching
  • Domain: Teaching Strategies
  • Sub-Domain: Instructional strategies
  • Potential to Accelerate Student Achievement: Potential to considerably accelerate
  • Influence Definition: Problem-solving involves learning to solve a problem that one does not already know how to solve, and can also involve teaching specific, subject-area focused strategies for attempting to solve such problems.

Evidence

  • Number of meta-analyses: 12
  • Number of studies: 714
  • Number of students: 17,656
  • Number of effects: 1,854
  • Effect size: 0.67

Meta-Analyses

Meta-Analyses
Journal Title Author First Author's Country Article Name Year Published Variable Number of Studies Number of Students Number of Effects Effect Size
Dissertation Abstracts International Part A: Humanities and[DISS. ABST. INT. PT. A- HUM. & SOC. SCI. Marcucci USA A Meta-Analysis of Research on Methods of Teaching Mathematical Problem Solving 1980 Problem solving in math 33 0 237 0.35
Conference Paper Curbello USA The effects of teaching problem-solving on students' achievement in science and mathematics. 1984 Problem solving on science and math 68 10,629 343 0.54
Conference Paper Almeida & Denham USA Interpersonal Cognitive Problem-Solving: A Meta-Analysis 1984 Interpersonal problem solving 18 2,398 18 0.72
Unpublished Thesis Mellinger USA The development of cognitive flexibility in problem-solving: Theory and application 1991 Increasing cognitive flexibility 25 0 35 1.13
Journal of Special Education Xin & Jitendra Effects of mathematical word Problem—Solving instruction on middle school students with learning problems. 1999 Word problem solving in reading 14 0 653 0.89
Journal for Research in Mathematics Education Hembree USA Experiments and relational studies in problem solving: a meta-analysis 1992 Problem solving instructional methods 55 0 55 0.33
Journal of Research in Science Teaching Tocanis, Ferguson-Hessler, & Broekkamp Teaching science problem solving: An overview of experimental work. 2001 Problem solving in science 22 2,208 31 0.59
Educational Researcher, Johnson & Johnson Energizing learning: The instructional power of conflict. 2009 Conflict based teaching 39 0 39 0.80
Journal of Educational Scientific Research Liao & Chen China Effects of Integrating Computer Technology into Mathematics Instruction on Elementary Schoolers’ Academic Achievement: A meta-analysis of One-hundred and Sixty-four Studies from Taiwan. 2018 Problem solving teaching 31 2,421 34 0.57
The Elementary School Journal Swanson Research on interventions for adolescents with learning disabilities: A meta-analysis of outcomes related to higher-order processing. 2001 Programs to enhance problem solving 58 0 58 0.82
Mid-Continent Research for Education and Learning Marzano, Gaddy, & Dean What Works in Classroom Instruction 2000 Problem solving 343 0 343 0.54
Learning Disability Quarterly Zheng, Flynn & Swanson USA Experimental Intervention Studies on Word Problem Solving and Math Disabilities A Selective Analysis of the Literature. 2011 Problem solving with math disabilities 8 0 8 0.78
TOTAL/AVERAGE 714 17,656 1,854 0.67

Confidence

The Confidence is the average of these four measures, each divided into five approximately equal groups and assigned a value from 1 to 5 based on the following criteria:

  • Number of Meta-analyses
    • 1 = 1
    • 2 = 2–3
    • 3 = 4–6
    • 4 = 7–9
    • 5 = 10+
  • Number of Studies
    • 1 = 1–10
    • 2 = 11–50
    • 3 = 51–200
    • 4 = 201–400
    • 5 = 400+
  • Number of Students
    • 1 = 1–2,500
    • 2 = 2,501–10,000
    • 3 = 10,000–20,000
    • 4 = 20,000–100,000
    • 5 = 100,001+
  • Number of Effects
    • 1 = 1–100
    • 2 = 101–300
    • 3 = 301–600
    • 4 = 601–1,200
    • 5 = 1,200+
Confidences
Number of Meta-Analyses Number of Studies Number of Students Number of Effects Overall Confidence
Confidence Factor 5 5 3 5 5
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