Technological and Personal Problem Solving Styles: Is there a Difference?

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Title:

Technological and Personal Problem Solving Styles: Is there a Difference? PDF

Url:

https://scholar.lib.vt.edu/ejournals/JTE/v7n2/pdf/wu.pdf

Creator:

Custer, Rodney L.
Dyrenfurth, Michael J.
Wu, Tain-Fung

Publisher:

Journal of Technology Education
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Description: Problem solving, and technological problem solving in particular, is clearly a critical survival skill in our technologically advanced world. Government, business, vocational and technology education leaders have increasingly called for more emphasis on higher-order thinking skills and problem solving in both general and technological areas. The American technology education profession has identified problem solving as the technological method (Savage & Sterry, 1990). Authors outside technology education have also suggested that both general and technology teachers would be well advised to focus on enhancing problem solving skills. Given this, the authors sought to examine several key aspects of problem solving in more depth. Of these, the first was problem solving style. Problem-solving style is defined as a tendency to respond in a certain way while addressing problems and not as the steps employed in actually solving the problem. It has been operationally defined by Heppner (1988) in terms of three distinct dimensions which can be measured by the Problem Solving Inventory (PSI). Collectively, these dimensions (problem-solving confidence, approach/avoidance, and personal control) comprise problem-solving style. Although many educators claim to address problem solving, if the increasing frequency of mention in the literature is to be believed, the portion of citizens who have developed adequate problem solving capabilities is insufficient. It is no coincidence that this inadequacy is occurring at the same time when our society is experiencing a decrease in technological literacy. This problem is all the more critical given that the pace of technological growth is escalating (Dyrenfurth, 1991; Johnson, 1989).

Target Audience: 2-4 Year College Faculty/Administrators

LC Classification:

Bibliography. Library science. Information resources (General) -- Subject bibliography -- Education -- Special topics, A-Z -- Engineering education
Education -- Special aspects of education -- Types of education -- Industrial education (General) -- High technology and education
Education -- Theory and practice of education -- Teaching (Principles and practice) -- Problem-based learning

GEM Subject:

Science -- Engineering
Vocational Education -- Trade and industrial

Resource Type:

Reference Material
Instructional Material
Instructional Material -- Instructor Guide/Manual

Format:

Document -- PDF

Audience:

Educator
Learner

Education Level:

High School
Higher Education
Higher Education -- Undergraduate (Lower Division)
Higher Education -- Undergraduate (Upper Division)
Higher Education -- Technical Education (Upper Division)
Higher Education -- Technical Education (Lower Division)
Vocational/Professional Development Education

Language:

English

Access Rights:

Free access

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Source Type:

ATE Center

Source:

National Center for Manufacturing Education

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