R11: Problem solving, metacognition; self-regulation

Quotes:

“Metacognitive knowledge involves knowledge about cognition in general, as well as awareness of and knowledge about one's own cognition” (Pintrich, p. 219).

“Our current educational system better prepares children to answer questions that are well defined and presented to them in the classroom than it does to formulate the nature of problems in the first place.  Often the skills involved in solving well defined problems are not the same as those involved in recognizing a non-obvious problem or creating a problem. The skills needed clearly to state a problem and to represent information about it in a way that permits solution are also often not emphasized in current classrooms” (Pretz, Naples, & Sternberg, p. 9).

“Any discussion of problem-solving abilities must survey the environment in which an individual encounters a problem. Peers, culture, and even language structure play a role in the recognition, definition, and representation of a problem” (Pretz, Naples, & Sternberg, p.24).

“Rather than educate others to become followers, it is in our best interest to encourage problem solvers to become active problem finders, to stay curious so that they discover and create novel problems, and to think flexibly in the process of solving those problems” (Pretz, Naples, & Sternberg, p. 27)

Question: 

Do you consider yourself a good problem-solver?  If so, what strategies do you employ in order to solve problems?  I like to think of myself as a good problem-solver; I am flexible, curious and generally have motivation.  However after reading the Pretz, Naples, & Sternberg article, I couldn’t help but think about my assumptions and other blockages that probably get in the way of my problem-solving abilities.

Direct Connection: 

I agree with Pintrich’s assertion that metacognitive knowledge needs to be incorporated with different subject areas and taught explicitly.  These skills are often-times lacking in students and should be addressed in classrooms in order to help students learn more about themselves and be better students.  By explicitly teaching, explaining and modeling metacognitive knowledge, teachers are providing students with strategies and skills which will serve them both inside and outside of the classroom.  The ability to think through a problem and employ strategies to overcome the problem is essential tools for everyday living.  I also liked his suggestion for teachers to explain their strategies of metacognition in order to allow students these processes in action.

Indirect Connection:

I thought the connection between creativity (including motivation and curiosity) in the Pretz, Naples, & Sternberg article was an interesting one.   The authors state, “Most research that has attempted to identify the personality characteristics associated with creativity has found a great deal of variability among creative individuals, suggesting that the ability to create problems and solve them in a way that is considered useful and original may vary greatly from domain to domain. For example, the traits that are associated with being a creative visual artist may be very dissimilar from the traits associated with being a creative business manager. For a creative visual artist to transform his or her creative idea into a reality, he or she often must spend long hours in the studio. But a creative business manager will probably need to interact intensely with many different types of people in order to carry out her creative vision for her organization” (p. 23).  This makes me wonder about successful people in various fields; I wonder if the majority of them have these traits?  The passage above exemplifies that different skills/traits/approaches are needed in different fields, so is it that successful people have simply learned the best strategies for their field?

References:

Pintrich, P. R. (2002). The role of metacognitive knowledge in learning, teaching, and assessing. Theory into Practice, 41, 219-225.

Pretz, J. E., Naples, A. J., & Sternberg, R. J. (2003). Recognizing, defining, and representing problems. In J. E. Davidson & R. J. Sternberg (Eds.), The psychology of problem solving (pp. 1-30). New York: Cambridge University Press.