Teaching problem solving: Views of science teachers in Singapore primary schools

Abstract

Problem solving and thinking skills have recently been highlighted in the Singapore press and in the education circles. There is renewed interest to promote more independent thinking among Singapore pupils, starting from primary schools. A study among science teachers was carried out in the middle of 1996. The aim of the study was to find out if science teachers were adopting the teaching of problem solving in the national primary science curriculum and if so, what were the teachers' perception of the teaching approach using problem solving. This paper is a preliminary report of a part of the study. It provides information on the instructional situation in primary science lessons and the factors that influenced the teachers to adopt certain instructional techniques, in particular, a problem-solving approach in teaching primary science.