Abstract
It is generally agreed that acquiring thinking and problem-solving skills is nowadays a primary objective of general education. Responding appropriately to this challenge requires an answer to the following questions: 1. what does the acquisition of problem-solving skills involve, and 2. how can those abilities be fostered through systematic instruction? This contribution describes a four-step model of skilled problem-solving processes, and gives an overview of three major categories of cognitive skills involved in competent problem solving, namely, the flexible and integrated application of domain-specific knowledge, of heuristic methods, and of metacognitive skills. Furthermore, a framework is presented for the design and elaboration of powerful teaching-learning environments in which such problem-solving skills can be acquired efficiently. Two basic ideas underlying this model are: the view of learning as a constructive process, and the idea of cognitive apprenticeship as an effective and appropriate method for learning and teaching. Finally, some recent research findings supporting the educational significance of the framework are briefly reviewed.
Résumé
De nos jours, on admet généralement que l’acquisition des capacités de pensée et de résolution de problèmes constitue un objectif primordial de l’éducation. Répliquer de façon appropriée à ce défi requiert une réponse aux questions suivantes: 1. qu’implique l’acquisition de capacités à résoudre des problèmes, et 2. comment peut-on influencer l’acquisition de ces capacités par un enseignement systématique?
Cette contribution propose un modèle à quatre phases de processus maîtrisés de la résolution de problèmes. Elle donne un aperçu des trois catégories principales de capacités cognitives qui interviennent dans une résolution compétente de problèmes, notamment l’application flexible et intégrée d’un domaine de connaissance spécifique, de méthodes heuristiques et de capacités métacognitives. On décrit ensuite un cadre de référence pour le développement et l’élaboration d’environnements d’apprentissage efficaces pour l’acquisition de ces habiletés. Deux idées sous-tendent ce modèle: la conception de l’apprentissage comme un processus constructif et l’idée du «cognitive apprenticeship» comme une méthode efficace et appropriée à l’apprentissage et à l’enseignement. Finalement, quelques résultats récents de recherche viennent appuyer l’importance de ce modèle de référence dans l’éducation.
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De Corte, E. Towards powerful learning environments for the acquisition of problem-solving skills. Eur J Psychol Educ 5, 5–19 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03172765
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03172765