Effects of Direct versus Indirect Instruction on Problem-Solving

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to conduct a comparative analysis of the effects of direct instruction and indirect instruction on problem-solving skills of eight students, who were referred because of poor decision-making skills. Participants were fifth-grade students enrolled in a summer school program for a month. The hypothesis was that students in the direct-instruction condition would demonstrate stronger problem solving skills compared to the students in the indirect-instruction condition. There was no analysis of results due to flaws in the design of the study. Nevertheless, understanding how this problem-solving model was implemented can prove to be beneficial for researchers conducting this type of study in the future.