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Qualitative and quantitative differences between expert and novice problem-solvers in school consultation
Abstract
This study examined possible differences between novice consultants and expert consultants on the basis of their use of the problem solving skills proposed by various theoreticians and researchers in general/domain specific problem solving in school consultation. Previous researchers had suggested that certain qualitative and quantitative differences exist between novices and experts during their problem solving process. This particular study chose to examine those types of differences in the field of school consultation. Twelve expert and twelve novice consultants participated in the study. The experts were defined as psychologists having at least four years post doctoral training, trained in consultation, having "in the field" experience, and published consultation articles. The novices were defined as having a bachelor's degree, currently in a consultation graduate program, practicum experience in consultation, and no publications in the field. Subjects ranged in age from 28 to 47 years. A consultee portrayed a fifth grade teacher, role playing two twenty minute consultation sessions on the phone with each subject. Problems involving a girl and a boy were counter-balanced and presented to the subjects. The instrument used to analyze the transcripts was developed by Voss, Greene, Post and Penner (1983). The coding instrument consisted of a problem solving control structure and a reasoning control structure. Each transcript was coded. Nonparametric statistics were used to analyze the data. The results of the study lend support to the existence of quantitative differences between expert and novice problem solving. The differences were identified as efficiency in problem solving, two-tailed p value of.014, and solution generation, two-tailed p value of.0059. The experts appeared more efficient using forward chaining and produced more specific solutions yet fewer in number. The qualitative differences were characterized by problem representation, use of surface features, and method or organization of problem solving sequences. There were no significant qualitative differences between the two groups.
Subject Area
Psychology|Educational psychology
Recommended Citation
Welch, Kathryn Lynn, "Qualitative and quantitative differences between expert and novice problem-solvers in school consultation" (1990). ETD collection for University of Nebraska-Lincoln. AAI9030158.
https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/dissertations/AAI9030158