Future Problem Solving - Our Educational Curriculum Needs It!

Future Problem Solving - Our Educational Curriculum Needs It!

The development of students as problem solvers has become an issue of international concern. Teaching problem solving skills within the context of complex scientific and social problems is a powerful way of enlisting student interest, especially when these problems are ones that students are likely to experience in the future. Exposure to critical present and future problems can also empower students to become change agents. This paper describes the international Future Problem Solving Program begun in the USA, in 1974, by Dr. E. Paul Torrance. The process used and the different program components are described. Finally, a discussion of the benefits of the FPS Program are presented.