PHYSICS PROBLEM SOLVING

 Groups should be carefully managed in terms of gender, performance, and number of
members. This agrees with prior research. I believe some of the dysfunction observed in
some of these groups (e.g., 4C) could be avoided if the instructor becomes acquainted with
the students personalities and intervenes in dysfunctional groups.

 Group processing, according to the Johnson model, improves group functioning. This should
be a part of all problem-solving groups in order to foster group cohesion and functioning.

 The explicit problem-solving strategy seems to have helped these groups. Teaching problem
solving should be an integral part of all physics courses at all levels of instruction.