The Riddle as a Learning and Educational Tool

doi:10.4236/ce.2013.46055

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Creative Education

2013. Vol.4, No.6, 388-395

Published Online June 2013 in SciRes (http://www.scirp.org/journal/ce) http://dx.doi.org/10.4236/ce.2013.46055

The Riddle as a Learning and Educational Tool

Hait Shaham1,2

1Mathematics department, Beit Berl Academic College, Kfar Saba, Israel

2Mathematics department, Gordon Academic College, Haifa, I s rael

Email: cahit@netvision.net.il

Received December 26th, 2012; revised April 28th, 2013; accepted May 9th, 2013

tion License, which permits unrestricted use, dist ribution, and r eproduction in any medium, provided the o riginal

work is properly cited.

The primary objective of the present research study is to examine the implications of the implementation

of an innovative program for the creation of learning stimulation in a challenging environment, through

riddles, on the perception of the learning experience in its different aspects. Previous research studies

maintain that in a different learning environment, the students’ achievements will be different. One of the

goals of the present research study is to examine whether an identical challenging environment creates

different or similar results among a population of children with difference in their intelligence level, or in

a focused manner, between the achievements of gifted and talented students and students in the traditional

learning environment.

Keywords: Development of Social Skills; Thinking Styles in the School; Educational Sociology; Gifted;

Thinking-Focused Teaching; Riddles; Learning Climate; Motivation to Learn

Introduction

The present research study, which addresses the topic of cha-

nges and innovations in education, sees the importance of the

development of a challenging learning environment as devel-

oping coping processes (for instance, with a riddle) and enig-

matic reality—as a natural and effective way of the assimilation

of the development of values and information. Coping with

thinking challenges, as with the example of riddles, has steadily

been increasing representation in science, society, and the me-

dia and it also serves as a basis of the reciprocal activity among

people in the different media channels in Israel and around the

world (Arbel, 1990).

Many resources have been invested in the past decade in the

educational system in Israel in the development of the students’

abilities, as well as the integration of technology and computers

in the teaching and learning process of many content realms. In

spite of these efforts, it appears that the potential is far from

being completely exploited.

According to modern educational approaches, teaching must

focus on the creation of opportunities for the development of learn-

ing abilities through active learning, the development of critical

thinking using tasks, and the adjustment of learning styles to

thinking styles. The present research study focused on the achi-

evements of students who learned in a challenging learning envi-

ronment (Hamizer riddles) in two frameworks (traditional class

and gifted class, Gordon Center) and thinking styles as a learn-

ing strategy. The goal is to develop the learning framework as a

predictor of achievemen ts in the challengin g learning environment.

The Theoretical Background

The Gifted and Talented Child

Both society’s reference to the gifted child and the theoreti-

cal outlooks regarding his development have experienced far-

reaching changes in recent years. The researches of Holling-

worth (1942), Oden (1968), and Terman (1925) showed that the

gifted have characteristics such as maturity, self-image, cogni-

tive independence, and general adjustment, in comparison to

non-gifted children.

The concept of “giftedness” has many definitions. Defini-

tions accepted today are qualitative in nature and also include a

quantitative element—I.Q. They were first designed at the end

of the 1970s and in the beginning of the 1980s by Tannenbaum

(1983) and Sternberg (1985). Today, the definitions include a

quantitative—statistical—element, the level of innate abilities

(measured in intelligence tests), personality abilities, and envi-

ronmental variables.

Renzulle (1981) and Zorman (1993) describe the gifted child

as a curious child who takes the initiative and is possessed of

original thinking in problem solving. He has exceptional ideas,

expresses himself fluently without obstruction, has a developed

and refined sense of humor, is emotionally sensitive, and is

aware of his impulsive responses. He is sensitive to beauty and

has a developed sense of criticism. He is individualistic, is not

willing to accept authority, and is not afraid of being different.

Thinking Styles

Thinking is a process (influenced by heredity and the envi-

ronment) that occurs in the mind. It includes the absorption and

processing of stimuli. Thinking allows us to supervise our

words and deeds and it has different roles in the different stages

of teaching and learning. Accordingly, there are different forms

of thinking, such as scientific, analytic, creative, etc.

Students differ from one another in their style of thinking. In

other words, they differ in the way in which they acquire

knowledge, crystallize ideas, feel, and behave. There are sev-

H. SHAHAM

eral theories that describe a person’s different thinking styles.

Knowing the person’s thinking style (or the profile of thinking

styles) may explain why a certain activity suits him and why

another one is not appropriate (Zohar, 1996).

The thinking style is the form of thinking that the person

prefers in a given situation. The thinking style is the way in

which the person chooses to express his thinking (Sternberg &

Wagner, 1991). Hence, the thinking styles are not found in the

realm of abilities or realm of personality but in the areas of

tangency between them (Sternberg, 1994a).

The fit between the style of thinking and ability is the recipe

for success. Every learner has a profile of learning styles and

not one single style. A creative learner may be very organized

or very scattered, v ery solitary or sociable. The styles of think-

ing change from task to task.

Learners are different from one another in the intensity of

their preferences. For instance, one learner may insist on work-

ing in a group while another is willing to work in a group but

does not really want to. Learners are different from one another

in the flexibility of their style of thinking. Sometimes the style

of thinking is not commensurate with the style of teaching in

the school and the learner must evince a degree of flexibility to

allow the learning (Sternberg, 1994a).

Sternberg (1997) maintains that it is possible to teach a

thinking style and that the thinking style can be measured. To

teach how to use a certain thinking style it is necessary to allow

the person activities that require him to use this thinking style.

When there is fit between the learner’s style of thinking and the

nature of the task he has been set, the results are the best (Smith,

2002; Sternberg, 1994a). Styles are not fixed and may change

over the course of life.

Sternberg (1994b) posited a theory on the question of how

people conduct their everyday cognitive activities inside and

outside the school. He classifies the styles of thinking into thir-

teen styles under five categories.

 Function—the learner’s mode of operation.

 Forms—the learner’s form of activity.

 Levels—the learner’s level of coping with the situation or

task.

 Scope—the learner’s tendency to cope with the task alone

or in the group.

 Leaning—the learner’s tendency to think independently or

perform instructions.

The present research examines patterns of thinking as one of

the characteristics in the student’s personal world. The present

research study made partial use of the model proposed by

Sternberg (1994b) and addressed the relevant styles as charac-

teristic of and adjusted to the challenging learning environment

(Chamizer riddles). The thinking pattern is the composition of

the thinking styles. The students’ thinking styles in the present

research were examined in a questionnaire, based on the theory

of Sternberg (1997), which includes thirteen thinking styles,

from which six thinking styles were chosen: executive, internal,

external, liberal, conservative, and local. These thinking styles

characterize and are adjusted to the learning environment of the

“Chamizer Riddles”.

Factors That Influence Thinking Styles

The person’s thinking style is influenced by a number of

variables, including culture, and within it the element of the

language (Smith, 2002; Sternberg, 1994a). Smith (2002) main-

tains that the cultural origin directs to the thinking style, for

instance, some countries esteem the individual’s success and

other countries esteem the success of the shared work of a

group of people (Smith, 2002). Hence, the native language (as a

characteristic of the cultural origin) constitutes a differentiation

between students (those whose native language is Hebrew—

local culture and those whose native language is not Hebrew—

a non-local culture).

Another factor is the gender. Sternberg (1997) describes a

research that examined the difference in the thinking styles

between boys and girls. Boys were described as adventurous,

with initiative, individualistic, with intention ability and pro-

gressive. Girls were described as cautious, dependent, sup-

ported, nosy, embarrassed, and obedient. These stereotypes rep-

resent predictions more than they represent reality.

To summarize, Sternberg (1997) emphasizes that to create

effective learning processes we must provide the learner with a

variety of activities and teaching methods so that at least some

of the activities or teaching methods will suit his thinking style.

Some teaching methods suit a certain teaching style more than

another one. The student chooses the thinking style for the situ-

ation where he is found. The teacher, according to Sternberg,

has an impact on his students’ thinking style.

The Student’s Perception of the Learning

Environment

The class is the physical and social environment where the

child spends his time and where he attempts different experi-

ences. The learning climate addresses the learning atmosphere

in the classroom, the norms on the topic of the studies, the stu-

dents’ expectations of success in the studies and their achieve-

ment behavior (Bar-El, 1996).

In the classroom framework, social processes and reciprocal

activities are created, influenced by many variables, such as

characteristics of the physical environment, characteristics of

the populations of students and teachers, and organizational

characteristics. These variables influence the unique character-

istics of the class, such as norms, attitudes towards the learning,

democracy, performance of assignments, help, cooperation, in-

terpersonal expectations, cohesion, and patterns of interpersonal

communication.

The class learning can be defined, first and foremost, in

terms of place, space, and time, when within these aspects the

processes of learning and teaching occur (Salomon, 2000b).

Fraser and Wohlberg (1981) and Salomon (2000a) focus the

learning environment as a main source that influences the stu-

dents’ behavior, their ability to develop critical thinking and

self-motivation, and their ability to assume upon themselves

responsibility for learning that continue s throughout their lives.

The constructivist approach engages in the learning envi-

ronment primarily in the social process of interaction and par-

ticipation, and acquisition of meaning in an interactive manner

for shared knowledge (Brooks, 2000; Greeno, 1997; Vygotsky,

1962).

The technological development and the structuring of tech-

nology in the constructivist class constitute the crowning achi-

evements as a challenging environment (Chamizer challenges

method) in education. Technology, as a learning resource, must

be included in every program for the re-shaping of schools,

since it provides the student and the teachers with access to

information and to tools that enable information to be addressed,

H. SHAHAM

processed, and internalized and thus it facilitates the improve-

ment of the students’ achievements.

The research study engages in the constructivist learning en-

vironment—the structuring of knowledge using technology as a

tool of intellectual sharing (Salomon, 2000a). The basis of the

present research is the introduction of challenging learning

through the use of the computer and the Internet as technologi-

cal instrumented. The challenging learning—Chamizer chal-

lenges—enables the development of personal skills.

One of the main elements of these skills in the present re-

search is resources management that includes four elements that

control sources that are not related directly to thinking (Stern-

berg, 1985). The resources can be external, internal, and inter-

personal. The resources are management of time and learning

space, regulation of efforts, learning with peers, and search for

help (Garcia & Pintrich, 1996). As the student believes and

masters the resources of the learning—technological environ-

ment, social environment, work methods, and understands the

requirements, the level of performance in all types of tasks

included in the research rises.

The learning environment is greatly influenced by the tea-

cher’s support as it was perceived by the students, by the learn-

ing climate—conduct of the learning, the social climate—the

interpersonal interaction formed among the students themselves

and between them and the teachers (Assor, 2001). The domi-

nant argument in the literature is that the class climate is what

the student perceives subjectively, so that involvement in the

learning process develops (or does not develop) (Anderson,

1982; Huesmann & Guerra, 1997). The different learning app-

roaches focus on how to inspire the students’ curiosity and inte-

rest and what are the factors of motivation for learning (Mich-

enbaum, Burland, Gruson, & Cameron, 1998; Pokay & Blu-

menfeld, 1990).

The method of the Chamizer riddles implemented in the pre-

sent research has the goal of developing thinking in the learner;

critical thinking through the encouragement of motivation

(emotional element) in the student and the creation of cognitive

stimuli. This approach sets new challenges, complicated chal-

lenges, which constitute an impetus for the successful imple-

mentation of programs for the development of thinking (Pin-

trich, 1990a, 1990b; Pintrich & De Groot, 1990). It is expressed

in the student’s belief that he can do the riddle and he has emo-

tions, expectations, and beliefs that influence his efforts in

learning (Ames & Archer, 1999).

Chamizer Riddles

Chamizer riddles, unlike familiar riddles, most of which are

fashioned around factual knowledge and/or logic, are based on

the resources of associative imagination. Thus, by their very

definition, everything is right. There are infinite possibilities of

solution for every riddle and only one of them was chosen by

the riddle master (what he considers best). Therefore, with the

Chamizer Riddle every person can set sail to his domains of

knowledge, imagination, and association and create a process of

search and choice of a new type that ensures products of as-

similation and acquisition of knowledge in an unmediated man-

ner.

The Chamizer method creates a unique learning/educational

process that combines elements such as teamwork, focus, chal-

lenge, competitiveness, steadily increasing interest, enjoyment,

and self-motivation, with ‘adventurous enthusiasm’ and curios-

ity. This is an open method, in which creative imagination and

associative impetus have a main part in the direction of the

process. This method is one of the innovative pedagogies that

can be promoted through computer technology, including the

collection and organization of information for the study of data.

Salomon (2002a) addressed the changes that occur following

different projects (Chamizer Riddles) that are implemented in

technology rich environments.

 Intensive use is made of computerization technologies.

 The learning is interactive to a large extent, autonomous,

and based on teamwork.

 The scholastic tasks enable the students to engage in a

structured and active manner in interdisciplinary and au-

thentic tasks.

 The projects are directed by inquiry learning and self-direc-

tion.

 Computerized communication enables near and far infor-

mation sources to be combined.

At the basis of the method is the learner’s experience of suc-

cess and learning. The student becomes responsible for his

success and for the success of the members of his group and of

his class. Moreover, the student becomes a teacher and an ex-

perience of learning and teaching develops and makes him a

partner. He develops strategies of cooperation and learning in

harmony. In this method, a shared language of values and be-

havior ways in the group develops.

To conclude, the primary objective of this research is to ex-

amine the implications of the implementation of an innovative

program for the creation of learning stimulus in a challenging

environment through riddles on the perception of the learning

experience in its different aspects. Previous researches maintain

that in a different learning environment the students will have

different achievements.

The program examined in the present research study was de-

veloped by the Intel Corporation with the collaboration of the

father of riddles, Mr. Dan Chamizer, and is called “The Cham-

izer Challenges Method in Education”. This program provides

students with activities in original and innovative methods and

the learning of broad topics that rely on broad areas of knowl-

edge. This goal includes the following sub-goals:

1) To evaluate the Chamizer challenges method in education

as an impetus for cognitive development that crosses the

bounds of curriculum as a strategy of thinking-focused teaching

in any learning framework. In a more focused manner, the goal

is to examine:

 The contribution of the learning environment to the promo-

tion of achievements and motivation among students in the

traditional class as well as among gifted and talented stu-

dents.

 The presence of differences in the achievements of the

groups of students.

 The fact that the learning environment mediates between

the thinking styles and demographic and personal data and

the students’ achievements.

2) To evaluate the applicative ability of the model of Stern-

berg in the learning environments of gifted and talented stu-

dents and of students who are not gifted.

3) To develop and validate an instrument for the evaluation

of the Chamizer challenges method as an enigmatic universal

tool (in regards to the students’ achievements in the two

groups).

4) To examine the intervention of background characteristics,

390

H. SHAHAM

learning, and thinking styles as an explanation of the achieve-

ments of the students who have experience in the challenging

learning environment of the Chamizer challenges method.

The Research Hypotheses

1) The background characteristics of the students influence

their achievements. A difference will be found among the stu-

dents in their achievements. These differences will be expres-

sed in the comparison among the students according to age,

gender, native language, and study framework.

2) The student’s style of thinking influences his achieve-

ments. A relationship will be found between the degree to

which the student uses each one of the thinking styles and the

level of his achievements.

3) The student’s perception of the learning environment in-

fluences his achievements. A relationship will be found be-

tween his evaluation of the learning environment (according to

all its different elements) and his level of achievements.

4) A relationship will be found between the student’s evalua-

tion of the dimensions of the learning environment and the level

of expression of the different thinking styles.

5) The background characteristics of students do not influ-

ence their evaluation of the learning environment. Hence, dif-

ferences will not be found among the students in the evaluation

of the learning according to age, gender, native language, and

learning framework.

6) The relationship between the student’s background vari-

ables and the styles of thinking that he expresses and his level

of achievements will be mediated by his degree of evaluation of

the learnin g environment.

The Research Study

The Research Objective

The research objective is to learn about the contribution that

the implementation of a learning program based on riddles has

on the students’ learning experience and achievements. In the

present research, the learning program is the Chamizer chal-

lenges method in education.

The Research Design

The research is a quantitative research study, based on a

methodology of comparative correlative research, which was

performed using a perceptions questionnaire for the measure-

ment of the research variables. The comparison between the

populations is performed both in regards to the distribution of

the variables and in regards to the strength of the relationships

among the variables (Birenbaum, 1993).

The Research Process

The data were collected from two populations: traditional

schools and the Gordon Center (cluster sampling according to

the characteristics of the school). A total of 79 students came

from traditional schools and 161 students came from the Gor-

don Center.

The research was conducted in a number of stages:

 Stage 1: The approval for the performance of a research

from the school principals was received and later the re-

quest was made for the teachers participation (according to

the list obtained by the principal).

 Stage 2: On the basis of the researcher’s meetings in

schools, two schools were chosen from the North region

and two schools from the Central region. In parallel, the re-

searcher manages the Gordon Center and therefore diverse

courses given to the gifted and talented children were cho-

sen.

 Stage 3: The “Chamizer Challenges” program was imple-

mented in all the schools and in the Gordon Center simul-

taneously, with the same instructions and directives (both

for students and for the accompanying teachers).

 Stage 4: The research instrument was distributed and the

data were collected and coded using the SPSS program. T he

subjects were promised that the questionnaires would be

anonymous.

The Research Variables

1) Independent variables: thinking styles, demographic vari-

ables, age, gender, and native language.

2) Dependent variable: achievements in solving problems.

3) Mediated variable: perception of the learning environ-

ment.

The Research Instrument

Thinking Styles Questionnaire

The questionnaire was developed by Sternberg (1977). The

research used six thinking styles proposed by Sternberg, when

the content of the statement was adjusted to the different learn-

ing environments. The responses range on a Likert scale from 1

to 5, when 1 is “not at all” and 5 is “most considerably”. Con-

tent validity was evaluated using an expert (the developer of the

Chamizer challenges) to examine the relevance of the thinking

styles to the challenging environment (riddles). The reliability

was examined and found to be high in all the dimensions

(Cronbach’s alpha ranges from 0.61 to 0.83).

Student’s Perception of the Learning Environment

Questionnaire

The questionnaire was developed by Ben Zakan (2000) and

found to be reliable in the present research (Cronbach’s alpha

ranges from 0.56 to 0.85). The five elements of the learning

environment were taken from the original research of Ben Za-

kan.

Findings and Conclusions

The findings of the quantitative research were presented in

two parts. In the first part, descriptive statistics were presented,

examining the means and standard deviations and Cronbach’s

alpha, which confirmed the internal reliability of all the re-

search variables and dimensions. In the second part, statistical

analyses were performed, examining the research hypotheses.

Pearson correlations examined the relationships between the

variables and t tests for independent samples examined the

differences between the two study frameworks. Multiple re-

gression analyses of the Enter type that examined predictions

and stepwise multiple regression analyses were conducted, and

paths analysis using the AMOS program were performed to

examine the mediating variable. The statistical analyses in the

second part examined the following:

1) The relationship between background characteristics and

achievements.

H. SHAHAM

2) The relationship between the perception of the thinking

style and the level of achievements.

3) The relationship between the perception of the learning

environment and the achievements.

4) The relationship between the thinking style and the

evaluation of the learning environment.

5) The relationship between gender, age, and native language

and the learning environment.

6) The relationship between the background variables and the

thinking style with the mediation of the learning environment.

The Relationship between the Background

Characteristics and the Achievements

As the research hypothesis stated, it was found that the

learners of a higher age achieved higher achievements. The

speakers of a native language that is not Hebrew attained higher

achievements than did those whose native language is Hebrew.

A significant difference was not found in the achievements

between boys and girls. Hence, as the age rises, the ability to

achieve rises (Dagan, 1989; Fried, 1984; Piaget & Inhelder,

1972).

The native language, especially among immigrants from the

countries of the Former Soviet Union, was found to predict

achievements in the comparison to the native Hebrew speakers.

Levin, Shohami, and Spulsky (2003) explain this finding as

characteristic of those from the Former Soviet Union, who

come from a culture that cultivates achievements and excel-

lence. Additional research studies (Smith, 2002) support this

finding and the empowerment of youth through the cultivation

of the learning environment and the creation of conditions for

excellence.

Significant differences were found in the achievements of the

traditional school frameworks in comparison to the Gordon

Center students, whose achievements were lower. The present

research study found that the traditional learning framework

adopts learning in groups in comparison to the Gordon Center

framework, which is characterized by individual learning.

Hence, it can be learned that learning in groups increases

achievements (Hertz-Lazarovitz, 1997; Rotem & Peled, 2006;

Salomon, 2000b).

The Relationship between Perception of Thinking

Styles and Level of Achievements

As the research hypothesis stated, it was found that there is a

positive significant correlation between the local, internal, and

liberal patterns of thinking and the students’ level of achieve-

ments in the entire sample. Among the Gordon Center students,

a relationship was not found between the thinking styles and

the level of achievements. In other words, the thinking styles do

not predict success/achievements among the gifted and talented

students while in the traditional schools it was found that as the

style is perceived as more local, executive, and liberal, the level

of achievements is higher. Hence, it can be understood that the

thinking styles in regards to the present research have (partial)

abilities to predict success when the conditions of the develop-

ment of the thinking styles are conditions as described in the

school in the traditional environment. On the basis of the find-

ings of Sternberg (1997) and Smith (2002) and in regards to the

present research findings, it can be assumed that through the

assessment of the thinking styles it will be possible to adjust the

type of task to the thinking style and thus increase the chances

of success. In the present research, it is possible to present the

existence of differences in the thinking patterns regarding the

different learning environments (traditional, Gordon Center).

However, it is not possible to present clusters of thinking pat-

terns due to the low number of research subjects.

The Relationship between Perception of the Learning

Environment and Achievements

As the research hypothesis stated, it was found that the per-

ception of the learning environment predicts success/ achieve-

ments only among the Gordon Center students. A relationship

was not found between the learning environment and the tradi-

tional learning framework. Zedkiyahu (1998) maintains that

this relationship depends on the study subject. The present re-

search study showed another effect, beyond the subject of study:

the cultivation of the group of learners—gifted and talented

students who receive beyond the regular learning environment

an academic learning environment in the Gordon Center. It is

possible that this finding contributed to the prediction ability of

the perception of the learning environment for the success of

the Gordon Center students.

The Relationship between Thinking Style and

Assessment of the Learning Environment

As the hypothesis stated, it was found that as the thinking

patterns are characterized by local and liberal styles on a higher

level, the perception of the learning is significantly better. Sup-

port of the findings is seen in research (Michenbaum et al.,

1998; Piaget, in Zorman, 1993; Pokay & Blumenfeld, 1990). In

this context, it can be assumed that motivation (Ames, 1990)

from the teaching process is not disconnected from the impor-

tance the student attributes to the study topic (content and me-

thod) and constitutes a catalyst for the success in the achieve-

ment of the goal (Ames & Archer, 1999; Pintrich & de Groot,

1990).

The Relationship between Gender, Age, and Native

Language and the Learning Environment

As the hypothesis stated, it was found that the girls assess the

learning environment as higher than do the boys, beyond the

specific learning environment. Klein, and Weiss (2007) found

that women are more attentive, evince higher openness to staff

conduct, and tend to involve others more in counsel, problem

solving, and decision making. In contrast, men have a greater

tendency to make decisions and solve problems individually

(egocentrism), share less, and are less attentive to others. While

this finding refers to the adult worker population in the work

environments, it perhaps can also explain the present research

findings.

The child’s native language was found to influence the per-

ception of the social climate so that a child whose native lan-

guage is not Hebrew perceives the social climate as lower than

does a child whose native language is Hebrew.

The present research proposes to see the learning environ-

ment as the student sees it, in conditions of challenging learning

(Chamizer riddles) as a variable that explains success and

achievements and mediates between the thinking styles and the

students’ achievements in the traditional learning environment.

The learning environment is empowered in its importance since

it has the ability to predict success of gifted and talented stu-

392

H. SHAHAM

dents (without mediation ability).

Additional demographic variables were not examined as

having the ability to explain the evaluation of the learning en-

vironment. In addition, the native language was not explicitly

addressed in the literature.

The Relationship between Background Variables and

Thinking Style with the Mediation of the L earni ng

Environment

According to the research hypothesis, it was found that

among the students in the traditional schools, the learning en-

vironment is a variable the completely mediates the relationship

between the thinking styles and the students’ achievements.

However, the perception of the learning environment does not

constitute a mediating variable in the relationship between

thinking styles and achievements in the Gordon Center. In the

Gordon Center, only the liberal thinking style has impact on the

students’ achievements. As the liberal style is higher, the

achievements are higher. In other words, as the Gordon Center

students received challenges with tasks in an innovative, origi-

nal, and challenging manner, which provide a platform for in-

vestigation of new situations that are not unequivocal, chal-

lenging the existing situations in a daring and creative way

through the inculcation of skills of personal leadership and

creation of a toolbox for the coping with challenges of thinking

on a high level, their achievements are higher (Krathwohl,

Bloom, & Masia, 1964).

The present research proposes to see the learning environ-

ment as the student perceives it, in conditions of challenging

learning (Chamizer riddles) as a variable that explains success

and achievements and mediates between thinking styles (Stern-

berg, 1995) and the students’ achievements in the traditional

learning environment. The learning environment is empowered

since it was found to be able to predict the success of gifted and

talented students (without mediation ability).

The Research Model—Paths Analysis for the Two

Learning Environments

According to this model, the learning environment mediates

the relationship between the thinking styles and the achieve-

ments only in traditional schools. The executive, external, and

conservative thinking styles lose their impact on the achieve-

ments when the learning environment is examined as a mediat-

ing variable. In the Gordon Center, in contrast, there is no direct

impact of the thinking styles on the achievements, aside from

the liberal thinking style. As the liberal style is higher, the

achievements are higher. The factor of the learning environ-

ment does not mediate this relationship and in essence consti-

tutes the meaningful factor that directly influences the achi-

evements. All the thinking styles aside from the liberal style

were not found to influence the achievements directly, a finding

that supports the significant impact of the perception of the

learning environment that the student experienced on the

achievements in the special learning environment of the Gordon

Center.

Summary and Conclusion

The present research found the learning environment to be a

variable that completely mediates the relationship between the

thinking styles and the students’ achievements. The study

framework does not constitute a variable that mediates the rela-

tionship between thinking styles and achievements in the

Gordon Center.

The girls in the present research evaluated the learning envi-

ronment as higher than did the boys. Among children whose

native language is not Hebrew, the social climate was found to

be lower than that among children whose native language is

Hebrew. However, the perception of the learning environment

was found to be a variable that mediates between demographic

and personal characteristics and thinking style and achieve-

ments/success only among the students in the traditional learn-

ing environment.

This finding reflects a phenomenon that should be examined.

The reference should be from the very introduction of a peda-

gogical instrument—the Chamizer riddles, developed by the

Intel Corporation for the knowledge industries, when its interest

is to develop creative autonomy, critical ability, and broad

education—the “thinking class”.

The meaning of this thesis, as proposed in the present re-

search study, is that a challenging project has the ability to be

generalized in different learning environments (traditional/

Gordon Center for gifted and talented children), under condi-

tions in which the students perceive the learning environment

as such that cultivates a social and learning climate, motivation

to learn, opportunities for resources management abilities—all

with the teacher’s support and cultivation of reciprocity and

teamwork in the solution of the riddles.

Implications

Theoretical Implications

 On the basis of the research findings, it is recommended to

conduct a further research to be based on an experimental

design with the allocation to two groups (experimental and

control).

 It is recommended to represent a more diverse sample to

differentiate between sectors of the population that repre-

sent elements such as native language, to reinforce the

finding in the present research study, the parental education,

as predictors of achievements and additional demographic

variables that did not arise in the present research.

Practical Implications

 The present research study found differences in the evalua-

tion of the work environment between students in the tradi-

tional schools and students in the Gordon Center. The re-

search findings show lower scores of the Gordon Center

students in their perception of the learning environment.

This finding necessitates the re-examination of the expecta-

tions in regards to the satisfaction of the Gordon Center

children so as to enable higher levels of development and

achievements. The shaping of the learning environment of

the gifted students should allow the opportunity to develop

personal traits such as creativity, curiosity, insight, perse-

verance, imagination, and tolerance, through the develop-

ment of skills of the cultivation of social awareness in dis-

cussions, researches, and surveys, through teamwork.

 The present research study raises the question of what is the

appropriate/challenging environment that motivates to suc-

cess? The awareness of the ability observed in the present

research of the students in traditional classes to cope suc-

H. SHAHAM

cessfully in a challenging environment, as proposed by the

program of Intel headed by Dan Chamizer, requires the

continued assimilation of such challenging programs in the

traditional learning curricula. This recommendation neces-

sitates the training program of role-holders in education to

have the ability to lead such projects.

 It is recommended to encourage the participation and in-

volvement outside factors with proven ability to intervene

as an instrument of educational development to join the ef-

fort. This process needs to lead to the adoption and to the

assimilation of the principles upon which the initiative is

based, till they become working guidelines.

 It is necessary to create an assimilation program beyond the

one-time event so that a program like that of Chamizer and

Intel will fit into the school curriculum.

 The accessibility to the learning resources (computers, tech-

nology) is a main point. It is necessary to refer to the place

of the resources in regards to the desired changes and pri-

marily to the place of modern technology.

 It is necessary to acknowledge the importance of the ele-

ment of the social climate. The social aspect, which is pri-

mary the ability of different individuals in the system to

cooperate (students, teachers, principals, parents, and other

interested parties) is a main aspect in all that pertains to the

promotion of processes of change in the approaches of

education and development of the generation of the future.

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