scholarly journals The Effect of Problem Solving Course on Pre-Service Teachers’ Beliefs about Problem Solving in School Mathematics and Themselves as Problem Solvers

2018 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 141-159
Author(s):  
Ljerka Jukić Matić
Keyword(s):  
Problem Solving ◽  
Mathematics Teachers ◽  
Teaching Practice ◽  
School Mathematics ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Heuristic Strategies ◽  
Teachers Beliefs ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Problem Solvers ◽  
Positive Effect

Problem solving in schools begins with mathematics teachers. The degree to which mathematics teachers are prepared to teach for, about and through problem solving influences on their implementation of problem solving in school. We conducted a small scale study where we examined the effect of implementation of heuristic strategies and Polya’s steps in mathematics method course. We assessed pre-service teachers’ knowledge and attitudes about them as problem solvers before and after the course. Moreover we assessed their beliefs of problem solving in school mathematics. Those beliefs were assessed in two occasions: right after the course and after finished teaching practice. Although students’ knowledge on problem solving was improved, the results of students’ beliefs show that it is important that pre-service teachers, and consequently in-service teachers, are constantly reminded on the positive effect of constructivist and inquiry-based approach on teaching mathematics.

scholarly journals Mathematics teachers’ knowledge for teaching problem solving

2015 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 19-36 ◽  
Author(s):  
Olive Chapman
Keyword(s):  
Problem Solving ◽  
Mathematics Teachers ◽  
Mathematical Problem ◽  
Research Literature ◽  
Mathematical Problem Solving ◽  
Knowledge For Teaching ◽  
General Ability ◽  
Mathematics Knowledge ◽  
Teaching Problem ◽  
Problem Solvers

In recent years, considerable attention has been given to the knowledge teachers ought to hold for teaching mathematics. Teachers need to hold knowledge of mathematical problem solving for themselves as problem solvers and to help students to become better problem solvers. Thus, a teacher’s knowledge of and for teaching problem solving must be broader than general ability in problem solving. In this article a category-based perspective is used to discuss the types of knowledge that should be included in mathematical problem-solving knowledge for teaching. In particular, what do teachers need to know to teach for problem-solving proficiency? This question is addressed based on a review of the research literature on problem solving in mathematics education. The article discusses the perspective of problem-solving proficiency that framed the review and the findings regarding six categories of knowledge that teachers ought to hold to support students’ development of problem-solving proficiency. It concludes that mathematics problem-solving knowledge for teaching is a complex network of interdependent knowledge. Understanding this interdependence is important to help teachers to hold mathematical problem-solving knowledge for teaching so that it is usable in a meaningful and effective way in supporting problem-solving proficiency in their teaching. The perspective of mathematical problem-solving knowledge for teaching presented in this article can be built on to provide a framework of key knowledge mathematics teachers ought to hold to inform practice-based investigation of it and the design and investigation of learning experiences to help teachers to understand and develop the mathematics knowledge they need to teach for problem-solving proficiency.

scholarly journals VALIDATION OF MATHEMATICS TEACHING PRACTICE INSTRUMENTS AMONG SECONDARY SCHOOL MATHEMATICS TEACHERS: EXPLORATORY FACTOR ANALYSIS (EFA)

2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (36) ◽  
pp. 56-69
Author(s):  
Norkumalasari Othman ◽  
Nor Hasnida Che Md Ghazali ◽  
Mohd Nazir Md Zabit
Keyword(s):  
Factor Analysis ◽  
Secondary School ◽  
Mathematics Teachers ◽  
Mathematics Teaching ◽  
Teaching Practice ◽  
School Mathematics ◽  
Chi Square ◽  
Secondary School Mathematics ◽  
Bartlett Test ◽  
Value Measure

This study aims to review the instruments of mathematics teaching practice among secondary school mathematics teachers. A total of 100 mathematics teachers were involved as respondents in this study. The data were analyzed descriptively by access to Alpha Cronbach's reliability and EFA analysis using SPSS software. The results of the analysis show that the Alpha Cronbach value is 0.934 which is more than 0.60. Results from the exploration factor analysis show four factors with Eigenvalues greater than 1.0. The KMO value (Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin) 0.867 > 0.6 indicates the items in the variable of attitude towards math are sufficient for inter-correlation. While the Bartlett Test was significant (Chi-Square 1521.621, p <0.05), an anti-image value (Measure of Sampling Adequacy, MSA) for items correlation exceeded 0.6. However, there are three items that need to be removed because the values obtained are less than 0.60, which were the items G11, G14, and G18. The value of the total variance explained by these three factors was 62.76 percent. Therefore, the overall findings indicate that the items for mathematics teaching practice instruments can measure and answer the study objectives.

Investigating Problem-Solving Perseverance Using Lesson Study

2017 ◽  
Vol 111 (3) ◽  
pp. 207-212 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristen N. Bieda ◽  
Craig Huhn
Keyword(s):  
High School ◽  
Problem Solving ◽  
Mathematics Teachers ◽  
Lesson Study ◽  
School Mathematics ◽  
High School Mathematics ◽  
High School Mathematics Teachers

Middle and high school mathematics teachers share what they learned about supporting students by conducting a series of three lesson studies.

Exploring Nonroutine Functions Algebraically and Graphically

2011 ◽  
Vol 104 (7) ◽  
pp. 508-513
Author(s):  
Christine P. Trinter ◽  
Joe Garofalo
Keyword(s):  
High School ◽  
Problem Solving ◽  
Mathematics Teachers ◽  
Multiple Representations ◽  
School Mathematics ◽  
High School Mathematics ◽  
Mathematics Tasks ◽  
Preservice Mathematics Teachers

Nonroutine function tasks are more challenging than most typical high school mathematics tasks. In our classes of precalculus students and preservice mathematics teachers, we have found that nonroutine tasks encourage our students to expand their thinking about functions and their approaches to problem solving. As a result, they gain greater appreciation for the power of multiple representations and a richer understanding of functions.

An Interesting Probability Problem

1982 ◽  
Vol 75 (9) ◽  
pp. 765-768
Author(s):  
Ernest Woodward ◽  
Jim R. Ridenhour
Keyword(s):  
Problem Solving ◽  
Mathematics Teachers ◽  
School Mathematics ◽  
Mathematics Textbook ◽  
Probability Problem

In An Agenda for Action: Recommendations for School Mathematics of the 1980s, NCTM (1980) recommends that “problem solving be the focus of school mathematics in the 1980s." Unfortunately, present day mathematics textbook problems can often be classified and categorized, and so they are not really problems at all but actually computational exercises. As a result, mathematics teachers need to be continually searching for interesting, challenging problems. Recently we found such a problem (Gardner 1961).

Problem Solving: Is More Than Solving Problems

1998 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 20-25
Author(s):  
Michael G. Mikusa
Keyword(s):  
Problem Solving ◽  
Correct Answer ◽  
Mathematical Problem ◽  
School Mathematics ◽  
Evaluation Standards ◽  
Students First ◽  
Mathematics Class ◽  
General Goals ◽  
Problem Solvers

The curriculum and evaluation Standards for School Mathematics (NCTM 1989) states that one of its five general goals is for all students to become mathematical problem solvers. It recommends that “to develop such abilities, students need to work on problems that may take hours, days, and even weeks to solve” (p. 6). Clearly the authors have not taught my students! When my students first encountered a mathematical problem, they believed that it could be solved simply because it was given to them in our mathematics class. They also “knew” that the technique or process for finding the solution to many problems was to apply a skill or procedure that had been recently taught in class. The goal for most of my students was simply to get an answer. If they ended up with the correct answer, great; if not, they knew that it was “my job” to show them the “proper” way to go about solving the problem.

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