Making Thoughts Visible through Formative Feedback in a Mathematical Problem-Solving Process

Abstract

This study aims to elicit the role of formative feedback in the development of students in a mathematical problem-solving process. For this purpose, the study's primary process is to investigate the development of elementary school students (aged 10 to 11) through feedback given during a problem-solving process. While visually engaged in the sub-processes expressing a problem situation and describing their thinking structures in writing, three different dimensions are addressed: communicating visually what they understood from the problem; expressing their thoughts about solution; and creating explanations regarding their solution process. The six-week embedded mixed method study reveals that students' explanations of their thinking processes developed towards the expectations. They were able to depict the problem and the relationships involved in the problem more clearly in their drawings to understand the problem. They made fewer mistakes in mathematical operations.