Development Of Mathematical Problem Solving Research Articles

Metacognitive Strategy Model for the Development of Mathematical Problem Solving

El estudio se llevó a cabo con estudiantes y docentes del área disciplinaria de Matemáticas de una institución educativa en Perú. El objetivo fue diseñar una estrategia metacognitiva para fomentar el desarrollo de la resolución de problemas en estudiantes de Secundaria. La metodología empleada se adscribe al paradigma sociocrítico, con un enfoque mixto y una investigación aplicada de alcance transformativo. El diseño adoptado fue el anidado concurrente de modelo dominante. La muestra incluyó a 16 estudiantes y seis docentes. Durante el diagnóstico de campo se aplicaron diversos instrumentos, como la guía de entrevista semiestructurada, la guía de observación, un cuestionario y una prueba pedagógica, los cuales permitieron evidenciar el estado actual del problema. Los resultados de la prueba pedagógica revelaron un nivel bajo de conocimientos y habilidades para resolver problemas matemáticos, con un 56.25 % en el indicador de comprensión del problema. En el indicador de concepción del plan, el 50 % se encontró en un nivel bajo, mientras que, en el indicador de ejecución del plan y examen de la solución, el 44 % también se ubicó en un nivel bajo. Además, las entrevistas, observaciones y cuestionarios evidenciaron que esta situación era una consecuencia de las metodologías empleadas en clase. En conclusión, se presenta un modelo de estrategia metacognitiva que orienta el desempeño del docente con el fin de estimular el protagonismo estudiantil en la construcción del conocimiento y el desarrollo de habilidades para la resolución de problemas.

The Development of Mathematical Problem-Solving and Reasoning Abilities of Sixth Graders by Organizing Learning Activities Using Open Approach

The researchers found that sixth-grade students at Traimit Pattana Suksa School had limited problem-solving and mathematical reasoning skills, which was attributed to the way their learning activities were organized by their teachers. The traditional approach did not allow students the freedom to think and practice solving a variety of problems in unconventional ways that mirror everyday life. To address this, the researchers applied an open approach to organizing activities and developed learning activities that fostered problem-solving and mathematical reasoning skills of the students. The goal of the study was to achieve an average score of not less than 70% using action research based on the concepts of Kemmis and McTaggart. Data were collected using a Sub-test at the end of the operating spiral, Mathematical Problem-Solving Ability Test, Math Reasoning Ability Test, and student behavior observation form. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, including percentage, mean, and standard deviation. The findings showed that the open approach to organizing activities can effectively develop the mathematical problem-solving and reasoning capabilities of students. The students were able to create work pieces, explain different types of 3D geometric shapes, show how to find the volume of a rectangular shape from given problem situations, and provide reasons to verify their ideas.
 
 According to the test results, 13 students (81.25% of the total number of students) had the ability to solve mathematics problems at 70% or higher, and 15 students (93.75% of the total number of students) had mathematical reasoning ability that met the criteria of 70% or higher.

Impact of Children’s math self-concept, math self-efficacy, math anxiety, and teacher competencies on math development

We examined to what extent children’s development of arithmetic fluency and mathematical problem-solving was influenced by their math self-concept, math self-efficacy, and math anxiety but also teacher competence, specifically: actual teaching behavior, self-efficacy, and mathematical teaching knowledge. Participants were 610 children and 31 teachers of grade four. Multi-level analyses showed children’s math self-concept to be a positive predictor of arithmetic fluency and actual teaching behavior to be a negative predictor. The development of mathematical problem-solving was predicted: positively by mathematical teaching knowledge; negatively by actual teaching behavior and teachers’ self-efficacy; and not at all by the child factors of math self-concept, math self-efficacy, or math anxiety. Promoting the self-confidence of young children is essential for their mathematical development. More research into the relationship between teaching behaviors and children’s math development is needed.

Dynamic assessment of algebraic learning in predicting third graders' development of mathematical problem solving.

Dynamic assessment (DA) involves helping students learn a task and indexing responsiveness to that instruction as a measure of learning potential. The purpose of this study was to explore the utility of a DA of algebraic learning in predicting 3(rd) graders' development of mathematics problem solving. In the fall, 122 3(rd)-grade students were assessed on language, nonverbal reasoning, attentive behavior, calculations, word-problem skill, and DA. On the basis of random assignment, students received 16 weeks of validated instruction on word problems or received 16 weeks of conventional instruction on word problems. Then, students were assessed on word-problem measures proximal and distal to instruction. Structural equation measurement models showed that DA measured a distinct dimension of pretreatment ability and that proximal and distal word-problem measures were needed to account for outcome. Structural equation modeling showed that instruction (conventional vs. validated) was sufficient to account for math word-problem outcome proximal to instruction; by contrast, language, pretreatment math skill, and DA were needed to forecast learning on word-problem outcomes more distal to instruction. Findings are discussed in terms of responsiveness-to-intervention models for preventing and identifying learning disabilities.

From convergence to divergence: the development of mathematical problem solving in research, curriculum, and classroom practice in Singapore

Following the movement of problem solving in the US and other parts of the world in the 1980s, problem solving became the central focus of Singapore’s national school mathematics curriculum in 1990 and thereafter the key theme in research and practice. Different from some other countries, this situation has largely not changed in Singapore mathematics education since then. However, within the domain of problem solving, mathematics educators in Singapore focused more on the fundamental knowledge, basic skills, and heuristics for problem solving till the mid 1990s. In particular, problem solving heuristics, especially the so-called “model method”, a term most widely used for problem solving, received much attention in syllabus, research, and classroom instruction. Since the late 1990s, following the national vision of “Thinking Schools, Learning Nation” and nurturing modern citizens with independent, critical, and creative thinking, Singapore mathematics educators’ attention has greatly expanded to the development of students’ higher-order thinking, self-reflection and self-regulation, alternative ways of assessment and instruction, among other aspects concerning problem solving. Researchers have also looked into the advantages and disadvantages of Singapore’s textbooks in representing problem solving, and the findings of these investigations have influenced the development of the latest school mathematics textbooks.

Enhancing mathematical problem solving among third-grade students with schema-based instruction.

The purposes of this study were to assess the effects of schema-based instruction (SBI) in promoting mathematical problem solving and to investigate schema induction as a mechanism in the development of mathematical problem solving. Twenty-four 3rd-grade teachers, with 366 students, were assigned randomly to conditions that provided instruction on 4 types of word problems. The 3 16-week conditions were contrast, SBI, and SBI with practice in sorting word problems into schemas. Students were pre- and posttested on mathematical problem-solving tests and were posttested on schema development. Students receiving SBI, with and without sorting practice, improved more than the contrast group on problem-solving measures. Concurrently, the SBI groups' schema development exceeded that of the contrast group, and schema development explained a substantial portion of unique variance in students' posttreatment problem-solving performance. Results also suggested the need for additional research testing the contribution of practice in sorting word problems.