2022-2023 Problem solving in Maths
Staff generated questions related to problem solving in maths
How does the child demonstrate aspects of problem solving and show a belief that more effort or a different approach will work/pay off? | How does guided problem solving assist children’s problem solving skills? | What is the impact of teaching and practicing one type of problem solving strategy in one session? | How do we create more independent problem solvers? |
How does explicit teaching of problem solving strategies impact children’s understanding and learning? | What is the impact of teaching a single strategy and applying to a particular question type on problem solving? | How do groupings affect children’s ability to problem solve (independently)?
| How to use visual support to develop a systematic approach to problem solving. |
We are all problem solvers!
Every single person is born with an innate level of problem-solving ability.
Early on as a species on this planet, we solved problems like recognising faces we know, protecting ourselves against other species, and as babies the problem of getting food (by crying relentlessly until we were fed).
Why then, if we have this innate ability, does actually teaching problem solving seem so hard?
Mathematical problem solving is a learned skill.
Colin Foster (2019), a reader in Mathematics Education in the Mathematics Education Centre at Loughborough University, says,
‘I think of fluency and mathematical reasoning, not as ends in themselves, but as means to support pupils in the most important goal of all: solving problems.’
Full Lesson Study summary
