Problem posing and primary pre-service teachers: An initial study

Abstract

Problem solving is an important component of primary mathematics. Central to the activity of problem solving is the task of problem posing. This study examines the skills and predispositions of pre-service teachers when posing problems for use in primary classrooms. The preliminary study was carried out with 36 pre-service teachers at the end of their first semester of a teacher education programme. Participants were asked to construct a problem for use in a primary classroom. Analysis of the problems revealed that problems were very similar across participants and tended to be single step problems with one possible solution. Problems were predominantly computational and focused on procedures and operations relating to quantities. The mathematical content of problems was situated within the number and measurement strands of the primary curriculum. We identify experiences, models and structures that have been shown to be effective in bringing improvements in problem posing in international contexts. Recommendations are made for practice in teacher education contexts to support pre-service teachers in developing the pedagogical skills required to teach problem solving.