Challenging preservice teachers to produce varied mathematical problem solving strategies

Abstract

This paper presents preliminary results of a research project that aims to investigate preservice teachers’ capacity to produce and analyse solution strategies to solve mathematical problems. From a methodological point of view, the study is of a qualitative nature and is being developed with future kindergarten and primary teachers who are enrolled in mathematical courses of a bachelor degree in elementary education at a public teacher education institute in central Portugal. The results suggest that although there has been an incipient progress concerning the production, by the future teachers, of more than one strategy to solve the same problems, reaching this goal is not an easy endeavour. It requires a deep and flexible knowledge about the mathematical content in order to be able to analyse problems from several points of view.

Keywords

• problem solving
• geometrical tasks
• preservice elementary teacher education